@tej 

Marquetry is different to fretboard inlays, it’s contrasting pieces of cross grained wood traditionally fixed in with hot hide glue. Tracing paper can be used for both to draw the shape, so for a fretboard it’s cut out and glued to the inlay material then cut out with a jewellers fine saw on a V shaped cutting block.
I can take a photo of mine tomorrow to show you what it’s like. It’s a difficult technique and takes a lots of practice so buy blades by the dozen because they break easily.
Complicated inlays don’t have to be made in one piece and are usually cut out in different pieces inlayed together. The advantage is that if you make a mistake it doesn’t ruin the whole thing.
Mother of Pearl or Abalone are used, which I’m sure you know, but they are unpleasant to work with and brittle. Mark gave a link to a supplier he uses which sells composite sheets of the real stuff bonded together which is much better for a beginner to use and is available in bigger sheets.

http://www.smallwonder-music.co.uk

There is of course a Bailey video on inlay work where Mark shows how to glue inlays to the wood and scribe round them with a point and not a knife. Best if you watch it.

@tej

Here is the video

@rocknroller912 thank you, so much to learn! 

@rocknroller912 I’ve seen the super glue accelerator used by various people along with liberal use of superglue for inlays and frets. I’m presuming the accelerator evaporates and leaves nothing on the wood? A lot of the time though the glue is shown leaching onto the wood around the hole or fret end. What I’m wondering is how much care needs to actually be taken here as I’d have expected the glue would fill nearby grain etc? Is it just that the stuff dries so thin at the lightest surface sanding will take it off?

Does anyone know where I can get bright yellow (not gold mop) inlay dots please? It could be plastic or any other suitable material really. 

@boo
Maybe the gentleman at Small Wonder Music that Mark talks about in the video could supply some in Honey Jasper? That looks pretty yellow on the website.

@jonhodgson Yeah I think I’ll email him, see what he can suggest, thanks. I need something to match this yellow on the pickup, something quite vivid.  

@boo aren't they a bit subtle for you? they don't glitter!

Hmmm, now there's a thought.. some metal flake in the bottom of the hole, then gluboost tinted yellow.

Bit expensive for a one off though.

aren't they a bit subtle for you? they don't glitter!

@jonhodgson 🤣✨✨✨ It’s not for me so I have to go with what my customer wants. 

Hmmm, now there's a thought.. some metal flake in the bottom of the hole, then gluboost tinted yellow.

@jonhodgson Well, I’ve got this epoxy resin and a load of pigments which have a shimmer to them. This may have to be the solution. 
Ive just had a reply from Small Wonder and he doesn’t have anything suitable but suggested using some plastic from a kids toy or similar. 

@boo

It's a boo guitar, I think you need to sneak a little shimmer in there!

It's a boo guitar, I think you need to sneak a little shimmer in there!

@jonhodgson Fair enough. 🤣

@tej

I don’t use superglue for inlays or anything else if I can avoid it. Always stick my fingers together and there are so many different varieties, so if your not in a hurry use ordinary white glue it gives you more time to line everything up. Superglue is instant so if the inlay is not level you are stuck. I think there was a post like this a few days ago.

@boo

When I learned bow making we had to cut our own dots from flat sheet. You could try google for model shops, there’s loads. They have all sorts of plastic sheet and some do custom work. Circle punches work on plastic.

@tej

Here is the the kind of thing you need to cut inlays. I got mine from Cookson Gold by post.

I don’t use superglue for inlays or anything else if I can avoid it.

@rocknroller912 so the way the lesson shows putting frets in seemed to involve dropping superglue down until the gap is filled, surely white/yellow glue simply isn’t thin enough for using like that so how do you go about gluing in ferrets?

@rocknroller912 frets, not ferrets.

 Edit function!?!?!?

@tej

Everybody has different methods. I don’t glue frets in unless it’s an acoustic re fret over the sound box where I can’t press or hammer, although I should say I’m changing some of my methods after watching Mark’s videos.
To get white glue in a small slot I would squeeze some on a flat surface and pick it up with a thin craft knife, snap off blade type. Superglue probably is better I’m just not good at using it.
If I’m doing a re fret and I get a fret end that won’t stay down because the slot is enlarged, I make a small hacksaw cut in the tang and use pliers to pull out a barb. The reason I’m not keen on glue is that when re fretting you have to apply heat to soften it and get the old frets out.
I don’t use Titebond for some jobs either because it’s too permanent and a failed glue joint is easier to repair than a wood tear.
Because most of my instrument work has been repairs rather than making new I tend to look at things a different way.