Question on drilling an already finished body

[Econ]

Folks:

If you drill a pickup cavity on an already finished body, will that ruin the finish and require a body re-finish?

[rjohnstone]

Re: Question on drilling an already finished body

Depends on the type of finish.
Also... what "tool" is being used to route the new pickup cavity.
It can be done with little to no damage to the surrounding finish.

[txcharvel]

Re: Question on drilling an already finished body

If you know how to handle a router correctly it shouldn't be a problem. I've seen people use masking tape over the area they are routing out, it helps keep the lines cleaner.

[RobRR]

Re: Question on drilling an already finished body

I would also suggest that you scribe the exact shape of the new rout with an xacto knife as well... this will reduce the chance of a finish crack or chip going outside the area being routed.

[LouSiffer]

Re: Question on drilling an already finished body

Little tip: Drill through the finish with the drill in REVERSE. This allows it to pierce through the finish with out the wood being forced up through the "veins" on the bit and tearing up the finish.-Lou

[Jack Napalm]

Re: Question on drilling an already finished body

Some nice tips here. You learn a few new things every day.

[jackson1]

Re: Question on drilling an already finished body

Econ, i've done several routing jobs on thick guitar finishes and never had one single chip. And i've even used a pretty cheap router with low quality bits without any problems.
I think the most important thing is to make the first pass VERY shallow (depth max. 1mm) and to work VERY slow when moving the router around - using a template of course. Once i have the perimeter routed out (only through the paint + a little wood) i continue with the "center" part of the cavity and stay away from the perimeter until the very end. Hard to describe. Just follow this rule: when routing close to the perimeter of your hole, reduce the load on the router bit to a minimum.

[Bengal65]

Re: Question on drilling an already finished body

Great tips. Too make things go real smooth, I "pre-drill" out most of the wood with a 3/8" diameter brad-point drill bit. Just make sure your depth includes the point. Then routing is a breeze even with generic bits. I use the StewMac router bits and bearings.

[noodlesatf]

Re: Question on drilling an already finished body

Masking tape, a good template, several shallow passes (lower speed on the first pass) is always the order of the day. IMHO paint chips almost always occur because of impatience and carelessness.