Thank you very much for this, Trevor. As I go through my woodworking journey, it's gratifying to see how a cautious and thoughtful craftsman approaches this stuff. And when I can put together the scratch for a bender of my own, I'm gonna watch this video another 47 dozen times before I start the installation.
A couple things -
1. When you brought the body in from outside, you noted the fog on the template from the chill. Any issue with condensation on the newly exposed wood surface? I should think not, but one wants to be cautious.
2. When you shellacked the cavity, I presume you also waited for the body to come back up to the temperature range recommended by the shellac manufacturer, yes?
3. Can you tell us exactly what file you used for the knockout slot for the b-string on the end of the bridge plate? I have a Dremel I would be tempted to use, but I take your concerns about high-speed rotating tools being hard to control very much to heart.
4. Do you have any opinion on whether to rout the cavity before or after finishing an unpainted body? On the one hand, one would hate to ding up a newly finished body while doing the work, but as you demonstrate, care can be taken to avoid that. On the other, I might be just the tiniest bit concerned about fitment due to the extra layer of coating maybe causing some friction; but this seems ill-founded and could be remedied by adjusting the plate a millimeter or less. Am I worrying about inconsequentials?
5. Presumably the whole affair is grounded by the b-string's contact with the bridge, which is itself specifically grounded with copper tape and wire to the rest of the electronics. Is that correct?
Thanks as always for your generous contributions of know-how, lore, and wisdom.
Yours,
Ian