DIY Guitar Messing About (1 Viewer)

[seanc]

ahh - this I learned the hard way... ,

1. mark your centre line and mark the positions of where you want the machine heads to be sticking up.
2. then measure either 10 or 15mm in from the edge (depending on how wide your overall headstock is)
3. using a simple drill guide (like this) drill a 3mm pilot hole through
4. using a similar drill guide drill a 10mm hole about half way through the head stock
5. flip it over and drill through the other side. this way the 10mm bit doesn't make shit of the timber as it tears through the other side.

A drill press would make steps 2-5 a lot easier. I would note I've never gotten this 100% accurate, but close enough you'd need to look closely to see one was off. I've widened the holes in some cases to let me position the machine head a little more in line.

"Making shit of " I've heard called "bursting", but that might be a chippie term rather than a carpenter term. Also I never deal with your fancy timbers, just ply etc, and "the painters will fix it".

You remind me, I did learn that one the hard way, when there was no painters to fix it and no time and the project manager had a severe dose of Dunning Kruger effect.

As did I, to be fair.

 

[magicbastarder]

you could also clamp a scrap piece to the back of the wood, and that will help prevent the wood from tearing out as you drill through.

 

[seanc]

I've seen people use masking tape. But again that maybe only works with MDF.

I'd be terrified of drilling into proper timber.

 

[magicbastarder]

i've asked in several places, and it seems no-one has ever heard of a drill bit between 5.5mm and 6mm. i was half thinking someone with a metal lathe could make one; or a reamer that'd slightly widen a 5mm hole.

 

[JohnnyRaz]

you could also clamp a scrap piece to the back of the wood, and that will help prevent the wood from tearing out as you drill through.

I've done that too - but I find the 'double tap' approach works best with the (relatively) large bit.
also bear in mind my drill isn't particularly high powered either.

 

[JohnnyRaz]

i've asked in several places, and it seems no-one has ever heard of a drill bit between 5.5mm and 6mm. i was half thinking someone with a metal lathe could make one; or a reamer that'd slightly widen a 5mm hole.

what do you need it for?

 

[magicbastarder]

the volume knobs - i tried 5.5mm on the scrap knobs you gave me, and it's far too tight a fit.
i've messaged a lad on boards who i think has a metal lathe in case he knows a solution.

 

[JohnnyRaz]

the volume knobs - i tried 5.5mm on the scrap knobs you gave me, and it's far too tight a fit.
i've messaged a lad on boards who i think has a metal lathe in case he knows a solution.

ah - had forgotten!
I'd drill at 6mm and pack?

 

[magicbastarder]

i was thinking it might be easier to drill to 5 and ream the hole somehow?

i do love reaming a hole.

 

[JohnnyRaz]

i was thinking it might be easier to drill to 5 and ream the hole somehow?

i do love reaming a hole.

I'm more a packing a hole kinda guy really.

 

[seanc]

You got in there first.

Great minds think alike, and fools seldom differ.

 

[ann post]

i've asked in several places, and it seems no-one has ever heard of a drill bit between 5.5mm and 6mm. i was half thinking someone with a metal lathe could make one; or a reamer that'd slightly widen a 5mm hole.

You just need to get an imperial drill bit set - that's gonna be some bullshit like 7/32
Or get machine heads from the developed world

 

[seanc]

You just need to get an imperial drill bit set - that's gonna be some bullshit like 7/32
Or get machine heads from the developed world

View attachment 17212

Thats what I thought, but I kinda thought he's already thought about that. Imperial anything is tricky to find. Yee may have the benefit of ransacking your elderly relatives tool sheds though.

 

[ann post]

Thats what I thought, but I kinda thought he's already thought about that. Imperial anything is tricky to find. Yee may have the benefit of ransacking your elderly relatives tool sheds though.

India and Murica are still largely fucking about with that shit.

 

[magicbastarder]

there's a lad on boards who has a metal lathe - i think he teaches metalwork too. he was telling me HSS bits can be had in 0.1mm increments

 

[ann post]

That'll defo be a wayy cheaper purchase than finding an imperials set

 

[Space]

Just get yourself an imperial step bit and a metric or two while you're at it. That goes for everyone here working on guitar stuff.

 

[JohnnyRaz]

Stuck the machine heads on and string it up this evening. I actually mis measured the gaps between machine heads, so I’ve end up mounting them at an angle.
Aside from that and needing to do some work on the nut to bring it down a bit and get the nut slots right to get intonation on first few frets right and I’m done… bar shaving, filling and sanding.
Doesn’t sound too bad, even with the cheapo light nickel strings. Will put a set of phosphor bronze on her when she’s finished.



For the interest of @magicbastarder and @seanc here’s a side on view of the neck showing the angles, and some inelegant filling at the joint which will be sanded back.

 

[magicbastarder]

glue-ups are always slightly frantic affairs.

 

[JohnnyRaz]

glue-ups are always slightly frantic affairs.

View attachment 17219

good weather for gluing. stuffs drying nice and fast.
some really nice grain on that plane(?)