Fretboard inlays question ....

axisus

Some years ago I did some really cool fretboard inlays - Chinese numbers. Personally I thought that they looked really cool and I have to say that I impressed myself with how well they came out.

I would quite like to do some again for my next guitar build, which is in early planning stages, but to be honest it was a major ball-ache making the inlays, then making the holes for them etc. (lots of tiny fiddly bits). 

I was wondering if there was any way I could bypass making inlays, but just cutting the holes for them in the fretboard and then filling them up with something that would harden up. Ideally I would want them to look like clay (that warm, off white look). I have made clay dots in the past but you need to stick them in the oven to go hard and I don't think a guitar neck would fit! (plus it would warp!).

 Good idea? Bad idea? Know of a product that would work?

WezV

You could do it with resin.  Obviously your cavities need to be perfect and you need to seal any pores first to prevent bleed 

more

 The advantage of using inlays is, the inlays are sharply cut ,  the hole you place them in can be filled , to hide   imperfections in  the  hole cutting. It is possible to cut sharp  accurate holes , but just filling the holes with filler  will show any bad cutting. 
 I have made inlays by smashing shells , using a metal mortise and pestle, to dust . Fill your cut out with  dust and drip on super glue .  It works better if you a use  loose shapes , that don't have sharp edges .