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Previously, I got good advice on quality sources, but I am only just now about to purchase them. I will be inlaying dots in a thin ukulele fingerboard. Am I overly concerned that the lip on the drill bit will penetrate all the way through the fingerboard?

You can get an adjustable depth collar that will work with hand drill or drill press.

How thin is the uke fretboard? even at 3-4 mm you are 3 times or so thicker than the dot. I use brad point bits all of the time and never gave your issue a second thought, nor have I ever drilled through the fret board even on very thin uke fretboards.

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http://www.Harvestmoonguitars.com

You don't want the highest point of the floor of the hole lower than the thickness of the dot. A hair proud is best.

New username, same Pat Mac

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Pat

If I am reading my micrometer correctly, 0.163". I not worried about the depth of the floor. I just look at the drawings of the bits and I see the lip sticking down what seems rather far to me. For example, at Lee Valley. I think there are brad tip drills without as pronounced a lip, but I am not sure if they are as good or even where to buy them.

I use the Lee Valley bits you are describing and have never had a problem.

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"I've been had again"
Tim Benware
Creedmoor, NC

+1. And even if the lip were to protrude (not even close on my 6 mm guitar FBs) what is the problem? You’re going to fill the cavity with either CA or epoxy. As long as you don’t drill into the TR cavity or TR itself. I drill only as deep as necessary, with a hand powered drill.


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Oh, sounds like you got the expensive Brad Point bits!

Just try it on some scrap.

New username, same Pat Mac

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Pat

"Am I overly concerned that the lip on the drill bit will penetrate all the way through the fingerboard?"

If it does what would it hurt?

"And even if the lip were to protrude (not even close on my 6 mm guitar FBs) what is the problem? You’re going to fill the cavity with either CA or epoxy. As long as you don’t drill into the TR cavity or TR itself. I drill only as deep as necessary, with a hand powered drill."

Are people putting truss rods in ukuleles?

The problem with the lip penetrating all the way through would be that the support for the inlay would fall out. The plug that falls out could be glued back in, but that seems like extra work for nothing, if it can be avoided. Anyway, I'll get he drills and test them.

I was wondering what TR meant. Now I know. I ordinarily build classicals.

We use an Austrian-made Fisch 1/4" Forstner bit for this sort of work, controlling depth with a fine permanent ink pen mark on the edge of the bit where a drill press with depth-of-cut adjustment cannot be used. The Fisch Forstner bits we use have a flatter cut than the brad points we prefer, and a well shaped center spur that leaves a bit more surface for the inlay to reset against. For these smaller diameter bits, both Forstner and brad point designs seem to be reasonably insensitive to small errors in alignment.

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For the times they are a changin'

- Bob Dylan

If it is a real concern you could file down and reduce the size of the spurs so they don't cut as deep and just leave the brad point to guide the bit and lip to do the cutting.