Drilling holes in a blank pickup cover

[dirk_benedict]

Anyone have any tips/hacks for this?

I have a pickup with mismatched plastic and and I want drill holes in a blank (no holes) pickup cover to match the existing one.

The existing mismatched pickup cover has the hole pattern I need. Can I just line the two covers in a vice and drill through? Any special bit I should use? We're talking Jazzmaster pickups here.

 

[swiveltung]

Hmmm. Well, I would probably try to mark the holes with the old pickup. I would center punch each hole to make sure the drill bit starts accurately. If you don't the bit will often walk a bit off center before digging in. Use a drill press if you can. The best case scenario is to have a "transfer punch". A transfer punch is the size of your hole with a little "tit" on the end of it. You put it in the hole and make the center punch dead center. For plastic I like the "brad point" bit which cuts the outside of the hole at nearly the same time as the from the center.
Brad point bit in center here: http://www.handymanknowhow.co.uk/drillingandfixing/drillbits.htm

 

[dirk_benedict]

Thanks! Very helpful, will give that a shot.

 

[swiveltung]

BTW, if you get the Brad point drill to match the holes in the current cover, you may just use that to mark hole locations instead of acquiring a Transfer Punch. The hard part is keeping the two covers aligned while doing so. maybe some double sticky back carpet tape to hold them together?

 

[argyletrinity]

If you can, clamp pieces of wood on each side of where you want to drill, then drill. This helps prevent what I call blowout...or keeps the cover nice and flat.

 

[dirk_benedict]

BTW, if you get the Brad point drill to match the holes in the current cover, you may just use that to mark hole locations instead of acquiring a Transfer Punch. The hard part is keeping the two covers aligned while doing so. maybe some double sticky back carpet tape to hold them together?

what about in a vice?