# MISTAKES TO AVOID Thread...



## ajcoholic (Feb 5, 2006)

I thought this might be a good thread - to put in a short description of something that might have went wrong. Maybe save someone else from making the same mistake.

I will start... it is rare for me to make a guitar without making at least one small mistake, but I generally manage to correct it.

I was working on my Korina PRS style guitar tonight, and I had did all the routing done already before starting to carve the top.
My top carve started to ever so slightly cut into the control cavity - which could have been about 1/8" less deep.

I managed to glue in a small shaped block of korina to fix the issue, and once the red trans finish goes on it wont be visable unless you know where it is and what to look for. But it could have been a complete disaster if I didnt notice and went deeper with my carve.

Next!

AJC


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## shoretyus (Jan 6, 2007)

Ha ha ... Not guitar but same tools. Using my laminate trimmer today to do edges, did a test cut. Of course after a couple of minutes the bit started to move because it wasn't tight enough in the chuck. 

Check and make sure the chuck is tight and keep an eye on what your cutting at all times. 

It was a rough day.... Never place your spray gun over top of finished pantry doors, it may drip down the face of the door and force you to refinish it.


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## Renniw (May 4, 2006)

Mistakes??? let's see...

1 - Make sure the truss rod is inserted before gluing the fingerboard

2 - Make sur you route the truss rod channel on the right side of the neck blank, mainly with an angled headstock kqoct

3 - Never drill the jack plate hole before routing the contour of the body.

Enough for me... I'll let others participate...


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## Lincoln (Jun 2, 2008)

Carved out a nice ash strat body, hand sanded it for hours getting it perfect. I wanted to try dying the wood (blue) before anything went on it, before the sealer, before the grain filler. I was all out of oil based blue dye, looked all over Edmonton, came home with water based instead, all I could get. Tried it with every oil or alchohol based liquid I had in my shop - would not mix. Knowing better but doing it anyway.....I mixed the water based dye with water. How bad can it be, right?? Put it on, it looked good. Walked away, came back in a couple hours to find that the grain had raised about 1/8" all over the body I so lovenly sanded all the way to 600 grit. kqoct

It was so bad I had to run it through the planner again to get the worst off the front & back. Hand sanded the rest. Couldn't get it all off, tried to dye over it, looked like hell. Ended up making another solid colour body when I was shooting for transparent.


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## Hypno Toad (Aug 1, 2009)

Make sure your electronics cavities are deep enough for the control plate electronics before shielding the cavities.


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## shoretyus (Jan 6, 2007)

Double check which side of the body you are drilling holes into. Almost made a lefty by drilling Tele bridge screw holes in the back. 

The required ...kqoct


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## copperhead (May 24, 2006)

LET THE STAINING BEGGIN!!!! if you are using dye on the BACK of a guitar & your shooting for something with a different color or clear transparent top when you apply dye near the control cavity, have the holes for the volume pots plugged or taped preventing any dye from getting through to the front of the guitar


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## BlameCanada (Apr 28, 2007)

Always mark and transfer your centerlines. A real timesaver.


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## chopthebass (Jul 30, 2009)

Remember to set the router plunge depth before routing the control cavity and ruining a gorgeous madrone burr bookmatched top. Grrrr.


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## ajcoholic (Feb 5, 2006)

chopthebass said:


> Remember to set the router plunge depth before routing the control cavity and ruining a gorgeous madrone burr bookmatched top. Grrrr.


I think either setting depths wrong, or having a bit slip is a common error.

On a related note, I have more than once nicked (and ruined both the template and work) my template trying to set the router down into my work. A plunge router, or being in the center of the cavity and not bear the edge is the fix.

AJC


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## chopthebass (Jul 30, 2009)

ajcoholic said:


> I think either setting depths wrong, or having a bit slip is a common error.
> 
> On a related note, I have more than once nicked (and ruined both the template and work) my template trying to set the router down into my work. A plunge router, or being in the center of the cavity and not bear the edge is the fix.
> 
> AJC


That sounds oh so familiar!!


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## Lincoln (Jun 2, 2008)

When using a finished guitar body as a pattern to route a template.....check the path of the router's guide bearing all the way around the body *before* turning on the router. The guide roller tends to fall into things like output jack cavities not only ruining your template but also notching out the guitar body your using. kqoct

Even the strap button holes make a "bump" in the template.


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## keeperofthegood (Apr 30, 2008)

> *MISTAKES TO AVOID Thread...*



:bow: EVERY time I see this thread, the first thing that pops into my head is ...."So, I married this woman...."



However, talking mistakes with "things" other than women...

1) when you drop your soldering iron DON'T make a wild grab for it, let it burn the rug, it hurts a LOT less.

2) Yes, you forget to count when soldering, the terminals can and will melt and fall off.

3) Not said in so many words but alluded to: Measure Once, Buy Twice!

^^; there are many other things I have done "wrong" in life. Like, Acid Core Flux IS NOT a replacement for plain Rosen ... but I wont go there ^^;


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## fraser (Feb 24, 2007)

a simple one, but a good one- when installing screws into a fresh hole for the first time, especially on maple necks, lubricate the screw first- with some wax.
i read about this tip in the mid eighties, and have been religious about it since.
yet even still, last year i forgot one, and yup, it broke.
it was for a string tree, right on the face of a headstock. 
since it was for one of my own guitars, i chose to leave it in there, it broke below the surface- i mounted the string tree ever so slightly behind it, and its perfectly hidden-
but i hate knowing its there:smile:


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## shoretyus (Jan 6, 2007)

fraser said:


> a simple one, but a good one- when installing screws into a fresh hole for the first time, especially on maple necks, lubricate the screw first- with some wax.
> :


Or rub the screw on a bar of soap.


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## keeperofthegood (Apr 30, 2008)

shoretyus said:


> Or rub the screw on a bar of soap.



But not acne soap >_> the benzoyl peroxide stuff is like white sandpaper >_>


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## Lincoln (Jun 2, 2008)

And while we're talking about soldering........when you're soldering the wires onto that new speaker in your cab or combo, cover the speaker cone with a towel or something in case a drip of solder gets away from you, drops, and burns right through your cone kqoct


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## ajcoholic (Feb 5, 2006)

For anyone who has drilled a hole through the headstock (when drilling pilot holes for tuner screws) or through your fretboard (when piloting for neck screws) a simple wrap of masking tape around the bit can prevent this.

Once more screw related... when installing neck screws (for a bolt on) that might have three or 4 of one length and a shorter one (on a contoured heel) make SURE you dont have a long screw where the short one should go...

AJC


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## shoretyus (Jan 6, 2007)

What more screwing?

When screwing your neck template to your neck try and anticipate where that screw hole will be AFTER you shape the neck...


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## Lincoln (Jun 2, 2008)

Well, I made my mistake of the day.

Drilling string holes in a tele body, have had trouble in the past with the bit walking on me so I figured I'd drill from both sides using the template. Everything's got to be perfect, right?
String holes turned out great, unfortunatly I decided while I was drilling I might as well mark the 4 bridge mounting screw holes. I forgot which side of the body I was on. This is what a figured maple body with nice quilt looks like with 4 extra holes in the back.


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## keeperofthegood (Apr 30, 2008)

Lincoln said:


> ...This is what a figured maple body with nice quilt looks like with 4 extra holes in the back.


I would get some brass rod and plug them visibly to look like a functional feature rather than holes or wood fills :/


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## shoretyus (Jan 6, 2007)

Lincoln said:


> Well, I made my mistake of the day.
> 
> This is what a figured maple body with nice quilt looks like with 4 extra holes in the back.


Looks equally good in Walnut


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## Hypno Toad (Aug 1, 2009)

They're speed holes. They make the guitar go faster.


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## copperhead (May 24, 2006)

another one. keep an eye on the tip of the soldering iron and its chord when its in the holder keep away from the binding on a guitar kqoct
good thing it was my guitar @#%*$#@


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## Flyingvee (Jun 7, 2009)

Double or triple check your fret spacing measurements! Always thought it couldn't happen to me...wrong! Finished my beautiful guitar only to find out I made an error on one of my frets...read .08 as .008 grr! Had to re-cut slot right thru my finish...binding and all!


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## 1PUTTS (Sep 8, 2007)

Lincoln said:


> This is what a figured maple body with nice quilt looks like with 4 extra holes in the back.


It's chambered for TONE!


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## shoretyus (Jan 6, 2007)

1PUTTS said:


> It's chambered for TONE!


Would you be my sales staff?


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## Lincoln (Jun 2, 2008)

Alder is not my friend 










It was my fault, I should have taken the time to flip the template over and route that corner from the other direction........I didn't realize how easily alder splits. Now I know.


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## Hypno Toad (Aug 1, 2009)

I gave up on routing edges last time something split from it. Now I go back to my good friend the disk sander :smile:

Roughs up the edges a bit, but I like the control you get with it.


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## radapaw (Jan 10, 2007)

everyone with all together with your best Norm impression: "and don't forget your most important piece of safety equipment, you're safety glasses"


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## shoretyus (Jan 6, 2007)

Some guys have all the luck,,, la la la umm the hint is sand this section


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