Ferrules in Lieu of a Neck Plate

[Cagey]

Drill press - Check
Wood vise w/careful pressure - Check
Wax - Check

Think I've got it. Now I just need to actually get the neck that all this planning is for. Thanks again for all the help.

You're welcome.

Just remember - slow and steady wins the race. Measure 4 times and drill once. If you use a Forstner or a brad point, you can set the stage up close enough to the bit to lower the arbor just a tad so it just touches the heel and turn the chuck by hand, and it'll start to cut into the finish or the wood. You can look at the resulting circle to see whether you're centered up on the original hole. If so, power the beast up and do the deed. If you're using a twist drill, you can get a similar indication, but it'll be a cut ring on the outside diameter of the existing hole. Point being, you don't want to change the centerline of the holes at all.

 

[Cagey]

And having started this one I will add my "final" two cents.

Any idea if Warmoth or the other neck sellers will drill the 1/4" hole are part of the order?  Seems to me that if they are drilling the 1/8" (or so) holes for the wood screws, asking them to instead drill a 1/4" hole should not be a big deal. 

Has anyone asked?

I don't know if anyone has asked, but I suspect they'd say "no". The opportunity to screw things up is very real, and to provide holes to do it would imply tacit approval for the modification so they'd have warranty issues. If they were to offer such an option, my guess is they'd install the inserts themselves.

 

[Watchie]

Fair comment, but I don't think there would be any warranty issues.  Keep in mind what they warrant - that the neck won't twist or otherwise have any manufacturer's defects.  Thus, to the same extent they would not cover as a warranty item a user over tightening the standard wood screws, or over tightening a tuner and cracking the peg head, or even over tightening the truss rod, they would not warranty the final user's self installation of the captured nuts. Indeed, they could simply say that there would be no warranty (with respect to the larger holes) at the time they agreed to drill them in lieu of standard holes.

 

[Cagey]

I suppose they could qualify it to some degree, but I suspect the reality would be that they'd see too many necks come back wrecked and they'd have to call their customers incompetent in order to relieve themselves of liability. No good could possibly come of that, so better to avoid the situation in the first place. They have little choice when it comes to tuner and mounting holes - you have to have them, and it's easy to show abuse if you need to. But insert holes rely more heavily on the customer having the proper tools and talent to implement them, which is out of their control.

Of course, I don't work or speak for Warmoth; I'm just guessing. But, I know if I made necks for sale I'd either provide them with or without inserts, I wouldn't leave that to the customer to implement, and if they chose to do that themselves, then they'd void whatever warranty I did provide. How many manufacturers will warrant their work if somebody modifies it? It's pretty much unheard of.

 

[Watchie]

Bought a used drill press and here is the positive outcome:

 

[Cagey]

Nice job. Isn't having the proper tool fun? <grin>

 

[Watchie]

Mucho fun.  And next step is to drill for threaded inserts in the neck.  BTW, do you or does anyone generally use threaded inserts for securing the control plate (6-32) or any other application on the guitar other than the neck joint?  Just curious.

 

[Mor Paul]

Super Turbo Deluxe Custom has put ferrules in the control plate on a tele.

 

[Watchie]

Were I a magician (or just confident enough I would not tear up the body), I'd try inserts for the humbucker rings. Now that would be cool.

 

[bagman67]

Were I a magician (or just confident enough I would not tear up the body), I'd try inserts for the humbucker rings. Now that would be cool.

I suspect there may not be enough lumber to adequately secure the inserts for a humbucker bezel.  I'll let someone else do the 'sperimentation to prove me wrong (or, as I fear, right).

Bagman

 

[crash]

Mucho fun.  And next step is to drill for threaded inserts in the neck.  BTW, do you or does anyone generally use threaded inserts for securing the control plate (6-32) or any other application on the guitar other than the neck joint?  Just curious.

I use them for mounting my pickups.  I used a screwdriver to install the inserts.  It was a pain in the ass.  I didn't know that special bit existed for installing the inserts.

 

[Watchie]

I believe you be correct.

 

[Watchie]

In lieu of a screw driver, one can simply install a very short bolt (or a bolt with a nut on it) into the insert, then use a ratchet and socket to install the insert. Once it is in, the bolt can be backed right out.  Indeed, one poster on another string suggested that he always placed the slotted end of the insert (where the screwdriver would go) DOWN into the hole, in the belief that the slot actually assisted the insert as it cut its threads into the wood.  Personally, I don't think this is how the inserts were designed, but if it works so much the better.

And as to my earlier post, it was interference to the lack of enough lumber with respect to possibly using inserts for  installation of the humbucker rings.