Hammering in bridge pins - any tips?

I'm about ready to hammer in the bridge pins on my WL-1 build. It's got the Floyd Rose style bridge.

My understanding (from watching the video) is that it needs to go in so that it ends up flush with the front of the guitar. So it needs to go in the whole distance of the fat part of the pin, with just the screw adjustable bit clear of the hole?

I've done a spray paint finish, and I'm worried about the paint chipping off around the bridge pin as I hammer them in - the hole seems quite a bit smaller than the pin, I guess it's designed to push it's way through the wood as it goes in.

Any tips on how to do this (or not do this) without wrecking the paint finish? I'm wondering if I should pre drill the holes a bit, just to clear out some of the paint that has gone around the top edge of the hole.

And for future builds... could I have put the pins in before spraying, and just masked them over? Is that a better way to do it?

Can't answer the bridge pin part as I've never made or seen one of those kits.

But I'd get a rounded needle file and clear the paint away from the edge of the hole. Use down-strokes only to avoid the file pulling the paint away as the file moves upwards (and so leaving a chip around the edge). Then if there's paint inside the post holes making them thinner, then I'd try and remove that as well. Maybe you can find a drill of the right size and use it to get back to the original diameter. Have the drill working in reverse - as if you were widening a headstock tuner hole.

Thanks Simon, both good ideas.

I like the idea of the round file...seems like I'd be less likely to make a mess that way.

The post that gets hammered in has a fluted edge around it, so it's a bit tricky to work out the right size drill bit...how much of the fluting is meant to gouge into the wood? I guess I'll aim for making the hole similar to how it started out before the paint, and give it a try.

It looks like there isn't too much paint further down in the holes, it's mainly the lip of the holes that I'm worried about. Pretty sure that if I started hammering as it is, it would chip around the edges as the pins cut in.

The drill/hole should be the same diameter as the central core. It's only the flutes that should press into the wood.

I ended up using one of the cylindrical grinding bits that came with my dremel clone. It was just a bit smaller than the hole, so was perfect to get in there by hand and take a bit off the paint. Note that I did this by hand... not using the power tool. Downward strokes as Simon suggested.

I also fixed up the holes for the pots and switch at the same time, using the same method. The paint had gone into those holes a bit as well, and the pots and switch no longer fit through. All good now.

I've hammered in the pins - one perfect, the other caused a crack in the paint running out from the hole. It didn't chip as I was afraid it would - instead it has done a straight crack outwards from the pin. It will be underneath the bridge when fitted, so not too worried. I wicked some thin super glue into the crack, to make sure it doesn't spread later, or have the paint flake off.

For future reference, I reckon if you are using one of these bridges on a spray finish, you might be better to hammer in the pins before doing any painting. The centre part can then be screwed out, and the hole masked over to stop paint getting in. Much less chance of chipping your paint job, or causing fractures in the paint, if the hammering is done before hand. Your experience may vary of course. :-)

I had another look at that crack in a different light - it's actually the wood underneath the paint has split along the grain when the pin got hammered in nearby. So it's a vertical split running from the bridge pin, to the closest edge of that part of the wood.

I've put some more thin glue into the split... will see how it holds together. I may have to bring out the PU glue if the crack opens up any more. Bummer.