How to Add INLAYS to a Fretboard ... + how to safely Remove Frets

[@martybrooke7060]

Happy little frets!! You’re like the Bob Ross of guitar building tutorials!!! 😂 I mean that in a nice way. Thanks for sharing your knowledge!!

[@letsbuildaguitar9230]

I just sent this comment to my family saying that I received my favorite comment thus far! Hahaha! Thanks for the compliment!

[@warrenbutterfield4208]

BRAVO JOB WELL DONE WITH GREAT CARE I have to hand it to you. You are extremely thorough, intelligent, with a mild mannered delivery of all the information and all the knowledge. After all these years, I have most of this stuff down pretty cold. However, you can always learn more....someone always has another trick or a tool or something and I appreciate people who work clean. I'm amazed, how dirty and unkempt the workspace is how much inherent vrisk there is with some guys who don't protect the balance of the instrument from damage when they're working. Easy Does it.... Speed kills ‼️ Think your way through every project and treat the instrument with respect. Even if it has a lot of wear when you're working on a guitar is not the time to add wear to it......

[@letsbuildaguitar9230]

Thanks for the kind words and great advice!

[@Alvarado8076]

Thanks for the kind words my friend! I just subscribed to your channel. Great job, and great content! You have no idea how many times I’ve almost given up after spending 100s of hours on an inlay, just because it was in the ugly phase. I always keep my head down and push through the suck. Never judge an inlay until it’s done.

[@letsbuildaguitar9230]

Absolutely! Thanks for Subscribing! Yeah...they can look pretty rough sometimes.

[@thefreese1]

One trick is to use a damp rag or paper towel. Slightly moist .. not wet at all .... and run it back and forth across the fret and a tiny bit of moisture will seep just under the fret lip ... this will really reduce chipout a lot .... especially if it's a super dry fretboard that no one has ever oiled.. It really makes a difference.... try it next time you start to see chipout when pulling frets .. But remember "slightly moist" ! Warm water ... Not wet... It's usually the really dry fretboards that do the chipout.. that's why they chip ... Or the luthier before you glued them in .... instead of repair the fret slots..

[@letsbuildaguitar9230]

Didn’t know that! Thanks

[@martymcfly002]

Great video, I like your calm approach, really helped me from getting demoralized while doing my first inlay:)

[@letsbuildaguitar9230]

I’m so glad it was helpful and a huge thanks for your encouragement!

[@MrEyesof9]

@10:35 I believe your referring to (less than a 32th) a single strawberry blondth of an inch.

[@joncrowley1818]

Hehe... I call this a "poofteenth." :)

[@TarynnElizabeth619]

Love watching your videos! You have such a kind and giving way of approaching doing guitar work!

[@letsbuildaguitar9230]

Thanks Tarynn!!! May you have a blessed day and be encouraged as you’ve encouraged me!

[@ILLUMINATIONPLANET]

I truly love this

[@letsbuildaguitar9230]

Thanks so much! I really appreciate it!

[@ImStepV2]

Just started watching an am obsessed you make beautiful pieces!

[@letsbuildaguitar9230]

Thank you so much!!

[@albertomoscoso2670]

Awesome work!!

[@letsbuildaguitar9230]

Thank you!

[@jerryabrowne]

Where did you get the down cut bit? All I can find are bits with a 1/4“ shank.

[@letsbuildaguitar9230]

Stew Mac is where I found them….they aren’t cheap but worth it!!

[@jerryabrowne]

@@letsbuildaguitar9230: Thanks, I thought I looked there before.

[@runedahl1477]

I will never even try to do inlays like driftwood do. An other one worth looking up is Grit Laskings. A professional luthier attended a course with Laskings to learn the technique. For one week he was looking at a picture of a woman while trying to make a near picture perfect inlay. The result was very good but he told me that he probably never will forget the face of that woman in spite she was fairly ordinary looking.😂😂😂

[@letsbuildaguitar9230]

I'll check it out! Yeah the driftwood guys are amazing! The amount of patience, but even just notching out the time it would take seems unobtainable for me.

[@runedahl1477]

@@letsbuildaguitar9230 They are all amazing and true artists not just luthiers. I think I stick to dots and possibly one simple logo inlay. I don’t have the patience nor the skills to even attempt something remotely similar to what they are doing.

[@GianlucaImprotaPT]

Hey great video. I have a question. What do you do if the hols for your old inlays go all the way through the fretboard and you have no "floor" to pour the glue? I just found out that my inlay holes are like that. What do I do????

[@letsbuildaguitar9230]

Is it a round hole that you could put a thin slice of dowel into in order to give you a base? I’m assuming you’re saying right now it would fill the truss rod cavity?

[@GianlucaImprotaPT]

@@letsbuildaguitar9230 hey thanks for the reply. yes it's a round hole, and the fretboard is drilled all the way, so I assume what I see under the fretboard is the truss rod cavity

[@lurklingX]

lol i actually was thinking of driftwood guitars work this whole time. didn't know the name tho. but WOW. torturous inlay work. gorgeous tho.

[@letsbuildaguitar9230]

Driftwood guys are so talented when it comes to inlay work! I’m quite envious of his skill with fretboards!

[@thefreese1]

I agree.. Chris from Driftwood Guitars is very talented.. He has a lot of CNC machines... but his inlays are all done by hand with a jeweler's saw and imagination... He's a master at his craft for sure ... But he has no problem spending money on every tool available. Lol .. I would like to see what his tool budget looks like.. It's probably pretty scary... 😳

[@EthanRom]

What's your solution for the 12th fret on a dot inlay board? Do you just make your block inlay wider to cover the dot?

[@letsbuildaguitar9230]

Yep that’s it!

[@J10_33]

Beautiful but I obviously can’t do that on my own lmao

[@reesriddoch5332]

What size of a downward spiral bit?

[@letsbuildaguitar9230]

I have multiple sizes that I use.

[@jimmpanik3402]

Bad idea to pull the knife to the end of the cut. It's just a matter of time before you pull to far. Always pull from the corner not too the corner.

[@letsbuildaguitar9230]

Great advice Jimm!! Thanks for the reminder!

[@chrissoto6912]

Where do you get the blocks for black and leaves?

[@letsbuildaguitar9230]

I’m not sure I understand your question?

[@floflomas1322]

One of the inlays fell out of my 09 led Paul😢

[@letsbuildaguitar9230]

Bummer

[@roccogreco21]

Sapresti per caso come colorare la madre perla

[@letsbuildaguitar9230]

Sorry I do not. I’m wondering if you could use some colortone stain on it. ?? Check Stewmac