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Permalink Reply by Bluesheart on September 21, 2009 at 3:08pm

I just put fret markers on the top side edge of my new 3 string and like them. I used # 16 brass escuetion pins, cut to about 1/4 in. long and just pressed them into 1/16" holes. It is fretted, so I only marked 3,5,7,9&12, but you could mark all if you wanted. on the edge, they are easy to see (facing me) and not in the way since the heads stick up a bit.

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Permalink Reply by BT Cohosh on September 22, 2009 at 4:43am

Ted Crocker said:

Mark Werner said:

In fact, this has worked so well I'm planning on replacing the dreadful "decal" position markers with these when I get my Strat cigar-box done. I need to find white or pearl picks though, the fretboard is mahogany. (or at least, it's stained that color.)

For side dots I discovered a cool item by accident. I saw something on my shop floor that I thought was the missing nozzle to my can of WD-40 but it turned out to be the remains of a stick of incense. I used it for position dots on some knobs I made and since then I bought packs of incense in every color they have.

Anything that is round and able to be cut/sanded can be used, all it takes is imagination...

Oh, Ted, I love the fact that there's incense in your workshop! :)

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Permalink Reply by WhiskeyFox on September 22, 2009 at 7:10am

That's purdy cool but since it is fretless and probably has a high action it doesn't nessacerily have to be flush I think pearl snaps from an old shirt would look awesome. Just drill shallow holes and poxy it in.

Ted Crocker said:

Mark Werner said:

In fact, this has worked so well I'm planning on replacing the dreadful "decal" position markers with these when I get my Strat cigar-box done. I need to find white or pearl picks though, the fretboard is mahogany. (or at least, it's stained that color.)

Mark, maybe you can buy a single ply pickguard in white or pearl, There are many different colors available. I've used wood dowel, brass rod, and even the plastic rod from StewMac made for the job. I have seen a few cases where someone used thin copper pipe with a wood dowel inside.

The hole punch method can be used with any thin plastic material. I've found that the plastic used for something like a bathroom waste basket to be good for a lot of uses including cutting a pickguard or a rear access hole cover.

For side dots I discovered a cool item by accident. I saw something on my shop floor that I thought was the missing nozzle to my can of WD-40 but it turned out to be the remains of a stick of incense. I used it for position dots on some knobs I made and since then I bought packs of incense in every color they have.

Anything that is round and able to be cut/sanded can be used, all it takes is imagination...

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Permalink Reply by Brendan deVallance on September 22, 2009 at 8:20am

There were a lot of great suggestions as usual. What I ended up doing was whacking the fret positions into the wood with a hammer and a screwdriver. And I drilled holes for the dots and filled with wood putty of a lighter color. I did this on the top of neck, not on the fretboard. The effect was less than perfect, but it sort of has that rustic look to it which I like, I'll post pictures soon when it is all finished. —Brendan

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Permalink Reply by Jkevn on September 22, 2009 at 3:12pm

with a chainsaw mounted on yer head....seems like it would have been easy to mark em :)

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Permalink Reply by Brendan deVallance on September 23, 2009 at 2:55am

Well I did lob the end of the neck off at one point, maybe that explains it . . . —B

Jkevn said:

with a chainsaw mounted on yer head....seems like it would have been easy to mark em :)

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Permalink Reply by Greg Miller on September 23, 2009 at 3:47am

I havent finished my first CBG yet, but I have been thinking about drilling holes for the fret dots and guides. Then pouring some sort of pigmented glue, epoxy or bonding agent into these holes. I will need to experiment though with different types of bonding agents. One problem I will come across however is getting the fret dots to fit exactly right because I have put a 14" radius on the fretboard. It shouldnt be a problem at all for the small dots on top of the neck though, I will just need to have the neck level. Has anyone ever used HXtal on wood? I know it works wonders on glass and will last forever.

If the bonding agent doesnt work for the radiused fretboard I am thinking about cutting stones or glass and inlaying them, but the radius will still be a challenge.

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Permalink Reply by Paul Doug on September 23, 2009 at 4:02am

I've used epoxy with a little Testor paint mixed in as a filler on things and it has held up well and worked great. Here is a pen I made for a Halloween pen making contest. The bats are cutouts filled with epoxy/paint. The black is the black pipe used in housed for drains and vents. On the fret markers I put tape over the hole than punch the hole in the tape to keep the mix off the fretboard. You would have to over fill the hole a little because the mixture will settle a little as it dries. Use 30 minute epoxy

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Permalink Reply by RL Mott on September 23, 2009 at 4:28am

Greg Miller said:

I havent finished my first CBG yet, but I have been thinking about drilling holes for the fret dots and guides. Then pouring some sort of pigmented glue, epoxy or bonding agent into these holes. I will need to experiment though with different types of bonding agents. One problem I will come across however is getting the fret dots to fit exactly right because I have put a 14" radius on the fretboard. It shouldnt be a problem at all for the small dots on top of the neck though, I will just need to have the neck level. Has anyone ever used HXtal on wood? I know it works wonders on glass and will last forever.

If the bonding agent doesnt work for the radiused fretboard I am thinking about cutting stones or glass and inlaying them, but the radius will still be a challenge.

I've used water-soluble dye powder mixed into Titebond wood glue to get a much darker brown as opposed to the normal yellow/tan line on glue joints in darker wood . Worked fine . I'd be tempted to "pre-finish" it first (except for final coats) before you drill the holes to keep any dye/glue from creeping sideways .
As to the radius , use a sanding block across the grain (fret direction) and it'll follow the radius .

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Permalink Reply by Greg Miller on September 23, 2009 at 5:27am

Thanks for the advice RL, I Have some Burnt Ivory and Titanium white pigments which I can mix with some Titebond and experiment. I might need a transparent or very white bonding agent to get the whiteness of the Titanium pigment though. We will see.

RL Mott said:

Greg Miller said:

I havent finished my first CBG yet, but I have been thinking about drilling holes for the fret dots and guides. Then pouring some sort of pigmented glue, epoxy or bonding agent into these holes. I will need to experiment though with different types of bonding agents. One problem I will come across however is getting the fret dots to fit exactly right because I have put a 14" radius on the fretboard. It shouldnt be a problem at all for the small dots on top of the neck though, I will just need to have the neck level. Has anyone ever used HXtal on wood? I know it works wonders on glass and will last forever.

If the bonding agent doesnt work for the radiused fretboard I am thinking about cutting stones or glass and inlaying them, but the radius will still be a challenge.

I've used water-soluble dye powder mixed into Titebond wood glue to get a much darker brown as opposed to the normal yellow/tan line on glue joints in darker wood . Worked fine . I'd be tempted to "pre-finish" it first (except for final coats) before you drill the holes to keep any dye/glue from creeping sideways .
As to the radius , use a sanding block across the grain (fret direction) and it'll follow the radius .

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Permalink Reply by Astrochimp on September 26, 2009 at 9:18am

On my steak box I used carpet tacks, just hammered into the top of the neck.

For placement, I used a tuner, found the whole note with a slide, banged in a tack.

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Permalink Reply by Alan Roberts on March 8, 2010 at 12:36am

steve (Roots) said:

Get a 1/4 inch hand paper hole punch. Find guitar pick (tortise shell looking)Punch holes and use them for fret dots.

I was NOT able to cut through the Fender extra-thick picks with a hand paper hole punch. I used the "nuclear option" and used a plug cutter. Folks, this is a gizmo you should ALL look at. I've used it to cut plugs (little 1/4 inch wide cylinders) out of scrap walnut, cherry, holly, koa, whathaveyou and those make nice fret markers. For the guitar picks, though, I used double-sided tape to secure them to a piece of scrap, wound masking tape around it from side to side then wound it top to bottom, and drilled away.

SAFETY WARNING! You DON'T want to be trying to hold something small and thin on a drill press!!!

I got three plugs out of each pick. Next time, though, I'll paint the back of each tortoise shell plug with gold paint, or cut a 1/4 diameter piece of tin foil backing to reflect more light through the tortoise shell.

Anyone with a drill press can make nice inlay fret markers. Drill shallow hole, add glue and marker (dowel or plug) and sand level. It's that easy. I'm not so sure about brass markers, though. If your marker material is MUCH harder than wood, it's hard to get level.

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