inlay change

i want to swap out the plastic type dot inlays in the fretboard and on the side markers as well to the vintage fender clay dots - what is the best technique to remove these little buggers?? and the best glue to use etc. advice??

regards j

Well this site may be of some help
http://www.frets.com/FRETSPages/Luth...pro/inlay.html

Drill press and Krazy Glue.

After reading this I figured I would do the a set that I've been meaning to do... I started with just a trying to drill out the full thing but got a little chip out so I said there has to be a better way...

I then drilled the pilot hole like before and countersinked a 3/16 wide hole around it. I grabbed a dremel with a strait 1/8 carbide bit,(pn# dre9901; bits) put it in the countersunk hole on a low speed and let in plunge in like a router and chewed out all the plastic dot. Since the rosewood is such a hard wood you can feel exactly when you cutting plastic and when you hit wood.

After I did a few this way I could take out a dot in a little over a min with no chipout.

Yeesh.

Again, a drill press with the correct sized bit will take them out cleanly. I've done many like this, my most recent project received a set of Gold Mother of pearl (real) in place of the plastic dots Fender installed.

BTW, use a good sharp brad-point bit.

There's many ways to get something done, and the drill dit was not working to my standards so I found something that worked better.

If your still think I'm a nut job... they show you the same techique I used on how to cut out comlex inlays at frets.com;Reproducing Pearl Inlay

I never said you were a nut job, although now I'm starting to wonder.

There are indeed many ways to get something done. Mine works much faster and leaves far less room for errors, especially in the hands of someone who's never attempted this before. If your drill bit was leaving chips, you need a better bit.

great replys ! - hows this for an idea--drill a small center pilot hole and work the dot loose with a pick --think that will do it??

It all depends on the glue. Don't pry too hard at first, you might tear out some wood. If you want to try it that way, I'd suggest drilling a hole only slightly smaller than the dot so you leave a rim of plastic in the hole, then pry that out. Just proceed with caution.