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 Post subject: Brass side dots
PostPosted: Wed Oct 06, 2021 1:02 pm 
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Brazilian Rosewood
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I'd love to find some precut dots but cannot seem to find them online. Has anyone done brass dots before? Looks like I can buy some brass rod at my local hardware store but how would you go about cutting it? Seems to me like it would want to deform and would be difficult to use a hack saw to cut tiny dots out.


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 Post subject: Re: Brass side dots
PostPosted: Wed Oct 06, 2021 1:19 pm 
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Brazilian Rosewood
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I just checked, the dot driller from Elevate doesn't do metal, but you might ping Chris to double check about brass.

It doesn't solve your problem, but if you aren't totally set on solid brass I like to use metal spacer beads from ebay and then find the corresponding plastic dot rod that fits in the inside hole of the bead to make a halo dot. I get the plastic a little oversized and persuade it in for a tight fit.

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 Post subject: Re: Brass side dots
PostPosted: Wed Oct 06, 2021 1:23 pm 
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Brazilian Rosewood
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I drill deeper holes, like about 1/4" into the side of the fretboard. Glue in a short length of rod. Once dry, cut it off with nippers or a jewelers saw then file it flush. Easy peasy.



These users thanked the author Barry Daniels for the post: Pmaj7 (Thu Oct 14, 2021 1:27 am)
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 Post subject: Re: Brass side dots
PostPosted: Wed Oct 06, 2021 1:39 pm 
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Brazilian Rosewood
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Clinet wants brass so that's what it is...

Barry, THAT is a good idea, thank you. Do you simply use thin CA?


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 Post subject: Re: Brass side dots
PostPosted: Wed Oct 06, 2021 1:47 pm 
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Brazilian Rosewood
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Medium CA works fine.


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 Post subject: Re: Brass side dots
PostPosted: Wed Oct 06, 2021 1:49 pm 
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Brazilian Rosewood
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Yep, what Barry said. I have used hobby shop rods and tubes. I have done aluminum tube with the appropriate brass rod inside and various other combinations. Just drill in deep enough that it is supported then nip off far enough away from the edge that you don't have crimped edges by the time you file down. I had the most trouble with that the times I have tried to use tube filled with sawdust and glue to give the illusion of a metal circle inlayed into the FB. For some reason, I get more crimping than I expect to. I started sawing those off close to flush with a little exacto hobby saw instead of using the nippers (which are faster and more convenient).

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These users thanked the author Bryan Bear for the post (total 2): Pmaj7 (Thu Oct 14, 2021 1:29 am) • jfmckenna (Wed Oct 06, 2021 3:23 pm)
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 Post subject: Re: Brass side dots
PostPosted: Wed Oct 06, 2021 3:29 pm 
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Brazilian Rosewood
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I have use copper wire looks pretty good ca finishes them well

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These users thanked the author bluescreek for the post (total 2): Pmaj7 (Thu Oct 14, 2021 1:30 am) • Bryan Bear (Wed Oct 06, 2021 3:43 pm)
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 Post subject: Re: Brass side dots
PostPosted: Wed Oct 06, 2021 3:46 pm 
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Brazilian Rosewood
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bluescreek wrote:
I have use copper wire looks pretty good ca finishes them well


Copper wire! I'm kicing myself for not having thought of this. It is readily available and a new metallic color alternative to aluminum and brass. Now that you say it, it seems so obvious.

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 Post subject: Re: Brass side dots
PostPosted: Wed Oct 06, 2021 4:54 pm 
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Koa
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I've done brass rods, as well as brass and aluminum tubing with colored epoxy in the center. I'd use red epoxy to match the red veneer under the fingerboard, etc. Always looked pretty cool.

Dave


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These users thanked the author ballbanjos for the post (total 2): Chris Pile (Wed Oct 06, 2021 11:32 pm) • jfmckenna (Wed Oct 06, 2021 6:52 pm)
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 Post subject: Re: Brass side dots
PostPosted: Wed Oct 06, 2021 5:01 pm 
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I did a tutorial on this in the tutorial section about five years ago using copper rod and black side dot material to fill.

Most recently I simply filled with medium black CA.

I trim them with a cutoff wheel in the dremel. I'd love to nip them flush, but I'm paranoid about pinching them and ruining the whole thing.



These users thanked the author James Orr for the post: jfmckenna (Wed Oct 06, 2021 6:53 pm)
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 Post subject: Re: Brass side dots
PostPosted: Wed Oct 06, 2021 5:24 pm 
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Koa
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I saw mine thin with a jewelers saw before inlaying and then level it to the side of the board with a file/sandpaper. I'm paranoid too. I use the colored epoxy to inlay the tube--it's still a tube when I put it in the fingerboard. It's a tight fit, so the epoxy only shows up in the center.

Dave



These users thanked the author ballbanjos for the post: Pmaj7 (Thu Oct 14, 2021 1:33 am)
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 Post subject: Re: Brass side dots
PostPosted: Wed Oct 06, 2021 6:52 pm 
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Brazilian Rosewood
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bluescreek wrote:
I have use copper wire looks pretty good ca finishes them well

Oh! Man that does sound like it would be nice. I may have to run this by my buyer. I've got several gauges of the stuff too.


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 Post subject: Re: Brass side dots
PostPosted: Tue Oct 12, 2021 7:05 pm 
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Walnut
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When you are getting the wire/rod/tube close to the edge of the fretboard, don't switch to sandpaper too soon. File it as flush as you can and use sandpaper only to remove the file marks. I've made a number of knife scales using hobby shop rods and found out the hard way that a sanding pad isn't nearly firm enough to not deform over the hard metal and leave it a bit proud.

BTW, love the filled tube look. Really sharp with the red veneer!



These users thanked the author Patrick B Wilson for the post: jfmckenna (Wed Oct 13, 2021 12:59 pm)
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 Post subject: Re: Brass side dots
PostPosted: Tue Oct 12, 2021 7:15 pm 
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Quote:
I'd use red epoxy to match the red veneer under the fingerboard, etc.


Dave, I keep coming back to look at that red veneer under the fingerboard because it looks SO GOOD. Are you using dyed maple or holly, or something like redheart or paduak? Are you using it the wide of the neck, or is it inlaid like purfling?

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 Post subject: Re: Brass side dots
PostPosted: Wed Oct 13, 2021 5:20 pm 
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I used brass rod for side dots back in the 80's. In time the lacquer blistered off the dots and then many of them corroded to a green color. I stopped using brass and went back to pearl.-Bob

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These users thanked the author Pegasusguitars for the post (total 3): Robbie_McD (Thu Oct 14, 2021 8:05 am) • Pmaj7 (Thu Oct 14, 2021 1:35 am) • jfmckenna (Wed Oct 13, 2021 5:37 pm)
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 Post subject: Re: Brass side dots
PostPosted: Wed Oct 13, 2021 6:23 pm 
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Pegasusguitars wrote:
I used brass rod for side dots back in the 80's. In time the lacquer blistered off the dots and then many of them corroded to a green color. I stopped using brass and went back to pearl.-Bob

That was definitely a concern of mine as well, particularly since I prefer the red of copper. I dipped one in lacquer and literally left it outside for close to two years to see if there'd be discoloration. Thankfully there wasn't.



These users thanked the author James Orr for the post: Pmaj7 (Thu Oct 14, 2021 1:36 am)
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 Post subject: Re: Brass side dots
PostPosted: Wed Oct 13, 2021 8:27 pm 
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Koa
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Chris Pile wrote:
Quote:
I'd use red epoxy to match the red veneer under the fingerboard, etc.


Dave, I keep coming back to look at that red veneer under the fingerboard because it looks SO GOOD. Are you using dyed maple or holly, or something like redheart or paduak? Are you using it the wide of the neck, or is it inlaid like purfling?


Thanks! That was the red dyed maple that Constantines sold (and might still sell). I got a bunch of it back in the nineties and still have a bunch left today. I used it for fingerboard veneers, backstraps, etc. It was full width of the neck--just like on a backstrap.

My banjo necks were all french polished, and I never had the problems others have reported with the finish letting go around the brass. Might be a nitro issue there, I don't know.

Dave


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 Post subject: Re: Brass side dots
PostPosted: Wed Oct 13, 2021 11:20 pm 
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Ah, thanks. I haven't ordered from Constantines since the 90's. Guess I better check out their website!

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 Post subject: Re: Brass side dots
PostPosted: Thu Oct 14, 2021 5:11 am 
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Koa
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https://www.constantines.com/dyedveneer.aspx

Dave


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 Post subject: Re: Brass side dots
PostPosted: Thu Oct 14, 2021 8:03 am 
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Brazilian Rosewood
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Wouldn't copper also turn green if exposed to air long enough?


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