removing triangle markers

[cheapimitation]

I have a bass that I have removed the frets from, and am in the process of surfacing the fingerboard... it has MOP triangle-shaped position markers, and I'd like to remove them. Any tips? I've tried a razor blade, heat, and I've already sanded the board quite a bit... how thick might these things be?

 

[202dy]

Typically they are .040"-.050" thick. MOP is brittle. A sharp blow with a hammer and a pin punch or nail set will shatter the pearl. The pieces can be pried out of the recess with an Exacto knife, a stiff palette knife, or similar tool.

How do you intend to fill the resulting cavity? It is a lot of material to remove. Unless the fingerboard is very thick there is a risk of compromising the stiffness of the neck.

If you decide to bring the surface down, you will be better served if you rough it in with edge tools first.

 

[cheapimitation]

Thanks for the reply -- I'll try that. I had filled the fret slots with a mixture of CA glue and ebony dust; I would plan to do the same with the position marker holes, but I'll see what happens when I can get the MOP out.