Shell Inlay on a Maple Fingerboard?

[WoodGrain67]

I'm getting ready to choose inlay material to install on a maple fingerboard and I'm thinking of using black MOP shell inlay. Will it become a smudgy mess when I proceed to sand the installed inlay with my radius sanding block? Like will he shell particles embed into the maple and be impossible to do cleanly?


Here's a pic of the mess on my workbench, with some green abalone just laying on top of the board for now:

 

[kramersteen]

Re: Shell Inlay on a Maple Fingerboard?

I don't see why it would embed into the maple?

 

[Psykel]

Re: Shell Inlay on a Maple Fingerboard?

Don't take my word for it, but I think it should be a hard enough material to be sanded in a similar way to wood.

 

[TheLivingDead]

Re: Shell Inlay on a Maple Fingerboard?

Projectguitar seems to say it's fine.

Go for it!

P.S. I'd love to see the finished product!

 

[J E C]

Re: Shell Inlay on a Maple Fingerboard?

I wouldn't think that there would be a problem with the darker shell getting in to the grain and making it look bad. Maple isn't very porous. If in doubt do a test piece.

 

[Zerberus]

Re: Shell Inlay on a Maple Fingerboard?

It`s exactly as much a problem as inlaying stark white MoP into black ebony is. In other words a complete and total non-issue.

 

[WoodGrain67]

Re: Shell Inlay on a Maple Fingerboard?

Thanks for the replies, sounds like a non-issue.

Next, I need to order the black MOP inlay; I think I'm going to keep it simple and use the classic square/block shape.

As can be seen in the picture, I have two maple fingerboards (from StewMac), and I'm using one for practice and one for the install. Currently practicing routing the shelf for the locking nut, then on to cutting the sides of the neck to shape - thinking that a Japanese pull-saw will do the trick without splintering.

 

[GuitarDoc]

Re: Shell Inlay on a Maple Fingerboard?

Very nice looking in and of itself, but what color is your guitar?

 

[WoodGrain67]

Re: Shell Inlay on a Maple Fingerboard?

Very nice looking in and of itself, but what color is your guitar?

Hi GD!

It is an Ibby S470DXQM in Red Viking with smoky chrome "Cosmo" hardware (but the picture doesn't do the flame justice).
The pups are currently Blackouts with an EMG SA connected to an Afterburner to keep up (this was before the Blackouts Singles came out) using the EMG solderless five-way selector, but all of it is coming out in favor of passives, starting with a Custom trembucker and figuring it out from there.

 

[GuitarDoc]

Re: Shell Inlay on a Maple Fingerboard?

Yeah, man, those inlays will look great with that guitar. Very, Very nice looking. Love the color! I also love the slight reddish tint to the fretboard, goes real well with that body. Sweet!!

 

[zenmindbeginner]

Re: Shell Inlay on a Maple Fingerboard?

The shell is very hard... the wood will get sanded like a mofo before the shell does.

The inlay will be very hard to sand, so make sure that they fit perfectly before you glue them into place... sanding down proud areas of the inlay will be a lesson in futility and a great way to screw up the fretboard.

 

[WoodGrain67]

Re: Shell Inlay on a Maple Fingerboard?

I use a radiused sanding block to do the work. Seems to work fine. It sands down the shell before it can get to the wood.

Here's my neck from my Electra Les Paul where I replaced the decaying binding, put in new Evo gold frets from Luthier's Mercantile, and replaced the plastic inlay with real red abalone shell.

 

[GuitarDoc]

Re: Shell Inlay on a Maple Fingerboard?

That looks gorgeous. Man, you do good work. Wish you lived close to me, I'd have you do some work for me.