First build ATL - Tommygun

[TZK321]

It's been a lot of fun seeing this guitar come to life. Thanks to everyone that assisted or even took the time to read.

As this build library comes to an end I thought I'd share my list of things learned/reminded of during construction. So, in no particular order, here we go:

-Check things twice. This is especially important for drips. Sometimes it takes time for drips to form so it's best to check again a few minutes after application.

-Work in good light. Use the light reflecting to check for scratches etc.

-Do every step to the best of your ability. If it's not satisfactory suck it up and do it over. Yeah, it's tedious but you'll be glad that you did.

-If you're thinking of doing a little bit more...don't. Keep things simple.

-Buy 2 (or more) of everything. If you don't need something you can save it for later, use it on your next build or return it.

-Remove dust/hair with adhesive tape or a tack cloth before/after each step.

-When using sandpaper to try to fix a mistake, use the finest grade of paper and work your way down to more coarse grades.

-Press grain filler into wood across the grain. Press in with a lot of force.

-After wet sanding, rub the wood across the grain to fill the grain.

-Use the palm of the hand to spread Tru-Oil thinly and evenly

-Use Goof-Off and a dental pick to remove glue

-Be extra careful sanding above the neck pickup

-Protect finished areas with painters tape. Better safe than sorry.

-Try paint, stain etc. on an inconspicuous area. Give it time to dry to fully assess.

-Drill all holes before finishing.

[jugglindan]

Looks great!

I am curious about the last lesson - drill all holes before finishing. I plan to do the opposite - drill holes for bridge and pickguard after finishing. I will use masking tape to protect the finish. The reasoning is to limit the risk of water getting into the wood during wet sanding as it can crack the finish.

[TZK321]

Looks great!

I am curious about the last lesson - drill all holes before finishing.....

I did most of the drilling after finishing. I think there are benefits and drawbacks to both methods. It's a lot easier to make a pencil dot/line on bare wood as opposed to finished wood. It's also a lot easier to erase an incorrectly marked point and cover over an incorrectly drilled hole. By all means do what you feel is best for you.

[jugglindan]

Don't really know what will be best on my first build. That's the problem! Positioning the bridge is where I am most likely to stuff up. Tempted now to fit the neck and bridge before finishing anything, just in case I need to fill a badly placed hole.

Like most things I am likely overthinking it.

[Simon Barden]

Putting masking tape on a finished body, marking hole positions on that and drilling through the tape is a good way to drill holes at the very end. The tape can also help stop the finish from cracking/splintering, though using sharp drill bits should prevent that. It can also be a useful way of drilling holes before finishing, especially if you need to draw lines to line things up first and don't want to mark the wood and then have to sand off the pencil lines.

[Simon Barden]

Looks very good, THZ321.

[TZK321]

Putting masking tape on a finished body, marking hole positions on that and drilling through the tape is a good way to drill holes at the very end. The tape can also help stop the finish from cracking/splintering, though using sharp drill bits should prevent that. It can also be a useful way of drilling holes before finishing, especially if you need to draw lines to line things up first and don't want to mark the wood and then have to sand off the pencil lines.

Why didn't I think of that??? Excellent tip for next time.

Thanks very much for your kind assistance during this build. It was very much appreciated.

[Simon Barden]

No problem. That's why the forum's here.

[TZK321]

I finally got the cover removed from the neck pick up. That looks much better doesn't it?

[RocknRolf]

Love it! Good job!

Was it soldered?