Recessed electrosocket port

[blackbelt308]

I've seen a couple of different methods described to create a recessed port for an electrosocket, but this one worked so well for me that I thought I'd post it here for other builders. I'm in the midst of building four guitars (one Tele, three Jazzmasters) using a chambered "clamshell" approach, and I wanted to recess the electrosockets, especially for the Jazzmasters as I was planning for a side-mounted output jack rather than on the pickguard. Hope this is useful to you!

Used a Rockler self-centering doweling jig to drill a 1/4" pilot hole at the desired location. Body clamped to my bench, jig in place...

I considered other, cheaper jigs (e.g. from Amazon) but decided to spend a bit more for the Rockler jig. I think it was a good decision... This thing rocks! I didn't drill too deeply as I wanted to make sure that the arbor pilot would still have something to bite.

Spot-on centered pilot hole!

I used a 1" hole saw with a 1/4" piloted arbor to create the outer shelf for the electrosocket. This is best done at very low speed... You don't want to go too deep, and you don't want to tear up the wood. Practice several times on scrap before you try this on your precious guitar body!

Looks good so far!

Next, switch to a 7/8" hole saw on the same arbor to drill the main hole...

There we go! Lightly sand with 220 to clean up the edges.

Electrosocket in place! Just what I had in mind!

This worked very well for all four bodies. The Tele body had a flat spot for the output jack, but the Jazzmaster bodies I built were rounded so recessing the electrosocket was really key to getting a good look for those projects!

Ciao!
Rick

 

[BelairPlayer]

Clever, looks great.

 

[BelairPlayer]

Did you cut those bodies with that cheap little Ryobi bandsaw in the background?

 

[peterg]

Great tutorial!

 

[blackbelt308]

Did you cut those bodies with that cheap little Ryobi bandsaw in the background?

I did! LOL Once you find the right blade, that little bandsaw is a force to be reckoned with!

 

[Boreas]

Thanks!

 

[Ronkirn]

see how ragged that hole saw cuts.. do it this way... mark the center point to locate the electro socket... drill with a 1" forstner but to a depth of 2mm, then take a ⅞ forstner bit and drill the remainder through to the electronics rout... and below is what ya get..

but there's a couple of things to consider... as you finish the body, the lacquer builds up.. that has to be removed to insert the electro socket.. I took a ⅜ X 24 (i think) screw, ran the electro socket onto it, locked it withj a couple of jamb nuts.. Dremeled in a few "saw" teeth.. si on assembly day, I can chuck it up adn run it into the hole, removing any lacquer over spray...

and there IS an alternative way to accomplish the same effect... drill a 1inch hole all the way.... then take a small section of schedule 20 (the thin walled) PVC, cut a slice down one side, slip it into the hole, leaving a ⅞ inch for the body of the electrosocket.. glue the pvc in place and rock on..


note also, whenever you drill these holes they should be 90 degrees perpendicular to the flat area where the jack will go...

 

[blackbelt308]

see how ragged that hole saw cuts.. do it this way... mark the center point to locate the electro socket... drill with a 1" forstner but to a depth of 2mm, then take a ⅞ forstner bit and drill the remainder through to the electronics rout...

I hear ya and I respect your considerable experience! However, without a floor drill press and a way to clamp the body to it to drill precisely with a Forstner bit, my attempts at that method were way more ugly than what I was able to do with the hole saw.

and there IS an alternative way to accomplish the same effect... drill a 1inch hole all the way.... then take a small section of schedule 20 (the thin walled) PVC, cut a slice down one side, slip it into the hole, leaving a ⅞ inch for the body of the electrosocket.. glue the pvc in place and rock on..

That is a slick idea!

 

[oregomike]

I've seen a couple of different methods described to create a recessed port for an electrosocket, but this one worked so well for me that I thought I'd post it here for other builders. I'm in the midst of building four guitars (one Tele, three Jazzmasters) using a chambered "clamshell" approach, and I wanted to recess the electrosockets, especially for the Jazzmasters as I was planning for a side-mounted output jack rather than on the pickguard. Hope this is useful to you!

Used a Rockler self-centering doweling jig to drill a 1/4" pilot hole at the desired location. Body clamped to my bench, jig in place...

View attachment 999092

I considered other, cheaper jigs (e.g. from Amazon) but decided to spend a bit more for the Rockler jig. I think it was a good decision... This thing rocks! I didn't drill too deeply as I wanted to make sure that the arbor pilot would still have something to bite.

View attachment 999093

Spot-on centered pilot hole!

View attachment 999102

I used a 1" hole saw with a 1/4" piloted arbor to create the outer shelf for the electrosocket. This is best done at very low speed... You don't want to go too deep, and you don't want to tear up the wood. Practice several times on scrap before you try this on your precious guitar body!

View attachment 999103

Looks good so far!

View attachment 999104

Next, switch to a 7/8" hole saw on the same arbor to drill the main hole...

View attachment 999105

There we go! Lightly sand with 220 to clean up the edges.

View attachment 999106

Electrosocket in place! Just what I had in mind!

View attachment 999107

This worked very well for all four bodies. The Tele body had a flat spot for the output jack, but the Jazzmaster bodies I built were rounded so recessing the electrosocket was really key to getting a good look for those projects!

View attachment 999112

Ciao!
Rick

Great idea. Thanks for sharing this.

 

[Ronkirn]

without a floor drill press and a way to clamp the body to it to drill precisely with a Forstner bit,

what?? everyone doesn't have that?? Yeah.. you're right..i overlooked that many do not have access. . . but heres a tip.. many High Schools and Community Colleges offer evening "classes" where for a few bux you will access their wood shops.. and the instructor to remind ya to watch where those fingers are relative to the blade...

But for the few dollars involved you gain the precision quality tools will allow..

 

[Ronkirn]

here ya go.. I knew I had photos..

 

[Wheelhouse]

Floor-standing drill press???

There are way too many tools to this hobby. Maybe the hole saw isn't a bad way to go.

What if you did the first 2mm deep outer edge with the forstner, and then used the hole saw for the rest of the opening?

This is timely, as I have an electrosocket en route that will arrive in a couple days, and more sawdust to make.

 

[Steve Holt]

Floor-standing drill press???

There are way too many tools to this hobby. Maybe the hole saw isn't a bad way to go.

What if you did the first 2mm deep outer edge with the forstner, and then used the hole saw for the rest of the opening?

This is timely, as I have an electrosocket en route that will arrive in a couple days, and more sawdust to make.

Yep! And then you get bored and buy tools for your tools. Like this digital depth gauge!

I was really fortunate though, I inherited the drill press, bandsaw, and radial arm saw from my grandpa. So the little upgrade on the drill press isn't much. Haha

 

[Ronkirn]

and then used the hole saw for the rest of the opening?

you can use about anything to drill the "rest of the hole" since the 7/8th hole will be concealed...

 

[blackbelt308]

What if you did the first 2mm deep outer edge with the forstner, and then used the hole saw for the rest of the opening?

Try it on scrap and see how it goes. I really wanted to use two Forstner bits in succession but never managed to get a perfect result.

 

[Ronkirn]

I really wanted to use two Forstner bits in succession but never managed to get a perfect result.

the "secret" is to have everything locked down solid so there can be no wobble, or no drift... that's only gonna happen with a drill press where the body can be clamped into position.. or by creating some kinda jig to hold the body and a hand drill solidly...

It CAN be done with a router and a template, but that's "Grad School" level .. one of those things that if I hafta tell ya how to do it.. you can't.. use another method.. A skilled woodworker would see it as, "Oh hell yeah.. duh.." and an amateur sees it as, "Oh hell.. are you kiddin??"

 

[1stpitch]

Cool. I came up with something similar on my first build a couple years ago. Mine already had the 7/8" hole drilled, so I had to come up with a little bit different rig to center it, but still using the hole saw like you. Not an elegant solution, but it worked.

Electrosocket install on round body

Hi. I started a Telecaster build recently, with zero prior experience, as well as learning to actually play a guitar at the same time. This site has been an indispensable resource and an inspiration. As valuable as looking at old build threads has been, I hesitate to do one myself, mainly...

www.tdpri.com

 

[jwsamuel]

I've seen a couple of different methods described to create a recessed port for an electrosocket, but this one worked so well for me that I thought I'd post it here for other builders. I'm in the midst of building four guitars (one Tele, three Jazzmasters) using a chambered "clamshell" approach, and I wanted to recess the electrosockets, especially for the Jazzmasters as I was planning for a side-mounted output jack rather than on the pickguard. Hope this is useful to you!

Used a Rockler self-centering doweling jig to drill a 1/4" pilot hole at the desired location. Body clamped to my bench, jig in place...

View attachment 999092

I considered other, cheaper jigs (e.g. from Amazon) but decided to spend a bit more for the Rockler jig. I think it was a good decision... This thing rocks! I didn't drill too deeply as I wanted to make sure that the arbor pilot would still have something to bite.

View attachment 999093

Spot-on centered pilot hole!

View attachment 999102

I used a 1" hole saw with a 1/4" piloted arbor to create the outer shelf for the electrosocket. This is best done at very low speed... You don't want to go too deep, and you don't want to tear up the wood. Practice several times on scrap before you try this on your precious guitar body!

View attachment 999103

Looks good so far!

View attachment 999104

Next, switch to a 7/8" hole saw on the same arbor to drill the main hole...

View attachment 999105

There we go! Lightly sand with 220 to clean up the edges.

View attachment 999106

Electrosocket in place! Just what I had in mind!

View attachment 999107

This worked very well for all four bodies. The Tele body had a flat spot for the output jack, but the Jazzmaster bodies I built were rounded so recessing the electrosocket was really key to getting a good look for those projects!

View attachment 999112

Ciao!
Rick

Looks good. I plan to steal this idea for the two Teles I am building.

 

[jwsamuel]

many High Schools and Community Colleges offer evening "classes" where for a few bux you will access their wood shops.. and the instructor to remind ya to watch where those fingers are relative to the blade...

I had flashbacks to when my junior high woodshop teacher cut off his fingertip showing us the safe was to use a jointer.

 

[Ronkirn]

I had flashbacks to when my junior high woodshop teacher cut off his fingertip showing us the safe was to use a jointer.

we had one of those stories too ... and even today, the jointer gives me the heebie jeebies..