Hey all. Just wondering what you might recommend for an easy but lasting fret dot. I can't decide on whether to paint the dots, use stickers, paint a sticker then place, or do some type of inlay. I was leaning towards using some simple round stickers then clear coating on top of that. What do all of you usually do?
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Diamond core drill bits will make circular dots in most hard materials from abalone shells to beer bottles and are available in inside diameters from 2mm up, though they do sell them by the outside diameter. A10pc 3mm to 14mm set can be got for under $5. Try to get a set with a hole all the way through. Some sets have a solid shaft which makes getting the center dot out neatly just about impossible.
Inspired by the people using hole punches on guitar picks I just grabbed my revolving head hole punch and made a heap of dots of varying diameters from lots of different plastic lids and scrap. No need to wreck perfectly good guitar picks when milk bottle lids and bread bag tags were going to be thrown out anyway.
A while back I saw a video of making clay dots, it sounded like a novel idea to try, I did it. I got 1/8" thick aluminum and drilled the size holes I wanted for side and fret dots, put fimo clay in the holes, smooth it, bake it and pop them out. I have only done a white color and will be using black on the tricone build I am doing. at the end of the day they look fine and was fun to do. Neat thing, fimo clay comes in so many colors, so it is endless. I also imagine you could tackle doing trapezoids or some other kind of inlay too.
I've used a hole punch and guitar picks for years. I drill a hole, put some super glue in and start layering dots until the hole is filled or above. Then I let everything cure and start sanding until flush. Make sure that if the picks have print on them that you put that side down in the hole.
Depends on the color of the fretboard you're using. If it's dark wood: simple wooden dowels - drill a hole, hammer them in (if they don't stick by themselves put some glue into the hole first), saw them off, sand them flush with the fretboard. For side dots wooden toothpicks (or skewers if you want the dots a little bigger) work really well (make sure they're not bamboo - that doesn't look good when sanded flat).
And most importantly: Do it before you fret the fretboard! (Sounds stupid, I know, but I'm speaking from experience... It's a real pain to sand the fret dot dowels between frets...)
I bought a couple of 100 count packs of number 2 screws in silver and gold (like the ones you'd use for tuning machines) and have been using those. They are counter sunk and my plan was to fill the holes with clear epoxy... but haven't gotten around to it yet.. so they are backed out a little bit to be flush. I keep skipping that step and going to the next build. lol
I really like the screws though, I think they give more of a downhome look.
Replies
I made a tutorial on how to make them out of a violin tuning peg.
Dot markers how to
Diamond core drill bits will make circular dots in most hard materials from abalone shells to beer bottles and are available in inside diameters from 2mm up, though they do sell them by the outside diameter. A10pc 3mm to 14mm set can be got for under $5. Try to get a set with a hole all the way through. Some sets have a solid shaft which makes getting the center dot out neatly just about impossible.
Inspired by the people using hole punches on guitar picks I just grabbed my revolving head hole punch and made a heap of dots of varying diameters from lots of different plastic lids and scrap. No need to wreck perfectly good guitar picks when milk bottle lids and bread bag tags were going to be thrown out anyway.
A while back I saw a video of making clay dots, it sounded like a novel idea to try, I did it. I got 1/8" thick aluminum and drilled the size holes I wanted for side and fret dots, put fimo clay in the holes, smooth it, bake it and pop them out. I have only done a white color and will be using black on the tricone build I am doing. at the end of the day they look fine and was fun to do. Neat thing, fimo clay comes in so many colors, so it is endless. I also imagine you could tackle doing trapezoids or some other kind of inlay too.
I've used a hole punch and guitar picks for years. I drill a hole, put some super glue in and start layering dots until the hole is filled or above. Then I let everything cure and start sanding until flush. Make sure that if the picks have print on them that you put that side down in the hole.
I usually place mine on the neck edge. A wood burning pen or solder iron does quite nicely.
I've used wooden dowels and skewers like previously mentioned, bought and used abalone, and plan on trying some acrylic neon tubes.
I've found knitting needles, and coat hangers give a great variety of diameters and colours, just pound them in and sand flush
Depends on the color of the fretboard you're using. If it's dark wood: simple wooden dowels - drill a hole, hammer them in (if they don't stick by themselves put some glue into the hole first), saw them off, sand them flush with the fretboard. For side dots wooden toothpicks (or skewers if you want the dots a little bigger) work really well (make sure they're not bamboo - that doesn't look good when sanded flat).
And most importantly: Do it before you fret the fretboard! (Sounds stupid, I know, but I'm speaking from experience... It's a real pain to sand the fret dot dowels between frets...)
I bought a couple of 100 count packs of number 2 screws in silver and gold (like the ones you'd use for tuning machines) and have been using those. They are counter sunk and my plan was to fill the holes with clear epoxy... but haven't gotten around to it yet.. so they are backed out a little bit to be flush. I keep skipping that step and going to the next build. lol
I really like the screws though, I think they give more of a downhome look.
I tend to use countersunk screws rather than round head screws.
Other things
Electrical Copper wire
Whipper snipper line
Q tip and lollypop shafts.
Chop sticks both square and or round ends-I use the square ends for nuts.
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