Bare Knuckle Pickups Forum

Forum Ringside => Tech => Topic started by: mikeluke on August 21, 2009, 02:41:45 PM

Title: MOTO Celluloid Inlays
Post by: mikeluke on August 21, 2009, 02:41:45 PM: Wez/Jonathan/anyone

Where would you get a set of inlays for a Les Paul? I got some over the web but there are far too thick - would you buy them ready made or would you buy a celluloid sheet and cut your own?

Need to redo a Les Paul Standard - crown set

Thanks

Mike
Title: Re: MOTO Celluloid Inlays
Post by: FernandoDuarte on August 21, 2009, 03:08:07 PM: Why not get the real Mother of Pearl? :D

http://www.custominlay.com/detail.aspx?ID=114
http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Inlay,_pearl/Pre-cut_inlays/Inlay_Sets_for_Les_Paul.html
http://www.luthiersupply.com/blockfretinlaypage.html
David Dyke has it too for £40
Title: Re: MOTO Celluloid Inlays
Post by: WezV on August 21, 2009, 03:26:45 PM: i wouldnt bother cutting them myself if its a standard shape, lifes too short

all i can find at the moment ar real shell ones which i would be tempted to go for myself. axesrus have sets for £15

too thick is fine, too thin is a problem
Title: Re: MOTO Celluloid Inlays
Post by: mikeluke on August 21, 2009, 03:28:43 PM: 2 reasons:-

1. Only Customs had MOP ones - Standards had celluloid
2. From a previous thread - MOP takes a lot more fitting and finishing - ideally should be done with a refret and I can't afford that!

The celluloid ones that I have look great - they are just too thick!
Title: Re: MOTO Celluloid Inlays
Post by: mikeluke on August 21, 2009, 03:32:14 PM: Might be tempted to give those a go - not the Abalone ones - the MOP ones
Title: Re: MOTO Celluloid Inlays
Post by: WezV on August 21, 2009, 03:49:45 PM: Quote from: mikeluke on August 21, 2009, 03:28:43 PM
The celluloid ones that I have look great - they are just too thick!

can you not simply make them a bit thinner?
Title: Re: MOTO Celluloid Inlays
Post by: FernandoDuarte on August 21, 2009, 03:57:28 PM: Quote from: mikeluke on August 21, 2009, 03:28:43 PM
2 reasons:-

1. Only Customs had MOP ones - Standards had celluloid
Blah :? I can think in a person who wouldn't like MOP instead of plastic, if you're thinking in future selling...

Quote from: mikeluke on August 21, 2009, 03:28:43 PM
2. From a previous thread - MOP takes a lot more fitting and finishing - ideally should be done with a refret and I can't afford that!

Ideally, of course, but once you put it and level with the neck it should be fine... very tough work, as you could destroy the fingerboard, but for times where the money is short, it can be done on "improvisation"...
Title: Re: MOTO Celluloid Inlays
Post by: ToneMonkey on August 21, 2009, 04:15:13 PM: Don't wnat to teach you how to suck eggs (not that I've ever sucked an egg, or could offer any advice on the subject), but do a fair few practice runs on some scr@p first.
Title: Re: MOTO Celluloid Inlays
Post by: FernandoDuarte on August 21, 2009, 04:22:33 PM: Quote from: ToneMonkey on August 21, 2009, 04:15:13 PM
but do a fair few practice runs on some scr@p first.

Good advice :D
Title: Re: MOTO Celluloid Inlays
Post by: ToneMonkey on August 21, 2009, 04:29:15 PM: Quote from: FernandoEsteves on August 21, 2009, 04:22:33 PM
Quote from: ToneMonkey on August 21, 2009, 04:15:13 PM
but do a fair few practice runs on some scr@p first.

Good advice :D

From experience too :lol:
Title: Re: MOTO Celluloid Inlays
Post by: FernandoDuarte on August 21, 2009, 04:50:46 PM: I know it :lol:
Title: Re: MOTO Celluloid Inlays
Post by: mikeluke on August 21, 2009, 05:02:04 PM: Wez - dumb question - best advice/method to thin then down? Very fine saw? I need to remove about 1mm

Thanks
Title: Re: MOTO Celluloid Inlays
Post by: FernandoDuarte on August 21, 2009, 05:06:53 PM: Quote from: mikeluke on August 21, 2009, 05:02:04 PM
Wez - dumb question - best advice/method to thin then down? Very fine saw? I need to remove about 1mm

Thanks

Sand paper...
Title: Re: MOTO Celluloid Inlays
Post by: ToneMonkey on August 21, 2009, 05:37:14 PM: Just reread your post and I think I got the wrong end of the stick. Presume that the holes are already in the fretboard.

Not that I've done this, but I would inlay them and then sand/file them down (very carefully indeed). You're going to have to sand them anyway to get them smooth with the fretboard. If you're doing that, make sure you protect the frets when you're sanding.
Title: Re: MOTO Celluloid Inlays
Post by: WezV on August 21, 2009, 06:43:07 PM: i would inlay them frst and file/sand down but since i pressume you are not refretting then it makes sense to thin them a bit first

i would get a flat surface like a bit of kitchen worktop and attach some sandpaper. i have offcuts of worktop for this but if actually doing it in the kitchen use some double sided tape and clean up the residue afterwards with some white spirit... or just find another flat board to do it on

then once you have a sanding board its easy to sand them thinner, taking the inlay to a sanding board is much easier than trying to take sandpaper to the inlay

because the inlays are flat and the board has a radius you will still get the edges sticking up slightly which can be taken down once they are installed, file/sanding sticks/stanley knife blade used as a scr@per should get you close neough for final sanding
Title: Re: MOTO Celluloid Inlays
Post by: Prawnik on August 25, 2009, 09:19:26 AM: Quote from: mikeluke on August 21, 2009, 02:41:45 PM
Wez/Jonathan/anyone

Where would you get a set of inlays for a Les Paul? I got some over the web but there are far too thick - would you buy them ready made or would you buy a celluloid sheet and cut your own?

Need to redo a Les Paul Standard - crown set

Thanks

Mike

I think Crazyparts has some Mother of Toilet Seat Les Paul inlays for sale. Not cheap, but Les Paul people will pay some crazy prices for original-looking parts.

For my part, I am forever looking for decent MOTS inlays for 1964-1981 Fender guitars.