Kevin Chilcott
Luthier
REPLACING MOTHER-OF-PEARL DOTS
(The
same process is used for Abalone,
Clay
or
Plastic
etc)
PAGE 1.
TOOLS & MATERIALS
Above are most of the tools, materials and bits 'n' bobs required.
Hand drill,
various drill bits, blade,
very small chisel (comes in
handy), MOP
dots,
superglue (there are
many sorts on the market - industrial is best),
a small wood block to
ease the dots in the holes, a sanding stick,
various grades of sandpaper from 60 to 320,
a large sanding block and masking
tape always comes in handy.
I think that about covers it..... and Rosewood
dust of course - in this case.
( Ebony dust - if an Ebony Fingerboard.)
WARNING
Most Important.....
Wear a dust mask through
out the whole procedure.
Mother-of-Pearl Dust is toxic - it's a carcinogen
and the relevant precautions must be taken,
and make sure that all the surfaces and tools etc
are cleaned properly afterwards. - OK.
Replacing the 'Standard' size
6mm (1/4")
MOP dots.
Rosewood (or Ebony) Fingerboard
The task is most
easily done while doing a Refret,
as in the pix below.
It can be done when the frets are already
there,
but then the task is rather more tricky
: -
(
I'll add this as a section at a later date if possible.)
The new 6mm pieces alongside
the ones to be replaced.
Carefully Hand drilling out the
old Pearl to
help 'break it up'... using a small drill.
Loose pieces can be removed with a
blade or similar tool - small chisel if required,
but be careful !
Carefully Hand drilling out undersize
(5mm dia) to give a good starting placement for the new piece.....
.....this is a very gentle process that also usually requires
'back-drilling' as
well.
This helps prevent 'breaking out' of the rosewood grain around the hole and
helps give a smooth base.
Very Tricky.
REPAIRING OR REPLACING DAMAGED INLAYS