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I'm thinking about doing my first slot head...

Is there a good way to drill the (side) holes for tuners in a slot head without using an expensive jig? I was thinking that if I calculated the angle of the top of the headstock to the sides, I could make a compensating wedge to put underneath the side of the headstock on my drill press and get the correct angle... seems straightforward... or is it a recipe for disaster? Any tips?
Thanks,
Steve

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Steve Sollod (pronounced sorta like "Solid")
www.swiftcreekguitars.com

Buy or build the tool. Anything else will guarantee a scrapped neck.

It can be done that way but you really do have to ensure that everything is very stable and perfectly aligned, which probably means making a jig!

Can anyone show a photo of a homemade jig? I don't know how many slot heads I intend to make. I'd rather not buy an expensive jig at this point... Why should this process be anymore difficult than all the others a person has to do making a guitar?

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Steve Sollod (pronounced sorta like "Solid")
www.swiftcreekguitars.com

Well, it has to be very accurate. You only have to be very slightly out on one of the holes and the tuners won't align properly. Much easier with individual tuners but 3 on a plate does require accuracy.
I made this jig (for Classical barrrels, far right in the picture - ignore everything else) many years ago. It's just a wooden version of the LMI type jig. Now for the life of me I can't remember how I drilled the holes in the jig accurately but accurate they are. I think I drilled a hole in a block of wood and planed the wood so that the drill bit was perpendicular with a square, when the drill bit was protruding above the hole - if that makes any sense! Of course it has to be square in both planes. Maybe someone else can explain that much better than myself. I'm tired. Anyway that wooden block was then used to drill the 3 holes in the actual guide/jig. In fact I'm pretty sure it was all done with a hand drill.

i have this small milling machine that makes hole placement accurate and easy on pretty much everything:




if you have a drill press you can get a cross slide vise with at least 3" of travel and an edge finder and the problem is solved. it will also allow you to make accurate holes in many other things as well...

I'm not much of a jig person and I can understand why if you only want to build one slot head you would not want to buy a jig to do it but I gotta tell ya, if you want absolute worry free easy accuracy then the jig is worth it. Same reason why I bought and expensive reamer to build a Flamenco guitar with friction pegs, worth every penny.

I made one like Michael shows. To drill the holes I used my drill press, a fence, a stop and two 35 mm spacer blocks (these need to be very accurate). Its easy to make the 35mm block by trimming up with a hand plane.
To drill the first hole clamp the work piece to the fence tight up against the stop. For the second hole insert one of the 35mm spacer blocks between the stop and the work piece and drill. for the third hole insert the second spacer block and drill and wowie zowie you have 3 perfectly spaced holes in line with one another!
Hope that helps.

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Jim Watts
http://jameswattsguitars.com

That sounds good Jim. Couldn't a jig be constructed out of hardwood (oak maybe) that is designed like the stew-mac jig shown here? Or would it be tough to make the jig so that it makes accurately placed holes in the headstock? ...seems doable...

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Steve Sollod (pronounced sorta like "Solid")
www.swiftcreekguitars.com

Hmmm. Something I noticed about that image that I would never do is drill the holes after cutting out the slots. I guess this may be common practice but to avoid ugly tear out if you drill the holes first then slot it out you will easily avoid tear out.

That's probably just for illustrative purposes only.
Sdsollod. Just make the jig as shown in my photo. It doesn't have to be any more complicated that that!

Regarding the homemade wooden jigs mentioned above, years ago Richard Brune told me that is the way he drills them. Perhaps he does other ways, now.

Regarding the slots cut before drilling, Brune also told me he did that. He used a drill on which he cut a brad point on the grind stone, and he said that it does not tear out. I think I am not skilled in cutting the brad points, so I would use a manufactured drill bit, if not a brad point, then something like a Forstner.

Is the primary issue that the thickness of your headstock tapers? If so, then a wooden version of the StewMac jig you show would be the way to go. Otherwise, a simple jig (straight sides, perpendicular holes) would work. Glue in some drill guide bushings if you want to use it more than once. Slot heads are cool.

No need for the metal bushings. Wax the drill bit, hardwood doesn't wear that quickly if the jig has deep holes (1 1/2 " or so) It should be good for at least 20 sets of tuners.

simple
measure and be accurate
use a good drill press
I don't have a jig I use my mill machine but a good drill press will work fine.

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John Hall
blues creek guitars
Authorized CF Martin Repair
Co President of ASIA
You Don't know what you don't know until you know it

To make the holes perpendicular to the side of the headstock, I clamp a block on the drill press table, and align the edge of the headstock with the top of the block. I clamp the neck to the block, and drill away.
You can also use a wedge-shaped piece of wood on the bottom, taping it to the headstock so it remains at the same level.
For correct spacing on strip tuners, I disassemble a tuner and use the baseplate as a drilling guide.
For accurately placed holes, a center drill can come in handy.
http://www.mscdirect.com/browse/tn/Holemaking/Center-Drills-Combination-Drill-Countersinks-Spotting-Drills/Combination-Drill-Countersink-Sets?navid=12106135

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John

Here is a simple home made jig - this one if for a 12 string but I also made one for sixers. If you are using three or six on a plate tuners the holes need to be perfect - for individual tuners you can be a little sloppier



It flips over and the piece of key stock goes over the top of the headstock. I clamp the headstock between two blocks of wood such that the jig is level and simply use my drill press. The collar on the bit isn't necessary if you use the drill press stop. Put a block of wood inside the slots while drilling to keep them from splintering.

These are a lot of great pointers! I knew you guys had some ideas about this... Thanks.

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Steve Sollod (pronounced sorta like "Solid")
www.swiftcreekguitars.com

i do my slots first, holes second. i'll use a scrap of wood sized to fit the slot so that the drill doesn't cut unsupported wood. this is carpentry 101. no need for obscure techniques and mystical hoodoo, it's just basic work.