Drilling control pot holes in laminated/gloss

rickwick7600

rickwick7600

Supporting Member
Jan 25, 2008
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San Diego, CA
#1
Hi everyone. So I'm considering a Warmoth Jazz V Deluxe build that will have a laminate top, gloss finish and rear rout. The standard jazz control configuration is all they offer (checked... they won't drill any other), but I would like the configuration to be similar to the typical "gibson" (les paul) pattern... if that makes sense.
I planned on attempting this myself with a decent quality hand drill, so I spent some time searching here and google for the experiences of other folks. I found quite a bit of different guidelines regarding recommended tools and techniques; masking tape around the desired drill areas, drill bits to use (either brad-point or forstner), beginning with an awl to mark the center, etc. Some of these guides do address drilling into a finished guitar, but I haven't found anyone discussing guitars with laminate tops. I wasn't sure if the laminate adds some degree of greater difficulty to the procedure.
Any and all advice is well appreciated.
 
#2
Depends on the laminate, but I'd take some plumber's putty and make a damn around the area you want to drill then fill it with water. The biggest obstacle is keeping the drill bit and the material cool. The laminates will burn up a drill bit pretty quick. People who drill through glass use the same process.
drill1.jpg

Not to point out the obvious, but once you finish your hole, all the water will drain out so make sure you work in an area that can get wet :woot:
 
#3
Drill a small pilot hole first, use sharp drill bits and let the bit do the work. I've drilled a few instrument tops to add extra pots, switches etc. I've never had any problem with delamination or bits of finish flying away.

If you lose a tiny bit of finish you won't see it thanks to the pots, washers etc.
 
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#5
mohrds said:
Depends on the laminate, but I'd take some plumber's putty and make a damn around the area you want to drill then fill it with water. The biggest obstacle is keeping the drill bit and the material cool. The laminates will burn up a drill bit pretty quick. People who drill through glass use the same process.
View attachment 2885443
Not to point out the obvious, but once you finish your hole, all the water will drain out so make sure you work in an area that can get wet :woot:
Click to expand...

Huh?? I'm pretty sure he's talking about a body with a laminated wood top, not plastic laminates. Water-flooding a wood body is probably not a good idea.....
 
#6
Thank you for your replies, guys, and sorry if there was any confusion. I'll be a bit more detailed about what I had in mind for the body build. It'll be a mahogany body with a flame koa laminate (or vaneer) top that will be finished with a clear polyurethane based gloss (as they use at Warmoth). Again, thanks all.
 
#7
That's what I thought. Heres how i would do it (and have done it) :

Put masking tape over where you want to drill and Mark the center of the hole with a sharp pencil. (I use a 0.5mm mechanical pencil.)

Drill a 1/16" pilot hole from the top through into the control cavity.

Using the pilot hole as a guide for the center spur of a very sharp forstner or brad-point bit, drill halfway through from the back inside the control cavity.

Then turn it over and drill halfway through from the top, again using the 1/16" pilot hole as a guide for the drill boy's center spur. Once you're through, it should push a thin mahogany slug into the control cavity.

Mahogany has interlocked grain, so it is very prone to chip out. That's why you drill it from both sides.

Edit: Be sure to drill slow. Go too fast, and the grain will tear. Forstner bits make it a little easier to see how far you've drilled.
 
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#10
The brad point on a brad point bit pretty much defines the center of the hole, so a pilot hole isn't necessary. find a scrap block of plywood or other solid wood that can sit flat on the inside of the cavity where the bit will come through. Clamp this wood block tightly in place so there isn't any gap between the scrap block of wood and where the drill will come through on the inside. This will prevent blowout on the inside when the bit cuts all the way through the laminated top wood. Instead it will just continue drilling into the scrap block. This will leave a nice clean hole on the inside and outside

The pilot hole and drilling suggestion would probably be ok for thicker materials, but I'm guessing you will only have 1/8" of material or so to drill through. In this case, the pilot hole might have enough slop in that the holes from each side may not quite align, resulting in chipping / blowout. As well, brad point bids are sort of unpredictable in the way they cut. As you apply pressure, they don't really seem to be cutting, but all of a sudden without warning they grab and hog their way through in a split second. I would be afraid of this happening when drilling from each side.
 
#11
If this is only for a 3/8" hole, why is anybody using a paddle bit or forstner bit? If it were me, I'd just tape the finish, mark the hole, then use a good quality 3/8" standard drill bit (maybe a 1/16" pilot hole, if you want to be extra cautious).
 
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