Side Dot Tip.

[j. pierce]

I often use the plastic rod type-side dots.

One problem I've had is that the rod just barely fits the holes I drill, and if there's any deformation at the end of the rod (from nipping the end off after I inserted it into the last hole as I go up the neck) if often doesn't fit well. Because of the small size and flexibility of the rod, it's often difficult to take care of this w/o just cutting the end off again.

Was just putting side dots in, saw my pencil sharpener and had a spark. A little full twist of the rod carefully in the pencil sharpener tapers the end ever so slightly, taking care of any mushroom-ing or deformation at the end and making the rod slightly easier to press into place. Need to have your holes drilled a smidgen deeper than you might normally (I usually drill through the binding until I hit the fretboard wood, and this seemed fine) but it made the job a bit quicker and easier.

Certainly nothing revolutionary, and it's not like the job is particularly difficult to begin with, but it was one of those simple "well, duh" things that should have been obvious. Thought I'd share.

[westhemann]

I just rub the deforned edges on a bit of sandpaper...only takes a second.But i nip them off with a chisel after the glue sets,so there is not much deformation,and if you angle the chisel right,it comes off pretty much flush.

[soapbarstrat]

There's some guys that will actually sharpen a colored pencil, break the tip off, shove in hole in side of neck, file/sand flush and you got your colored side dots.

[pmarlin]

I used copper electrical wire, tap in with a hammer and sand it flush. The copper wire sands down very easily.

[Rick500]

I was browsing around at a local craft store, and found some 1.5mm diameter copper, brass, and aluminum rods, as well as tubes that fit exactly around the rods. I'm thinking about getting copper and aluminum rods and tubes and nesting copper inside aluminum or vice versa, for inlay.

Anyone know how hard it would be to sand/file flush the combination of aluminum and copper?

[prs man]

aluminum and copper are soft you should have no trouble.

I have some copper wire and will have to try it.

[LeviJames]

I use colored wood filler, it works very nice. I just put a dab on in each little hole, and come back to it in a couple minutes and sand it down with some fine grit paper, and there ya go, some nice little and easy dots.

[MP63]

I use lawn trimmer line. Way better than colored pencil. Colored pencil runs with solvent I found out.

To keep the line round, I trim it with a chisel.

I press the chisel against the line as I roll the line under the chisel.

It cuts as it rolls.

Mike

[WezV]

if i want 'silver' side dots i sometimes use small nails - dont hammer them in though, obviously!!

[biliousfrog]

I've just used some sterling silver tube beads for my side dots, was going to use them for fingerboard markers too but preferred the empty look. They're very cheap on ebay but they need to be solid silver not silver plated or you'll just end up with copper rings when you sand flush. I got the idea from Myka who uses the silver tube with a shell insert...I'm filling the hole so that it they are just silver rings.