Making flatwork with hand tools

[Martin Beer]

This is very much a question for the beginner forum, as it's about working with limited tooling. I've been experimenting with making a few different pickups for my Jazzmaster. I'm in the UK, and the only source of JM flatwork I've found is Mojotone, but their international shipping is $41 on small orders and that makes no sense for the size of order I would make.
I've been attempting to make my own, with limited success. For the first set I used tufnol sheet, and I have a small amount of 1.5mm vulcanised fibreboard I'm going to use for the next ones. The problem I have is drilling them accurately enough without the drill wandering, as I don't have a drill press. The first time I just made several sets until I had enough pieces with a good enough tolerance to use, but that seems wasteful. I've thought about trying to find a humbucker bobbin of the right spacing, clamping it to the flatwork and using it to guide the drill bit, but if there are any other hints and tips about this I'm all ears...

[big_teee]

Hi Martin:
I've done some hand made bobbins, mine were crude at best.
Here is the Duncan drawing.
http://www.seymourduncan.com/product...es/sjm-1.shtml
Here is the Way I would approach it with hand tools.
I would cut the rectangular flatwork to size to fit into a cover.
Then I would shim the flatwork up against the cover so you can center punch the flatwork through the cover holes.
Drill the end magnet holes.
seat the end magnets and place flatwork in the cover, shimmed up against the cover again.
Then drill and seat the magnets until they are all in place and fit in the cover.
It is a slow go, but doable!
GL,
T
Anyone else got any tips, please post.

[SpareRibs]

Hello,
Instead of ordering material from the US, Go to a stationary store and buy some pressed paper. It is the kind for matting photographs. It comes in various colors. Soak in matte finish polyurethane after forming. Try that and see if it isn't a very good substitute. Also it is nowhere near as expensive as vulcanized fiberboard. That may help you a lot at least until you get your process perfected.

[Bruce Johnson]

Some of your problems may also be due to drilling technique. On a soft material like Forbon or pressed fiberboard, your centerpunch mark will leave a soft flare of material up above the surface. The cutting edge of the drill bit will tend to grab on to that and kick the bit off to the side. Then the hole ends up out of position.

Try this: Center punch the hole gently first, check the accuracy of the position, and then punch it again to make the dimple a little larger. Then, drill the hole with a tiny drill bit, one that is smaller diameter than the dimple. Ideally, this pilot hole's diameter should be about the thickness of the web of the final size drill bit. For your typical 3/16" magnet/drill size, use a 3/32" drill for the pilot hole.

Before you drill the final hole, run a smooth file or sanding block across the top surface of the material, and remove that flare-up around each hole. Now, the final size drill bit will grab the edges of the pilot hole evenly, and will follow the pilot hole down through the material.

You can also make yourself a drill guide from a piece of 1/8" mild steel plate. An old hinge plate, or a beam mounting strap, or whatever you can find. Same basic technique as above: center punch accurately, drill a pilot hole, file off the flare, drill the final hole. You can do all that with a hand-held electric drill, or even a hand-crank drill. A steel drill guide will save you some steps. You clamp it down on top of the material and a scrap of wood, and drill the final size right through, without any layout, center punch or pilot hole.

[Martin Beer]

Drilling technique could certainly be a factor. It seems that the tufnol sheet (a woven cotton/resin laminate) drills more neatly and predictably than the fibreboard, and I think that might be due to it being finer grained and harder. I'll try making a drilling guide from scrap metal, as I have some pieces lying around.

[Jim Darr]

I built a little fence guide on my drill press for one off or custom work. This keeps all the holes in a perfect line. I also center punch the position - this helps keep them evenly spaced.

[big_teee]

I built a little fence guide on my drill press for one off or custom work. This keeps all the holes in a perfect line. I also center punch the position - this helps keep them evenly spaced.

Could you provide some pictures?
We would all like to see how you do it, or at least I would.
T

[Jim Darr]

Could you provide some pictures?
We would all like to see how you do it, or at least I would.
T

T, be glad to. Next time I'm using that set-up I'll take some pictures.

[Jim Darr]

It is just a rectangular piece of plywood as a base with a wooden strip of wood glued to it to act as a fence (or stop). I position it carefully on the drill press table then clamp it down. I then take the fiberboard rectangle and slide it along the fence drilling holes in a straight line.

[guitician]

Holes could be punched, or cut round, with a tube of metal that has had a cutting edge ground on the I.D. The smooth O.D. will leave a flat cut with no raised edge. I've done this with small brass tubes to cut small holes in soft leather and it worked.

[Mick Bailey]

Making a drilling template in thin sheet metal is what I would do in the absence of anything else. Mark this out as accurately as you can and drill the holes with a small drill and then open them up with progressive sizes to get your template correct.. A standard drill-bit won't accurately self-centre in soft materials without guidance.

There's a technique I use to re-grind a drill bit to give a centre-point and two spurs. These are commercially available as 'spur point' or 'lip and spur' bits. These cut a very clean hole and reliably self-centre in fibre, leather, wood or card, though the sizes are restricted.

[tedmich]

stub drill bits are a godsend for accurate holes in sheet metal, especially in smaller diameters which allow the bit to flex at regular "jobbers" lengths,and a hold down clamp!. Also using a high angle (140 degrees) short spotting drill bit to mark hole really helps when you come in with a std 118 or 135 degree bit to go through.

Also a Starrett 18C Spring-Impact Center-Marking Punch helps the bit find home.

[überfuzz]

... their international shipping is $41 on small orders and that makes no sense for the size of order I would make...

First tip is avoid shipping in stuff from the US of A, always a bit tricky and expensive, from my experience. If I have to order from over there I let them, the shop, ship it to some friends I have over there. They get the package and ship it as a gift to me. Shipping is usually not that hefty when I ship like this.

[big_teee]

Rather than make flatwork by hand, which is all well and good.
There should be some British places that lazer cut flatwork.
One member here is Jonson, he may be able to sell you some or know where to buy it there in England?
Handmade is OK, but I sure prefer commercial cut forbon.
GL,
T