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one of my FB dots is very slightly off, I'm considering re-drilling it and filling the gap with ebony dust/CA, I'm just not sure if that will be noticeable, so basically should I do it or just leave it?

FB is ebony, dots are mun ebony

Thanks in advance guys

If the ebony is really black the grain doesn't much show, so black epoxy or ca and black magic marker usually blend well and are not noticeable. Or ebony dust if you're good at it.

If its the 5th or the 12 then just go to a bigger dot.
If its one of the other markers, replace them all.

Of course you could check at stationary stores for them round stick me down dots. They come in all colours and sizes including glow in the dark and fluorescent day glow too. Then you can peel them off change them when needed. You know "a whole new look."

blessings
Padma

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A couple of questions,

Is this a side dot or face dot?
Is this your 1st, 10th guitar?
Who's the guitar for?
If it's for you, can you live with it? There may be other errors that stick out more so than this.

By how much is it off? Very slightly off doesn't tell us much. Is it off vertially, off center or both?

If the board it ebony (or the binding if bound) you can always die the ebony to be really black, after you've drilled the dot and filled it. I would try and fill it with actual wood rather than dust though. you can chuck a piece of ebony in your drill press and with sand paper, you can make a dowel if you're careful. Just try and get the grain orientaion to match, don't make the dot endgrain.

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eight: Larger dot, a larger inlay such as an initial depending on which position,remove a square of wood,inlay ebony,apply CA and sand,new dot. Lots of ways to go. Good luck.
Tom

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Cut a plug to fill it with the same grain orientation; preferably from a cutoff of the same board. Plug cutters are available in 1/16" increments from 1/4" to 1/2". Fuller makes a good one. Go up to the next size bigger than your dot.

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face dot not side dot sorry
it's off vertically by a mm or less
i think bigger dot or something is a really good idea
this is my first full build
it's for me

What Howard said worked for me on this one. Got in a hurry and accidentally drilled the 3rd fret. After it was polished and especially with strings on, you could only see it if you knew it was there.

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Nice save, Steve!

Steve K

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I did the same thing on my first. I inlaid a piece of ebony a bit wider than the hole, as long as the distance between the frets. Haven't noticed it in years.

Pat

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I find it really hard to drill holes in a straight line.
Maybe my drill press isn't very good.
Or maybe it's because wood has grain that's soft and hard.
It can't be me, can it?

waiiiittt ?? ............... Their supposed to be straight??.......

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I have had better luck with this by clamping a board to the drill press, as a fence.
I make sure the first hole and last hole line up with the bit, and it all seems to come out correctly.
FWIW though, I mostly use an unusual dot layout: single dot on bass side of neck at fret 3,5,7,15,etc and double dot at fret 12.

A fence helps as does using a nice sharp brad-point bit.

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Steve Smith
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Another way would be to make a template.

If you run a board ( wood or mdf.....etc.) at some angle skewed through your table saw ( there are tables on a lot of the wood working sites) and raise your table saw blade up slightly you can duplicate most radius with a cove in your clamping ( template ) material with the saw. Next step centerline and layout fret pattern and add holes at proper spacing.

Then simply clamp using centerline as reference with some alignment point and drill holes. Make a stop using a wooden dowel or square block with a hole through it at the proper length which should give you the correct depth entire length of fret board. You could also use this method to redrill incorrect holes larger if you use center layout punches for start and end holes.

Kevin Waldron
p.s.
if your unfamiliar with this process here is a youtube video ...... I have no affliation with this ...... just giving you ideas, there are many more out there. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5gAp8kG5gjc

this is a really good idea, im gonna use it next time, thanks lactose

thanks everyone else too, sorry for reviving this thread for no reason