Drilled Holes for Pots

Hi All, just wondering if anyone has a way to fix a stuff up i made! I have a curved top and have accidentally drilled the holes for the pots straight instead of perpendicular to the curve of the top. This now means that if i put the pots in the buttons will look strange with one side having a big gap to ensure it can turn without hitting the body.

If i drill the holes on an angle now, the hole itself will be large and i'm assuming the pot has the ability to move around.

Any suggestions?

Should i drill on an angle now and just wedge something between the thread and the wood inside the hole? Any other ideas??

Just to add, i don't really want to recess the top for the buttons and want to keep the look of an LP on the top.

If you are using the pots that came with the kit, they use a small diameter hole. You could switch them out for Bourns or CTS pots that have a bigger diameter hole. On mine I have used a reamer to make the hole large enough for Bourns or CTS rather than a drill.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by fender3x

If you are using the pots that came with the kit, they use a small diameter hole. You could switch them out for Bourns or CTS pots that have a bigger diameter hole. On mine I have used a reamer to make the hole large enough for Bourns or CTS rather than a drill.

---

I got new pots with the pickups i bought and they require the hole size to be enlarged, but the existing holes are drilled straight down as if it was a flat top guitar, but its not, it has a curved top. So it means that even if i enlarged the holes, for the knob to sit on the pot and not touch the guitar, one side would have 3 or 4 mm gap and wouldn't look good.

The only other thing i thought of was drilling on an angle using a forstner bit and reducing the thinkness between the surface and the control cavity. The thickness varies due to the curve from say 17mm through to 10mm if that all makes sense?

I would not trust my own hand to do that freehand, and it would be hard to set up with a drill press forstner bots are very squirly. if I had to do it I'd probably be inclined to use a spade-bit. Still a bit difficult to control, but better freehand.

First, are you sure about those measurements? Even 10 mm seems pretty thick.

If there is enough of the shaft showing on the thick side of the hole for you to get the bolt on, I would be tempted to build up the thin side rather than taking down the thick side. I can think of two ways to do this:

Here in the US, big box hardware stores sell thin, wedge shaped shims. You could carefully shape an angled "washer" to fit inside the pot hole and glue it in place.

Alternatively, and maybe more easily, you could make an angled washer out of veneer...0-1 piece on the thick side, progressively more on the thin side until you get the desired angle.Attachment 32001

Sent from my ONEPLUS A3000 using Tapatalk

Depending on the finish you want it might be more feasible to plug and redrill on your required angle.

Depending on the finish you want it might be more feasible to plug and redrill on your required angle.

Yeah, it is a lot but that's because the top is made to follow the curve on the outside not the inside. See pic i've added.

I also added a pic i found of what i was thinking of doing, making an corresponding angle to match to curve but on the inside of the cavity. That way i could drill the angled hole using the existing hole as a starting point and hoping the gap on the inside (diameter of the hole given it will be the new plus the old) isn't larger than the washer nut to hold the pot in place. Or if it is, i could just get one that was larger in diameter so that the pot is clamped securely at the right angle.

The finish i'm planning on is a clear tru-oil on the entire guitar, to keep it a natural wood look so didn't want to plug.

I encountered the same thing with the curve on the front of Experiment #2. I settled on recessing the controls into the face. I’m not sure that you have the room in the cavity to go with plugging and angling the pot holes, unless you expand the cavity. It all looks pretty tight in there.

Attachment 32017

You may create an interference issue on the cavity wall, but if you expand the cavity you can get around this.
you will also need to angle the inner surface to get the pot to sit right see the blue line.

Attachment 32018


Either way way is going to be some VERY careful planning and more careful Routing/boring.

I just hope my skills are up to it!

The cavity is small, but i do have the ability to widen it where required so that can be done.

Was also just thinking, i may only need to do 1 of the holes! I've included a pic that shows what i mean. I am having 2 pots and a selector switch, so....thinking that as per the pic i could live with one of the buttons as the gap on a straight drill hole isn't much (you can see that a folded piece of paper is already too high so i reckon i could leave this (or even sand the hole to one side by 1mm if required.

The second button definitely needs to be fixed with the above option, but the third hole probably doesn't matter as much as its the selector switch so just needs to look on on the top.

I probably need to use the dremel to widen the cavity a little so i can even out as per your pic FrankenWashie.

I think i'll start on finishing the neck and getting the decal on etc while i carefully plan for the body!!!

If that is a solid maple cap, and and not veneered (it looks solid to me) I'd recess the cap around the two knobs à la PRS.

yeah its a solid maple cap...but its semi hollow so didn't really want to recess the two knobs as i thought it would look funny. the recess looks great on a solid top but semi hollow i wasn't too sure.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by a_novice

I just hope my skills are up to it!

The cavity is small, but i do have the ability to widen it where required so that can be done.

Was also just thinking, i may only need to do 1 of the holes! I've included a pic that shows what i mean. I am having 2 pots and a selector switch, so....thinking that as per the pic i could live with one of the buttons as the gap on a straight drill hole isn't much (you can see that a folded piece of paper is already too high so i reckon i could leave this (or even sand the hole to one side by 1mm if required.

The second button definitely needs to be fixed with the above option, but the third hole probably doesn't matter as much as its the selector switch so just needs to look on on the top.

I probably need to use the dremel to widen the cavity a little so i can even out as per your pic FrankenWashie.

I think i'll start on finishing the neck and getting the decal on etc while i carefully plan for the body!!!

---

I’d firstly make sure how far you need to expand that cavity.
Secondly, what kind of cover is over that cavity? From the photo in your first set of pics it looks like there is no recess for a cover?
I’d look at what other trimming needs to be done, and potentially see if the existing cover will reach across the mods you want to make.
If it won’t then you’ve got a replacement cover to make and fit.

If it were me, I’d look at these things first, make my plan, craft any routing templates needed and then set up for routing, first the cavity extension and then the recess for the cover plate.
But I have a FrankenLab and an Igor, if a dremel is all you have, mark up your mod in pencil, and then use a scriber tool or a sharp compass point to scribe those pencil lines in, this helps to make the lines more visible when the dust starts flying!

Work slowly, check often, use a dremel router fitting if you can get one as this helps keep things stable and you can run it against a straight edge or guide block to get your edges straight and square. It will also let you progressively drop the cut to take little bits at a time.

Happy to provide more detail if you need

I love that cap, this kit looks solid!


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

I haven't purchased a cover for it yet and there isn't any recess for a cover either.

Yeah i don't have access to anything other than a dremel, but like the idea of a router fitting...and agree there is a lot of planning i need to do by the looks of things. I may have taken on more than my abilities this time around. Decided to pick a harder build this time around but maybe it was too hard.

That's heaps of details, much appreciated! I think i know what i have to do now so just need to sit down and spend the hours planning. Whilst doing that i can get the neck started as i have to knock the nut out to replace and then get my decal ready. Also need to enlarge the tuning peg holes by a few mm so plenty of other stuff to do.

Yeah the kit is solid and has a nice cap on it, really like the hard maple (didn't think i would).

Like any build, i'm learning heaps :-)

Thanks all for the advice.

Depending on where you are located, there are forum mentors and overlords who might be able to help you out with tools or assistance.
There are also tool libraries in some suburbs that can lend you what you need, maker’s spaces or men’s sheds that you can join to use a variety of tools.

A dremel will do it, if you can get one of the router bases for it, it will make your life a lot easier. You just need to be sure of what it is you are doing, and how you are going to go about it that.

Best of luck with it!

Cool. Thanks FW.

Lots of interesting ideas here, and asking a master to take a look is a good idea.

Assuming you don't have access to an overlord, however, I'd be tempted to try to carve an angled washer out of a door shim. You can try it without routing, drilling recesses or even gluing. If it works, great. If not...you can still take one of the other suggestions. It also occurs to me that you may need a long shaft pot.

I see the issue with the size of the cavity, but a mini pot might work... Just a thought

Sent from my ONEPLUS A3000 using Tapatalk

So if i understand correctly, the angled washer would be for the underside yeah? In the cavity?

Yeah not a lot of space but can make more if i need too, and i have long shaft pots too, made sure i got those when i grabbed some EMG H4/A's.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by fender3x

Lots of interesting ideas here, and asking a master to take a look is a good idea.

Assuming you don't have access to an overlord, however, I'd be tempted to try to carve an angled washer out of a door shim. You can try it without routing, drilling recesses or even gluing. If it works, great. If not...you can still take one of the other suggestions. It also occurs to me that you may need a long shaft pot.

I see the issue with the size of the cavity, but a mini pot might work... Just a thought

Sent from my ONEPLUS A3000 using Tapatalk

---

A good idea, especially if its only one pot affected (Closest to the cavity wall). The trick is going to be the plug and re-drill, as long as you can get that sorted to satisfaction, then the door shim washer will work fine.

Like Fender3x says you can shape it, install it and fine tune before you go gluing it, if you even want or need to glue it, it's only a spacer after all.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by a_novice

So if i understand correctly, the angled washer would be for the underside yeah? In the cavity?

---

Exactly ;-)

Sent from my ONEPLUS A3000 using Tapatalk

Do i have to plug and redrill or can i just use the existing holes? Given i have to enlarge them anyway, especially the one closest to the cavity wall due to it being a switch, i could get a fair bit of angle without too much extra room because its being widened at the same time if that makes sense??

If it were me, I'd make the washers and fit them in the holes before trying anything else. The result will tell you if you need to do something more. I'd also try to do as little as possible to the top. If you have to, you have to, but wait until you have to ;-)

I thinks that’s exactly what I’ll do. Thanks heaps.