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Joined:
March 2007
Posts: 698
Location: Cork, Ireland | Need to cut a 34mm x 25mm rectangular hole in side of my 1615 to install a battery drawer. There's already a round hole (approx 4mm) for the stud holding the internal battery holder so might use that as the starting point.
Any special tools/techniques for making such a hole? I wanna get it right. |
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Joined:
January 2009
Posts: 4536
Location: Flahdaw | Always consult an expert.....Guiguite! |
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Joined:
October 2005
Posts: 4081
Location: Utah | I'd use something like a razor saw and go slowly. Hobby stores that sell things like model trains and model airplanes have all kinds of cool small tools that are perfect for this kind of job. To really be careful, use a small carpenters square to make sure the corners are square. I'd even make a little template out of stiff card stock to test fit the size of the hole with the battery box before committing to cutting the bowl.
Measure twice, cut once... |
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Joined:
December 2003
Posts: 13997
Location: Upper Left USA | Those Metric holes can be a little tricky... take a look at this for installing a Pre-amp.
Pre-amp Install
You can use a Dremel or a Key hole saw, almost anything will work. If you miss you can patch with some Epoxy like that sold for bumper repair at an Auto Parts store.
The bowls, both fiberglass, Lyracord and GS have fibrous materials so wear your filter mask and eye protection.
Ask Damon what it's like when some hack takes his lovely Legend out to the garage and all you can do is wait in the next room while the high speed bit sends the guitar into a painful screaming fit...
Another technique for a rectangle cut is to drill the corners and then cut between the holes.
Rules:
"Practice on Scrap"
"Measure More Than You Cut" |
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Joined:
September 2005
Posts: 3619
Location: GATLINBURG TENNESSEE :) | Dremel tool with composite cutting disk. Make sure you measure and mark correctly the first time, then go slow. Rectangular openings are easy. Also make sure your opening is in a location that your wires will easily reach to. You may want to also pick up one of those small cable holders with the adhesive pad on it, for holding up any slack wire.(vaccum and wipe off the interior with a damp cloth after you cut) Be ready for a lot of fiber dust. |
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Joined:
November 2002
Posts: 3665
Location: Pacific Northwest Inland Empire | Dremel tool, with the cut-off disc....that's the ticket. You can use a business card to use as a square corner, and it's flexible, too.
If it was me, I would just get a 9V battery clip from a Radio Shack, and use the existing 4mm hole, with a short #8 screw & nut, or metric equivalent. |
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Joined:
January 2006
Posts: 1487
Location: Michigan | come on you sissies , use a sawzall. real men never measure anything or read directions , just trust your eyesight and good judgement and start cutting.this should only be done only after consuming a six pack of reality juice. :D GWB |
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Joined:
March 2005
Posts: 2793
Location: Atlanta, GA. | One word... STIHL |
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Joined:
March 2007
Posts: 698
Location: Cork, Ireland | Yikes I'm getting scared now. Might just install a new internal battery clip as per Seesquares idea. Or consult my Dad who has lots of experience in cutting stuff (not guitars though!)
Just thought I'd throw in the old metric measurements just to confuse the United Statesians |
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Joined:
August 2009
Posts: 1137
Location: Germany, where delicious wine is growing (Rheinh) | Hey, stay cool.
As Bryan Vince said, but measure twice and also look twice for the right position.
I've cut a lot of holes in my guitars, you can see most of them at my ning page. A Dremel works good and that is not witchery.
Bernie |
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Joined:
March 2007
Posts: 698
Location: Cork, Ireland | The battery drawers I ordered just don't look very durable, not worthy of cutting a hole. Also don't realy have suitable workshop for hole cutting. Internal battery box is the way to go I think. What do you think of attaching same to the neck block with small screws? (as in this example). http://artecsound.com/acou/epp.htm
Looks like there's room and it would be no less accessible than the existing position. Then I'd plug the existing hole using the original stud (for cosmetic purposes). |
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Joined:
November 2002
Posts: 3665
Location: Pacific Northwest Inland Empire | I'd still go with the battery clip. "That's my story, and I'm stickin' to it". No extra holes, just as accessible, and you don't see it (battery) as readily on the side. |
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Joined:
December 2010
Posts: 56
Location: New Thermopylae | Originally posted by seesquare:
I'd still go with the battery clip. "That's my story, and I'm stickin' to it". No extra holes, just as accessible, and you don't see it (battery) as readily on the side. ^^^ This |
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Joined:
December 2004
Posts: 4394
Location: East Tennessee | Send it to me. I will cut the hole and return it to you.......... In a year or two. :D |
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Joined:
March 2007
Posts: 698
Location: Cork, Ireland | So here's what I did in the end. In the existing holder theres a slotted hole into which the stud thingy is supposed to lock with a quarter turn. So I drilled out that slotted hole, making it a larger round hole, and epoxied a hex nut in there. Then got a suitable bolt which comes through the bowl hole and screws into the nut. Seems pretty secure now, and is cosmetically acceptable, but I'll consider Capo Guy's offer if it goes wrong again, on receipt of a generous deposit (payable in gold, given the times we are in) |
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Joined:
March 2007
Posts: 698
Location: Cork, Ireland | Also have been battery-less for so long I forgot how amazing it sounds plugged in, even to a bad amp. Would love to hear it through a good acoustic amp. |
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cutting a hole in bowl
