Assemble before finishing?

[anon2424]

Hi, I just got a body that I ordered. It is all routed except holes for the control switches (it has rear routed control cavity) and it has no finish yet. Should I put everything on, bridge + controls, before I go about applying a finish? This is logical to me since I'd damage the lacquer of the clear coat I will be applying if I were to wait until after finishing to put on the screws...

Also, I took it to a luthier to get some advice and what I got from that was that the top is made of lace wood so that a regular drill will damage the top. Can anyone confirm this? Also, if this is the case, won't any screws that will be applied to kee the bridge, controls, and maybe a pickguard in place also damage the wood?

How should I go about approaching this thing?

[jkingma]

I always drill all holes and dry fit all parts before I do my final sanding and finishing.

As to your question about the lacewood... I can't help you with that. I've never used it and don't know anything about it. But I find it hard to believe that a regular drill will damage it in any way. If the drill is sharp and you work carefully you shouldn't have a problem.

[BAW4742]

I have no experience with lacewood either but I can't see how a drilling it would damage it. If you have any doubts try starting the bits in reverse. Turn them slowly until you have a decent start, then change to forward and drill the hole. This will avoid tearout when starting the hole. Sharp bits avoid creating a lot of problems too

[Old Cane]

I think you're asking if you should put the guitar together and then finish it with all the parts on it? If you are then no. If you are just asking aobut screw holes you can do it either way, before or after. Am I reading this wrong?

[Telenator]

I always test fit the whole thing. Then I remove all the parts before finishing.

I also counter-sink all the holes a little before finishing. This helps prevent the finish from cracking when the screws are inserted.

There are no drills that will damage lacewood, or any other wood for that matter as long as they're not mis-used. Then any drill is capable of damaging and wood!

[BAW4742]

Sorry - I got hung up on the lacewood questions and forgot to answer original question.

I prefer to dry assemble as much as possible making adjustments as needed then disassemble the thing and go to the finish work.

[maestrovert]

A mock up to make sure everything fits and aligns properly etc etc BEFORE finishing is always a good idea....
i'm always careful to wear gloves to keep body/finger oils off of the wood when i do so however....

[dconeill]

Originally Posted by anon2424

Hi, I just got a body that I ordered. It is all routed except holes for the control switches (it has rear routed control cavity) and it has no finish yet. Should I put everything on, bridge + controls, before I go about applying a finish? ...

... the top is made of lace wood so that a regular drill will damage the top. ...
How should I go about approaching this thing?

After looking it up, it sounds like lacewood can bind tools. This means that your tools should be sharp, which is a good idea anyway. See, e.g., http://www.azwoodman.com/exotics-data.html.

You should have all your holes drilled and tapped before finishing. That is, dry-fit everything and screw a screw into each hole that requires it. Then take everything off and finish the instrument. I suppose that if you didn't do this then after the surface finish dries you could potentially break the finish when you started screwing things together. I guess you could clean out the tops of the screw holes with a sharp knife after the finish has cured and before attaching the parts.

Always approach Teles with caution - music can come out of them.

[red57strat]

Originally Posted by Telenator

I always test fit the whole thing. Then I remove all the parts before finishing.

I also counter-sink all the holes a little before finishing. This helps prevent the finish from cracking when the screws are inserted.

There are no drills that will damage lacewood, or any other wood for that matter as long as they're not mis-used. Then any drill is capable of damaging and wood!

All true!

[anon2424]

Hi, yeah I meant putting in all holes (screws etc) then finishing. All components are taken out before it though.

As to the lacewood comment, thank you very much! I feel a bit more confident approaching this project. And this will also save me quite a bit of money.

My final question is how should I go about screwing in the screws? I'm nervous about any cracks that might occur. Drills dig out the wood, screws push it aside (right?). Or are my fears unreasonable?

**also, can anyone give me some advice for how large the holes for the controls should be? Would 1/2' holes be enough room for the knobs and switch?

[BAW4742]

Originally Posted by anon2424

My final question is how should I go about screwing in the screws? I'm nervous about any cracks that might occur. Drills dig out the wood, screws push it aside (right?). Or are my fears unreasonable?

**also, can anyone give me some advice for how large the holes for the controls should be? Would 1/2' holes be enough room for the knobs and switch?

Drill the proper size pilot hole for the screw, about the same size as the solid shaft part of the screw. Then the threads on the screw will bite into the wood and hold. Check the bit size on a scrap of hardwood first to verify that you are using the right size bit. Rub the threads of the screw with a little wax or soap and they will turn in easily. Be careful to clean up any residue fom the wax before you start staining and finishing.

Drill the holes for controls slightly large than the threaded shaft. As easy way to size them is to use the washer for the pot. Use a drill bit that is the same size as the hole in the washer or just a hair bigger.

[boris bubbanov]

This is "silky oak", a member of the lacewood family.





It is quartersawn, and holes need to be drilled with care, to the correct size, but remember any wood that was worked into a guitar body with tools can be taken through to fruition with good tools, also.

Yes, dry fit everything before assembly. Multiple assemblies and reassemblies is worth the pain, given the better result you can achieve.

[martino]

is lacewood toxic?

[Douglas Ingram]

I've used quite abit of Lacewood. It feels and works a lot like Mahogany. Its a wonderful wood.

It is very porous, so grain filling technique is a high priority. Also, the medulary rays which give it that great look, are of a different hardness to the rest of the wood, so proceed with caution when sanding it to keep it flat.

As for drilling and setting screws, just use standard methods as described above. If in doubt, always test your technique/tooling on scrap.

It will be worth the effort, the result will be spectacular! It looks like this.