Telecaster Two build - cavity routs

These are pretty much the same pictures as the other telecaster body so not loads of explanation. It's going to have the same pickup configuration so I'll just rout straight off the same template.. 

I accidentally routed a bit of the bridge pickup hole on my template on the last build :( To correct this edge, I used a straight piece of MDF to guide the router bit along that edge instead of the perspex:



The neck pocket is routed over several passes to 16mm (+5mm template thickess):



Close enough:



The neck and bridge cavities are deeper than my router will go with the template attached to the body. The template is removed and the router bearing runs on the sides of the pocket that have already been cut. Because I'd like a straight edge between the neck pickup cavity (c.20mm depth) and the neck pocket (16mm depth), I use a little MDF jig in the hole between the two:



Which yields a neat line, like so:




Then I drill the holes joining the neck and bridge cavity holes using the massive drill bits:



And cut the brass to line these holes. As with the previous body, this will be grounded. Almost certainly won't make a tonal / humming difference, but it seems like a good idea:



Then I dismantle one of my homemade spool clamps and use it to hammer the brass tube home (can't do that with the pricey stew mac ones ;)) : 



Yielding this:



Finally, I'd been um'ing and ahh'ing a bit about putting a contour onto the back of this guitar. In the end, I figured that since I'm not being strict on this either being or looking like a vintage spec guitar, I'd prefer the extra comfort of a contour on the back. I went for a similar size cut out as the current US standard, which is fairly large:



And started filing with the Japanese saw rasp:



It takes a long time:



But eventually, you get a reasonable shape. This isn't quite there, and needs a little finessing, but you get the idea:



Apart from the roundover on the edges of this body, this body is now caught up to the first. It weighs 5.5lb exactly.

I'm waiting on a delivery from Guitars and Wood for a 9.5" radius fretboard sanding block, but once that arrives I'll make a start on the two necks; starting with the absolutely mind numbing and exhausting job of putting the radii on their fretboards :(