inlay work - cutting the object, and inlay

[caraguitars]

Has anyone used the machine to do inlay work?
I'm interested in using mine to inlay pearl into the guitar neck fretboards that we make. Of course I would like to cut both the object, as well as the inlay material.

Here is a sample project for example.
Have any CarveWright Guru's played with something like this? Maybe the top of a box or something similar?


http://www.caramedia.com/file/fretboard.gif

[BoardSilly]

Issues I see are that you will need to use a sled and bring the pieces up to the minimum thicknes height of 1/4" ( or is it 1/2" now? ) to cut it. You'll also have to watch the size of the text you are cutting out. Really small stuff will tend to either chip out or break on you. Other then that, inlays are pretty easy to do with the machine.

[caraguitars]

Thanks for your help.
OK, so you say "inlays are pretty easy to do with the machine" I assume you have done inlays.
When cuttiing the deep Negative, I can see it could be.
I want to know how you adjust the size when cutting the inlay material so that the cutout/stencil area is slightly smaller and that the positive will drop right in?

[BobHill]

Cara,

Make your carving for the inner, but then do a Select Bit, 1/8 Cutting bit to do the edge with the path line set just 1/16" inside the outer edge of the carving area. This should make the negative, then have the pattern set to Outline Pattern with external path line set at the positive outline should do it. Any tightness of the positive should easily be corrected with light sanding for a real good fit that's almost seamless. I'm now collecting the wood to make a non-painted E-guitar base full size, using the CW myself, although I've got other projects that have to come before that.

Bob