Drilling Tuner Holes - Luthier Tips du Jour Mailbag
In this episode, luthier Robbie O’Brien demonstrates how to drill tuner holes properly.
Video Transcription
[on-screen text reads: Luthier Tips du Jour Mailbag]
Mailbag question: How do you keep from blowing out the veneers on the peghead when drilling tuner holes?
Robert O'Brien: Today's Tips du Jour mailbag question comes to us from Canada. "Robert, how do you keep from blowing out the veneers on the peghead when drilling the tuner holes? Rob in Canada."
Well Rob, I usually say a few Hail Marys and have a swig of Everclear before I even go to the drill press. That seems to help. No, I'm kidding. Seriously, there is a little technique for that. Let's step over the drill press and I'll show you how to do it.
The secret to drilling tuner holes
All right Rob, so here's the secret. Here's your drill press. Set it up so that your drill press, of course you're going to be using a brad point bit anyway, but set it up so that just the tip of the brad point is coming out the other side. You don't want the whole drill bit to come out the other side. Then use your depth gauge on your drill press. Set it so the tip is just barely poking out the other side. Then go ahead and drill your six holes.
[Robert drills the 6 holes in the peghead]
So there's the six holes. Now come in from this side and drill them back the other way.
[Robert flips the peghead over and drills the holes from the other side]
So Rob, if you try this technique, I think you'll find you'll be able to drill six holes without getting any blowout.
[on-screen text reads: More Luthier Tips and online courses available at www.obrienguitars.com. Private and small group guitar building and finishing instruction available.]
