TD's Acoustic (FH-5V)

[fender3x]

I used one of these cheap utility knives that you get in paint stores for around a dollar.



...I also used 3M vinyl tape over the binding so that all I really needed to do was clean up.

[Trevor Davies]

Thanks Weirdbits and fender3x,

I will get some smaller blades and make a smaller (f-hole friendly) jig. I may also see if I can cut a vinyl sticker of the same size as the f-hole with my Cricut cutter as I would prefer to scrape it as least as possible. I tried shaping masking tape - but that was a big failure around the curved sections (that is all sections).

[phrozin]

Trevor the stock holes are 10mm and if your using the vintage Kluson type machine head push in buttons are 8mm you can buy 10mm bushing for those there not hard to find especially if your in north America

Here
https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/315676256086?

[phrozin]

I used one of these cheap utility knives that you get in paint stores for around a dollar.


...I also used 3M vinyl tape over the binding so that all I really needed to do was clean up.

I use these utility knife set and the mini knife is mainly what I use if I haft to clean up the binding and I use 6mm fine line tape over it you shouldn't use masking Pape because it does a rubbish job, when your painting a body I will normally tape it up about 4 times to stop build up you can buy fine line tape at any paint supplier

[Dikkybee007]

In the past I have used some clear type of finish and painted the binding using a fine brush, being careful to just cover the binding, as it stops stain from entering cracks and then I use a Scotchbrite and sharp knife and clean off the finish and then apply the final finish over the top of the binding.

[fender3x]

I mostly do it the Phrozin way, but I have seen others use the Dikkybee approach, particularly when there is cracking in the binding so that you get stain seepage. Both of mine with f-holes have solid color tops, so I didn't have to worry about stain seeping in. However I do end up doing a bit of scraping in tight curves and corners where the 3M tape tends to come up a bit.

I am really intrigued by the Cricut cutter. It seems to serve of uses. I scan a lot of my templates to PDF so that I can reproduce a paper template if I ever lose or damage the original. That said, it's a bit tricky to make a flat template directly from an archtop. You might have luck if you can find a match to a G-type template on-line. If you think you have one, I'd cut it out and match it to make sure before Cricut-printing. I have two ES-335 bass bodies that are identical in their basic shape and identical in their control layout and placement. However, the are different in where the pickup cavities were placed, and one has f-holes that are slightly larger than the other. Hopefully you'll get lucky!

If that fails you might be able to reproduce at least the outline of the "hole" part of the f-hole by taping a piece of paper to the top and taking a rubbing...which is how I got the dimensions for my ES-335 control layout ;-)