Telecaster build - inlay dots

Compared to the fretboard shaping, this is a nice job. 

I used my homemade mould (a bit of aluminium bar with six and two mm holes drilled in it) to make some clay dots and side dots. I use Fimo modelling clay - the colour is 'light flesh':

Once they're cooked and popped out they're ready to be used:

Now the fretboard bindings are planed down to get the a bit closer the surface of the board. I don't take them all the way down for the sake of prudence - If I nicked the surface of the fretboard with the plane at this point I think I'd cry. The last bit of excess height on the bindings will be removed with sandpaper and the radius board.

Start here:

And take thin shavings:

Until the side is near to flush:

I do this on both sides.

Next up is marking the position of the dots. I draw a centre line on the fretboard, and then draw diagonals between the ends of the fretslots. These three lines should intersect, and will show the centre of each fret:

The position of the dots was checked about 20 times, I know at some point I will drill holes for markers on the 6th, 8th, 10th, 13th frets... 

The positions are marked with a centre punch and drilled:

And the dots glued in with superglue:

And I continue down the fretboard:

And a close up:

The fingerboard is very close to complete - the fretting will come after it's attached to the neck. Ordinarily I would attach the fingerboard before the neck is shaped. This time I'm conscious that a lot of work has gone into preparing the fingerboard, so I may wait until the neck is at least roughly shaped before glueing it on - that way any mistakes in the neck won't mean the lose of the fretboard as well.  

All that remains is to sand the dots and the bindings flush, and to sand the fingerboard up through the grits.