Making Abalone Inlay Blanks - Luthiery Tips - Klesh Guitars - Mother of Pearl - Ebony

[@TempusSolum]

Check local high end restaurants to see if they have your shellfish of choice on the menu. As a chef I know the shells are often discarded. You might be able to get as much as you like very cheap.

[@danieljones8751]

15:38

[@bryantcochran5065]

I have some restaurants that give me the shells free, keeps them out of their garbage costs.

[@Ibaneddie76]

Great video! I do the same thing I was lucky enough to have a customer who had boxes of huge abalone shell that she had in her garden when she lived on the coast and was nice enough to let me use. When I flatten my blanks I just use a Dremel in a Dremel drill press with the large diamond wheel, that way I can make them all a consistent thickness. I'm glad you warned about the dust it's extremely terrible to even breath a small amount that stuff. I dig what you are doing keep up the great work!

[@jmp814]

Leave in larger flat pieces where possible, so easier to sand & reducing thickness. Use a piece of wood with a grippy & spongy piece of wood in ratio with the piece's size, when sanding. Design an interlocking overlay of your 'K logos' for the laser cutter, to minimise mother of pearl wastage. Plus if you decide to sell online, people will pay more for larger pieces that allow a greater customisation. The dust can be spread over & mixed into your garden or veggie patch.

[@phickleprickprospecting]

A little ingenuity can go a long ways, always fun watching the channel and learning new things. Thanks for the show, see you on the next one.

[@BIueCat]

I love that you chose a simple K inlay for your logo. That's gonna look really sharp.

[@slftr5139]

Remember, *always* wear a respirator when working with abalone. The dust is really not something you want to be inhaling…

[@Arc_The_King]

Thanks for providing this information on KZbin.

[@jewelvibebabo]

excellent advice, ingenious approach to several challenges,just what I needed.Many thanks for sharing.

[@MUDSWAT]

I had no idea, I'm going to learn so much about quality guitars. This is cool. 😎

[@schrammguitars]

use a pipette and acetone to unstick the shell from the tape. It will float right off. I've been doing it that way for 30 years.

[@GuyBraget]

Glad I watched this. Now I'm heading to my luthier supply to buy some ready dots😄

[@lindboknifeandtool]

How much do they cost?

[@GuyBraget]

$8 for 12ea. (1/4" Abalone). But shipping is the problem when not spending the minimum $75 where I get mine (Philidelphia Luthier). I got a set of Gotoh tuners last time I ordered which satisfied the requirement.

[@fragnet1411]

Really enjoyed this one! Thanks for sharing the process with us.

[@staceytilghman3822]

oh yea klesh,keep these videos coming I will watch them all gold panning,prospecting,guitars,anything bro🤟

[@chuckraup6836]

Thanks for the great video, now I have a much better idea of how to work the abalone shells I have!👍👍

[@HighlineGuitars]

Great video. Inventive.

[@BalladofJanine]

Very talented! Thanks Klesh

[@rinkinkel]

Smart man.👍

[@shawnstatzer95]

Have you considered using a dop stick to hold the shell while smoothing the one side down? Dop sticks work great with opal sanding and polishing.

[@KleshGuitarsOfficial]

there's all sorts of things that "could" be done, this is just the way I do it. Mostly because it's quickest

[@VinceEspositoJr]

Can you explain the use of the 2 boards on your sander - the one on the table and the other under the belt? Good view at 5:11. Thank you.

[@KleshGuitarsOfficial]

They are just pieces of baltic birch used as a platen, so I can have the paper raised up above the rollers, so I can sand certain pieces perfectly flat. The rollers tend to dig in more than the middle.

[@Aeidotronics]

"Abalone" rhymes with "macaroni", FYI. Good video. I've been trying to use Eye of Shiva shells myself lately.

[@bobbyhill8808]

Would I get similar results just sanding them down flat and using calipers to measure them rather than using the planer?

[@KleshGuitarsOfficial]

Sure you can try it

[@geodav5700]

Man understands double sided tape. KUDOS

[@timclarkguitar]

Thank you, very helpful

[@johnfree2833]

Going to do same except in a large tub of water ,cuts the deadly dust to zero.😊

[@KleshGuitarsOfficial]

Water will kill the dust yes!

[@Bsholder]

is there a subsitute for the thickness sander?

[@TarnishedViking.]

Nice! I'll chek garage sales for ya! I found penny sized real M.o.P buttons, 6 for 10 cent. 🤘👍

[@MrCoyote99]

great stuff ty for sharing, do you preferer one color abalone too another?

[@Klesh]

I like the green stuff but it all depends on the design I’m going for

[@MrCoyote99]

@@Klesh copy that ill have to look at mine. Was working in Bodega Bay and was given a bunch of large shells.

[@stonemuzza8311]

Do you know if there’s anyway of dying,staining or colouring these?

[@KleshGuitarsOfficial]

Sure, after it's installed, you can do a translucent finish over it, as long as it's not in your fingerboard. I personally don't know how to dye it , maybe try a few different types. Never tried myself.

[@guillermodelnoche]

I like the “K” but hope it doesn’t confuse people with the same thing at Kiesel guitars. It’s an option for the neck inlays. It’s awesome watching you do the micro details of guitar building. So many builders just give the Cliff Note version.

[@Klesh]

Nah the K is quite different and will always be inlaid into a black / phenolic / ebony disk. Will also be using the old origins logo for the other 6L peg heads, the small K disc logo is for these 3s / 4s peg head designs. At least for now

[@tedrowland7800]

I am a first time viewer. Maybe others already know this, but I am new to lutherie. (retired carpenter/cabinet maker). What grit sad paper on the belt and thickness sander?

[@KleshGuitarsOfficial]

I use 80 grit, but would probably suggest using a higher grit (i just didn't have any)

[@lindboknifeandtool]

Oh to be a luthier… I’d have cool little damascus chisels and stuff

[@billtatro9857]

Dont mean to be an alarmist but cutting Abalone is an extremely dangerous health risk.

[@beckylynn2280]

Exactly

[@lindboknifeandtool]

I take this very seriously over most things

[@oinkoink644]

Why?

[@MyBodyWash]

@@oinkoink644chemicals/dust inside the shell

[@BulldogFront]

He’s using both a mask and dust collection. Be adult. If you are actually a luthier, you’re dealing with many elements that are unhealthy. Welcome to life. 4:52

[@dontsaymynameimeanit]

Maybe you can run your sander on your down draft table when sanding the abalone. Your down draft table looks like it works great.

[@Klesh]

If the downdraft table wasn’t angled , that would work

[@ankeuttajaespanjassa]

Be careful, one artist got poisoning from the dust as the seashells contain heavy metals thanks to us humans. I would do that outside with heavy duty mask

[@KleshGuitarsOfficial]

Oh ya it's terrible stuff. I had to burn incense after because the shop smelled like it 😂

[@Ondanatch]

@@KleshGuitarsOfficial if you can smell it that means you’re breathing it.

[@karmanuenes7629]

Ik this is a year old, but if you havent changed your methods since, you should.. You should cut under water, to keep the dust from getting airborn and wear ppe

[@Johnny_Doe]

Now I know why I’m paying $10K for my Gibson..

[@pkujawski83]

All over the world, including Europe, unpolished, and uncut mother of pearl costs about $10-20 per 1kg (2 pounds) - and I mean mother of pearl, not raw shells. I don't know where He got $80 for those crumbs - maybe he meant price for the finished product, or some super rare variety of mother of pearl - but the one in the movie looks super common. btw - Although the Gibson guitars quality are really high, you're mainly paying for the brand (similar to Chanel, Diore or other fashionable brands).

[@brianroberts4349]

Ummm....yeah....it's abalone....a-buh-low nee......NOT a-buh-lone

[@rickdozier3609]

It is pronounced a·buh·low·nee.. The "E" is not silent. just saying.

[@roccogreco21]

Sapresti dirmi come colorare la madre perla direttamente sulla chitarra