Advice needed

[Drake S.]

So I got the right tools & the material to do a Paua abalone strip up the center of a project body. I've done route work before, but this is a much smaller scale. Any tips on putting this abalone in ? The boady has a book match top & I'm putting the abalone where the seam is .

In advance I'ld like to say thanks to Sully, & Mike Learn for words of wisdom in the past.

[Learn Guitars]

Drake,
What is the width of the abalone strip? .125? You could do it the old school way with an 1/8 in chisel and blade. You cut the width of the channel with a razor on both sides, then scoop it out with the chisel carefully. Also, if you have the body blank in the rough square or rectangular shape, you could run it over a table saw down the seam, setting the blade depth to the thickness of the Paua. The saw kerf might get you the width you need, if not, adjust your rip fence to make it slightly wider and make two passes. Another way to do it is with a small bit and a laminate trimmer running along a guide that is clamped to the body. I have done such all 3 ways. The last being my favorite way to do decorative straight purfling.

[sully]

That third way is kinda how I route for truss rod channels.

[Drake S.]

I went with buying the router bit & using a guide clamped to the body seemed the safest way for a first timer.
Straight length: 15.75" (400mm) overall; pieces are 5.25" (133.35mm) got this from StewMac.