My first TL-1 build

[FCM]

Greetings from Canada!

I'm slowly starting to build my kit over the coming weeks and months.

I'll be doing a gloss antique Pelham blue nitro finish for the body (from Oxford guitar supplies), and a clear satin finish for the neck.

I have a few initial questions please:

- Should I drill all holes before or after doing the finish (ex. for the bridge, pickguard and tuners)? I'm assuming after.

- I also assume I'll be putting the satin nitro on the maple fretboard as well and then have to scrape it off the frets by hand (I've seen a few videos on how to do this). is there a better way to finish the fretboard that would avoid this step?

Thanks!

[Trevor Davies]

Hi and welcome FCM.

For the drill holes - I do not think it really matters. Some will drill first but will need to plug the holes if doing a wet polish.

For the frets - I have not used nitro, but have used Tru-oil on the fretboard. The sanding to level the frets, and the filing to crown the fret scraped it all off (I hope!).

[Simon Barden]

After is better if you plan to wet sand the finish. You just need to be a bit careful when drilling into finish that the finish doesn’t flake and chip off around the drill holes. Sharp drill bits are your friends. Some fixing holes will be very much hidden anyway, but some will be close to the edges of pickguards etc. so a crack in the wrong direction could be visible and need repair.

Low-tack masking tape on the surface can help here, and it also allows you to mark drill hole positions without marking the finish.

[FCM]

Thanks for this!

[axeleliii]

Greetings from Canada!

I'm slowly starting to build my kit over the coming weeks and months.

I'll be doing a gloss antique Pelham blue nitro finish for the body (from Oxford guitar supplies), and a clear satin finish for the neck.

I have a few initial questions please:

- Should I drill all holes before or after doing the finish (ex. for the bridge, pickguard and tuners)? I'm assuming after.

- I also assume I'll be putting the satin nitro on the maple fretboard as well and then have to scrape it off the frets by hand (I've seen a few videos on how to do this). is there a better way to finish the fretboard that would avoid this step?

Thanks!

Hey there! It's awesome that you're building your own guitar and planning a killer finish. To answer your questions, it's best to drill the holes after finishing the body to avoid cracking or chipping. When it comes to finishing the fretboard, applying a satin nitro finish is a solid choice, but you may need to scrape it off the frets by hand. Keep up the great work!