Getting in to custom inlays and refrets on a budget (and in an apartment)

S

Stickymongoose

New member
I've been wanting to experiment with custom inlay and refretting work, and I'm wondering what the essential tool kit looks like. I'm somewhat limited by my budget, but the biggest factor is my workspace. Table saws, routers and such are pretty much out of the question due to space and noise restrictions.

I've just found a lightly used Dremel 4000 and matching rotary workstation on Craigslist at a steal. I'm thinking:

-Dremel 4000
-hand saws (pull saw, miter saw/miter box)
-some triangular files, round files
-a good, level aluminum sanding block + a variety of grit paper
-accurate straight edge, calipers, square, level
-clamps and a table vise (to bolt to my ikea desk) :eek13:
-lots of cheap practice wood and fretboards
-a basic set of chisels and a hobby knife

So, is it possible to teach myself to do a serviceable job with the above equipment? Can I at least get a decent fret level and crown? Am I missing anything essential? Also, is the Dremel at all useful in place of a real router? i.e. can it give me a flat and level inlay rout if I go slow?

Thanks very much for any input you can provide.
 
Re: Getting in to custom inlays and refrets on a budget (and in an apartment)

I see no reason why the Dremel with the correct bit and router base attachment could not do inlay routing on maple, rosewood, or ebony. While it probably couldn't handle cutting a Floyd route into a body blank, I've freehanded a single coil cavity into a humbucker cavity with mine easily enough.

Don't forget you'll need fretting tools, if you intend to do refrets (as opposed to just fret dressing). Fret pressing hand tools or table top device, wire nippers, that sorta thing.
 
Re: Getting in to custom inlays and refrets on a budget (and in an apartment)

I honestly don't know how anyone can route out a decent cavity with a dremel.

A router with a template bit can't be beat.
 
Re: Getting in to custom inlays and refrets on a budget (and in an apartment)

kramersteen said:
I honestly don't know how anyone can route out a decent cavity with a dremel.

A router with a template bit can't be beat.
Click to expand...

So even with one of these attachments:
http://www.lowes.com/pd_2072-353-5000335-01___?productId=999982138&Ns=p_product_price|1&pl=1&Ntt=dremel+router
it would still come out too rough to get an inlay to sit right? I wouldn't be trying to do anything more than maybe a dot or a side marker freehand.

Eventually, I'd like to work up to a plain board with just this inlaid at around the 5th or 7th fret:

silhouette-971335__180.png


But how cool would this be on a headstock in a couple colors of abalone?

9b526bde1a9768d5c0e25d94e4a47ad4.jpg


edit: I finally figured out how to post images!:headbang:

I'm thinking that even with really simple shapes, I'd try several truss rod covers and such on cheap scraps of veneer before I went near a fretboard with a dremel/router. I do need to learn to refret though. Nobody I've been to around here seems to know what they're doing with my guitars.
 
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Re: Getting in to custom inlays and refrets on a budget (and in an apartment)

For inlays the dremel would be perfect.
 
Re: Getting in to custom inlays and refrets on a budget (and in an apartment)

Thanks. I don't plan on doing a scratch build any time soon. Maybe when I've got a garage I'll attempt it.
 
Re: Getting in to custom inlays and refrets on a budget (and in an apartment)

Fretting/setting up tools are the most specialised (read expensive) of all the possible guitar building requirements. Nut slotting, fret cutting, radius sanding, filing etc. All up you'd probably be a few hundred out for quality stuff.
 
Re: Getting in to custom inlays and refrets on a budget (and in an apartment)

Worth it. Actually I was thinking probably closer to $500 or so if I get everything a site like stewmac suggests, but hopefully I can get away with less.

I'm not planning on this being just a one time venture, though. And you should seriously see what a $50 fret job looks like around here. I think I could do better with a short stretch of pavement.
 
Re: Getting in to custom inlays and refrets on a budget (and in an apartment)

kramersteen said:
I honestly don't know how anyone can route out a decent cavity with a dremel.

A router with a template bit can't be beat.
Click to expand...

Wish I still had the guitar, or a pic, but for my first attempt and freehand, I impressed myself. It helps to have a clear mental picture of the overall shape you're going for, as well as not trying to do it all the first time. Get it close, then check, then fine-tune as needed. I didn't have a template and didn't etch my boundaries. Pickup ring fit nicely, though the shoulder areas were a bit tight and needed smoothing out. Obviously the feet had to be routed as well, since it was a single-coil route, but that was easy enough.

I was also using a sanding barrel, not a router bit.

For cutting inlays other than dots, I'd look into hand tools. Small chisels, scrapers, working slowly, and definitely with a template/etching on the board. For dots, I'd look into a table-mounted drill press (Harbor Freight may have something cheap enough that'll do it), especially if it was just the frame and had a collar for holding your tool of choice (Drill or Dremel). Then again, while I haven't seen my Dremel router base attachment since I bought it some years ago, if it has holes for mounting and springs for plunging, you should be able to fabricate a small box to hold the neck and for the router base to attach to. Simply slide the neck along the box and plunge where you want the dots.
 
Re: Getting in to custom inlays and refrets on a budget (and in an apartment)

Is this just for you doing your own guitars, or are you looking to do some paid work?? Initially I was thinking you were just doing some work on your own guitars.

Of course if you want to do it properly/getting paid you need a whole raft of tools. You need nut slot files for every possible width of strings people use. Plus of course long radius sanding blocks of all sizes. So in that instance making a living out of it would indeed mean a lot more. In fact I'd be thinking eventually you'd be well into 4 figures.
 
Re: Getting in to custom inlays and refrets on a budget (and in an apartment)

I don't have hardly any money to spend as i have a family and stuff. Also other devilish hobbies that take my money :firedevil

I just wanna say you can make some cool **** on budget if you think outside the box. I use to go to a wood working guild and use all there machines until i worked out exactly what i needed. I level my frets with a block of wood i ran through a jointer. I would like a heap of nice tools but i can't really afford so i just get things bit by bit and make do with what i can.

Make'n jigs for every job. :headbang:

Here is a slotting jig i made from left over skirting board.

:headbang:

****n heck man i use welding tip cleaners for nut files.
 
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Re: Getting in to custom inlays and refrets on a budget (and in an apartment)

^ Like that welding tip thing.

I'd have to say that the jig thing is great once you know a bit about the task you need to do. I have made a heap of jigs to do certain tasks in guitar building which people spend a lot of money buying......but I had to build a few guitars before I knew how to get the jig built to do what I wanted.

And its often best to start off with the accurate stuff initially so its easy to do the job the first few uncertain times.
 
Re: Getting in to custom inlays and refrets on a budget (and in an apartment)

I don't really intend to get into this as a profession. More of a long-term hobby. At some point I'd definitely like to have a full workshop for woodworking and guitars in particular, though. I'll have to look for a set of those welding tip cleaners. I also think my first couple of building projects are going to be a workbench and some clamps or jigs for fretwork.
 
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