What size drills for pick up switch and pot holes?

[Last Triumph]

What size drill do I need for a standard 3 position toggle and pots?

Looking at them I'll need 3/8" and 1/2"??

Is this the case?

Cheers.

 

[Cagey]

Yes. And you want either Forstner or Brad point bits, and you want to drill from the finish side in.

 

[leo12.]

What cagey said on bits, if you put some block of scrap timber the thickness of the cavity
you will have a clean exit wound.

 

[Last Triumph]

Yes. And you want either Forstner or Brad point bits, and you want to drill from the finish side in.

Cheers, I'll use brad points. Best to drill fast or slow?

Anyone got a mic or vernier then can accurately measure the bodies of the components to see if 10mm and 12mm will be ok as it's difficult to get imperial brad points easily in the UK as everything seems to be metric these days.

 

[Last Triumph]

It's gonna be nerve wracking drilling into this for the first time!

 

[Cagey]

Yes. And you want either Forstner or Brad point bits, and you want to drill from the finish side in.

Cheers, I'll use brad points. Best to drill fast or slow?

Anyone got a mic or vernier then can accurately measure the bodies of the components to see if 10mm and 12mm will be ok as it's difficult to get imperial brad points easily in the UK as everything seems to be metric these days.

Drill slow to medium speed. A fresh bit is going to cut well, so you won't have to fight it at all.

I have both of those components here, and just put a caliper on them. A 10mm bit for the pot and a 12mm for the switch will work perfectly as the components measure 9.44mm and 11.84mm respectively, but you want a little bit of clearance anyway.

 

[Cagey]

Incidentally, you may want to get a Forstner bit anyway, as it's possible you'll have to relieve the mount for the switch and you'll need to be able to mill a flat-bottomed hole. That's a carved top body, so the top is thicker.

I had to do that for the latest Tele...

If you don't do it, the switch barrel won't be long enough to make it through to the top. That's a 3/4" (~20mm) shoulder.

You'll want to drill your pot hole first so you can judge the top's thickness and decide if you need to relieve for the switch, and if you do, drill the relief shoulder first, then drill the mounting hole through the center of that. Otherwise, you won't have a center for the shoulder milling operation. Unless you have a drill press - then you can do what you want.

Edit: Before you relieve for the switch, you may want to drill a very small (say 2mm) pilot hole through from the finish side in, so you have a center indicator for when you drill the 12mm hole for the switch. Since you have to drill the 12mm hole from the finish side as well, it'll be tough to know where the center of your 20mm relief is without it, since that will be on the backside (in the control cavity).

 

[Updown]

OH .. I wondered where this Beauty got to  :icon_biggrin:

Don't forget to drill the holes for a lefty  :icon_jokercolor: