when to drill holes

[highway]

i have a p-body from warmoth that i am gearing up to stain and finish, but i still have to drill holes for the pickguard and strap buttons . . .

would it be better to stain first and drill later? or vice versa?

thanks for the help, i am really really new to this stuff . . .

not sure if the drilling will ruin the finish, or if the holes will get filled with stain/filler/poly and clog . . .

 

[MrZMess]

Go ahead and drill the holes. I've done it both ways and its much easier to drill ahead of time. Even if the holes get filled, the screws will pull it all back out when you put them in

 

[Smilodon]

I prefer to drill first. If you make a mistake it's much easier to hide the mistake before the bass is painted.

In fact, it's a good idea to do a complete assembly before painting just to check that everything works. Drilling first will also avoid problems with paint chipping as opposed to drilling through the finish.

The disadvantage og frilling first is that you need to be very careful when/if you do any wet sanding. Getting water into the predrilled holes will make the wood underneath the paint swell and ruin the surface.

 

[highway]

thanks guys, i really appreciate it!

 

[30yobass]

I prefer to drill first. If you make a mistake it's much easier to hide the mistake before the bass is painted.

In fact, it's a good idea to do a complete assembly before painting just to check that everything works. Drilling first will also avoid problems with paint chipping as opposed to drilling through the finish.

The disadvantage og frilling first is that you need to be very careful when/if you do any wet sanding. Getting water into the predrilled holes will make the wood underneath the paint swell and ruin the surface.

+1
Use blue tack to avoid wáter into the holes

 

[Smilodon]

Or candle wax. I just light a candle and drip a drop on each hole. Just scrape it flush.

That is just for extra security, though. I wouldn't rely on it being watertight.