Posted: Apr 19, 2016 12:46 pm
Drilling the tuner holes
I like to drill the tuner holes before I complete the final headstock sanding so that I can sand out any chipout that might occur.
First, make sure that the headstock is flat. This is important for a good finish.
I have a half template that is my guide for where the holes should go. Notice that they are not an equal distance from the end of the headstock. This stagger keeps the strings from bumping into tuner posts and is a traditional Martin feature. Whatever headstock shape and tuner plan you use it's a good idea to verify that the strings won't bump into posts, although, Wayne Henderson has made that a “feature” for his guitars.
Clamp the template and use a small drill to mark the locations.
I make the mark a bit bigger with an awl
Flip the template around and mark the other positions. Here's how it looks when it's done.
Clamp the headstock to the drill press table with a piece of scrap wood backing the headstock. Slowly drill the hole with a bit appropriate for your tuners.
Repeat until done.
I like to drill the tuner holes before I complete the final headstock sanding so that I can sand out any chipout that might occur.
First, make sure that the headstock is flat. This is important for a good finish.
I have a half template that is my guide for where the holes should go. Notice that they are not an equal distance from the end of the headstock. This stagger keeps the strings from bumping into tuner posts and is a traditional Martin feature. Whatever headstock shape and tuner plan you use it's a good idea to verify that the strings won't bump into posts, although, Wayne Henderson has made that a “feature” for his guitars.
Clamp the template and use a small drill to mark the locations.
I make the mark a bit bigger with an awl
Flip the template around and mark the other positions. Here's how it looks when it's done.
Clamp the headstock to the drill press table with a piece of scrap wood backing the headstock. Slowly drill the hole with a bit appropriate for your tuners.
Repeat until done.
