Tip for Lining up Chatoyance on Fret Dot Markers

sequoia · Feb 18, 2019

I know that this may seem obsessive (who me?) but it bugs me when fret dot markers shine differently from each other when the light hits them as in the 5th and 7th not lighting up the same. A simple cure for this is to rotate your markers until they show maximum chatoyance and then mark a vertical pencil line. Inlay them with the pencil lines parallel and the chatoyance will be in sync.

Example: MOP markers lined up for synchronized chatoyance.

Beau Hannam Ukuleles · Feb 18, 2019

Indeed.
I do somethign similar.

Paul Bouchard · Feb 18, 2019

Thanks for the tip. This was an issue on my first uke that I wished I could’ve gone back and fixed.

Ukecaster · Feb 18, 2019

Wow...all these new words I learn here on UU...chatoyance, pendeloques, poi, etc!

sequoia · Feb 18, 2019

Ukecaster said:
Wow...all these new words I learn here on UU...chatoyance, pendeloques, poi, etc!

For your further edification...

Chatoyance:

The complex structure of a cat's eye not only enables it to see at night but also gives it the appearance of glowing in the dark. Not surprisingly, jewels that sport a healthy luster are often compared with the feline ocular organ, so much that the term cat's-eye is used to refer to those gems (such as chalcedony) that give off iridescence from within. If you've brushed up on your French lately, you might notice that the French word for cat (chat) provides the first four letters of chatoyant, a word used by jewelers to describe such lustrous gems (and by others who see the same luster elsewhere). Chatoyant derives from the present participle of chatoyer, a French verb that literally means "to shine like a cat's eyes."

Sven · Feb 18, 2019

Wait, you rotate your dots so the uke looks good from one angle only?

mikeyb2 · Feb 18, 2019

Sven said:
Wait, you rotate your dots so the uke looks good from one angle only?

Good point. I prefer the randomness of varied chatoyance. At least that's my excuse for doing mine that way!

Michael Smith · Feb 18, 2019

I try for max chatoyance from the perspective of the player in average defuse lighting.

RickOlson · Feb 19, 2019

Seems to me that they should be hologram buttons with images that change depending on the viewing angle... to prevent knockoffs.

tparse · Feb 19, 2019

I do the same on the fret board and the side dots. I have found that you need to set them in fairly flush or the sanding of them flat changes everything.

John Colter · Feb 19, 2019

Chatoyance - I've got her first album. A healthy luster indeed.

John Colter.

Steve-atl · Feb 19, 2019

I am trying to get my sides to bend correctly, and you guys are talking about the sheen on your fret markers. I have a long ways to go.

Tip for Lining up Chatoyance on Fret Dot Markers

sequoia

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Beau Hannam Ukuleles

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Paul Bouchard

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Ukecaster

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sequoia

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Sven

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mikeyb2

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Michael Smith

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RickOlson

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tparse

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John Colter

It ain't what you've got, it's what you do with it

Steve-atl

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