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Looking great Chris!!!

Looking good Chris! Where are those missing pieces ?



Consider cutting the lure line out of sterling silver. You can get it hair thin without breaking and even inset if the wood moves it's stable.

Keep it up!
Craig Lavin

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www.handcraftinlay.com

You guys are awesome!

The only problem.... my wife would not let any guitar with boobies stay in the house...

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Reguards,

Ken H

Chris when your working the synthetic turtle shell it's already highly translucent. Don't be surprised when you level it and it seems almost to be non-existent.
If that's the effect your going for then great, but if you back it, or glue it in with a died white epoxy or even add a red tint to white or clear epoxy your going to get way more color and pattern strength out of it than if gluing it down with black epoxy or just CA.
Having the hair seem faded out against that pearl face or body won't seem "natural" it will look like a mistake. I have done this many times as I like to use acrylics a lot for HTF colors. I back them all now with died epoxy, color varies with the material.
keep it going!

Craig L

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Just tell her it's literally the "breast" guitar you ever played..

Ba dum bum..

CL

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I don't normally work with malachite but if it's like gaspeit then it cracks pretty easy, and I don't mean a little break, I mean if it starts it's most likely going through the entire piece. I really don't know specifics on that one.
I really don't think backing the stone helps much, unless maybe with metals. The backer would have to not move at all.
Cracked pieces being routed out after it's all done are no fun.
I normally leave it 1/8th thick, flip it over and glue the inlay in reverse and then route down for the deepest material and support the rest with a backing materials and the glue. Make sure it sits properly and doesn't settle in below the surface when drying and you're good to go, plus you maintain your surface colors you worked hard at determining.
This method isn't exactly easy, or fun. Especially on radiused boards. I have started seeking out other materials to give me the same effect or better with greens. These days I prefer on fretboards to inlay against the depth of the thinnest material, and I try to chose my colors when everything is already equal at around .o5-.o6.
Craig

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