Official Luthiers Forum!

Here is the latest Luthier Tips du Jour video - The topic is how to drill an end pin hole.
This video as well as all my other videos are available via my website, http://www.obrienguitars.com/videos , LMI's website or on youtube.
Enjoy!

Hey Robbie thanks for posting the vid.

Here's another approach to installing the jack for an acoustic pup that has some important differences in approach. Most notably most of the world goes for that 1/2" hole but it can be problematic since the hole only needs to be 15/32". The difference is the over sized hole encourages a slightly loose jack, and they usually do come loose... to come loose faster since there is room for play and movement. Where the 15/32" hole is a better fit but does require a special reamer as in the Stew-Mac variety with a flat spot at 15/32".

One other thing in our approach that I believe provides value is the idea that the jack should be snugged up based on feeling a stop built into the system and having it stop when the jack is snug enough so that it can't move or rotate.

We are constantly having to tighten nearly every jack that comes in here with 1/2" holes and where the installer did not exploit the stops and how they are supposed to work so Dave published our method on our Facebook page some years back.

We have found that jacks installed with this method don't tend to come loose and that's a good thing.

One more potential benefit or perhaps I should say less liability potentially is with the SM reamer the drill chuck never has to get close to the instrument when someone may be pressing on it firmly and whoops.....

The SM reamer is expensive, twice the price of what you just used but very much worth it IME and it is also a very high quality reamer. Mine has installed hundreds of pups now and is still far sharper than I am...

https://www.facebook.com/a2guitars/photos/ms.c.eJw9zMENwDAIQ9GNKjsEMPsv1jQkPT592aQFEPRJS~_BhuwYE8zrO8fXQ72j7sbrn7eq9XZcp57pnm~_DuI69j9SjpmL7~;Zrzn2h~_~;.bps.a.113600518747043.19651.100681526705609/113600615413700/?type=1&theater

Lee Valley sells a 15/32" HSS lipped brad point drill bit. http://www.leevalley.com/en/Wood/page.a ... 5533,42240

Alex

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"Indecision is the key to flexibility" .... Bumper sticker

Thanks for adding more to the conversation Hesh. Hope all is well in your neck of the woods.

Going metric helps here
I use a 12mm step drill to get a nice fitting hole.
Readily available on ebay