How to Inlay Faux Mother-of-Pearl

Faux mother-of-pearl inlay can be used on guitar necks.

Faux mother-of-pearl is used on economy musical instruments and crafts. It is an affordable alternative to genuine mother-of-pearl and is installed exactly the same. It is often used on guitar necks to indicate key positions, but can be placed into almost any flat wood surface. Faux mother-of-pearl comes in several different configurations including several sizes of squares or rectangles. The easiest form to work with and the best place to start is with a common dot inlay.

Things You'll Need

• 3/8-inch Forstner drill bit
• Drill press
• Faux mother-of-pearl dot inlay, 1/16 by 3/8 inch
• Scrap plywood, 3/4 by 12 by 12 inches
• Walnut blank, 3/4 by 12 by 12 inches
• Plastic cement
• 180-grit sandpaper
• Hand block

Instructions

1. Place the 3/8-inch Forstner bit in the drill press and tighten it. Place the scrap piece of plywood under the bit.

2. Turn on the drill press and pull the handle to bring the bit down so that it cuts into the face of the plywood approximately 1/16 inch. Let the bit return to its upright position.

3. Lay the faux mother-of-pearl dot into the hole that you just cut. Run your fingers over the surface of the dot and the wood together. If the dot is higher than the surface of the wood, take it out and drill the hole deeper until the dot is no more than 1/32 inch below the surface of the wood.

4. Cut another test hole if the dot is more than 1/32 inch below the surface of the wood and test again. When the dot is flush with the wood or less than 1/32 inch deeper, lock the drill press.

5. Place the walnut under the drill press. Turn it on and drill the hole. Use your cheeks to blow the dust out of the hole. Place a drop of plastic cement in the hole. Place the dot in the hole and push down until glue oozes out. Wait 24 hours for the glue to dry.

6. Sand over the surface of the wood with 180-grit sandpaper attached to a hand block. Sand in short strokes parallel with the grain until the dot and the walnut are flush.

Tips & Warnings

• Walnut is dark and mother-of-pearl is white. This works well for aesthetics, but you can do an inlay on any kind of wood you like.

• Always wear safety glasses.