Telecaster rear access panel

not shure you need to do this, in my case, I needed room for more components, yet keep the front stock.
I router is the only recourse.

 

You shouldn't be more nervous than what a drill and chisel might do to a finished body.
I don't get any finish chips at high speed.

 

If it's only going to be the same size control plate, but blank.

I'm not seeing the need. Please elaborate as to the end game.

I'm sure you have your reasons.

With no actual woodworking tools, you might rethink this. Or find someone that does have the appropriate skills in this area. Maybe?

 

The hardest part is avoiding chipping the finish at the edges of the new hole. Get a new sharp razor blade or hobby knife blade and score the line all the way through the finish with repeated gentle cuts. Before you do that, experiment with the knife in the middle of the cutout. Quite often you can tilt the blade and then the finish will chip off on only one side of the line. Some finishes will not chip at all and some seem to be possessed by a demon.
Get yourself a sharp chisel and a sharpening stone. Practice chiseling on scrap wood. The idea is to take off many small chips of wood gently, with full knowledge of the grain of the wood and how it is likely to split. If you want to tap the chisel (gently) use a wooden mallet, not a metal hammer. The mallet can be any chunk of wood that works.
Never put your fingers where the chisel could slip and cut you. Blood causes tools to rust.

 

Simply unscrewing the regular control plate (while you're playing, because it won't interfere with the pickups like a strat pickguard would) is an easier way to swap out caps, etc. In fact, I'd think it would be rather difficult to get down in there from the back to desolder anything since the cavity is narrow and deep and there's only so much room for a soldering iron.

And besides, you're going to wind up needing stitches if you try to do any woodworking with a craft knife.

 

I agree with Vizcaster!!