😲 Dry yer eyes mate...The easy (and probably only) fix: a coverplate - ditch the fancy battery box this time - who will know? We won't tell...

Wrap the battery in foam (like the packing foam from a pickup box) to stop it rattling about in the hole....Anyone else got any better suggestions?

On the fourth the flag on my drill but must have moved up with each of the other three hole. I practised on scrap but now I just want to cry

@cheesewhisk Oops! Step away from it for a while, do something else completely different and try not to wind yourself up too much. It’s all fixable, just do it when you are in the right frame of mind. 

I think you should just plug it from the bottom and put it down to experience. 

Take some deep breaths and have a cup of tea. 

One day when we are all sat in a pub with a few pints we can all have a laugh about all our mistakes. 

Keep smiling. 😁

The easy (and probably only) fix: a coverplate - ditch the fancy battery box this time - who will know? We won't tell...

@cheesewhisk Actually, yeah that’s a good way to deal with it, just make a bigger plate that covers it. Done! 

The post will be fine without a bottom to the hole. 

Be careful with that drill when drilling for the plate screws. 

Don’t get triggered! This isn’t a drill! Make sure there are no holes in your though processes! 

Keep smiling 😜

Thanks Mark, Boo. Lots of deep breaths. I’m thinking of doing a second cover plate and aligning it with the first one. 
thanks for the help and ideas I think they’ve help the imminent meltdown.

Also the idea of laughing over a pint one day sounds like music to my ears

I like your fix @cheesewhisk. Nice symmetry. 

🙂🎸🙏🎶

@cheesewhisk You could even make them join up to sit right alongside the other one. Look at these two, one for the trem and one for the controls. 

Don’t worry about what shape they are, they don’t have to be symmetrical. There are some weird and wonderful cover plate shapes out there and some can even be comical. 

Get creative and have fun! Rock n Roll! 😁

Do you think a lot of thought went into this one? Maybe not…. 🤣🤣🤣🤣 

Ha ha that’s a belter. If I’m honest the duel symmetrical plates will actually be easier as I already have the templates and the left over neck scrap I was planning on using isn’t quite wide enough to do one big plate and I like the way it’ll look too.

Can’t thank you enough for replies though.
Ive left this for now, did a bit of finiting then walked away and poured a JD & coke medicinal like 🤣

@cheesewhisk How about this? Just one big one, you will have to make a custom routing template and cover plate though. 

@cheesewhisk Whatever shape(s) you go for, just remember that when you are routing the depth for the cover plate, set your router depth gauge to 2mm, not 42mm. 😉 Just a joke! 

Too soon? 😐

Keep smiling and laughing. 🤣🤣🤣🤣👍

1mm at a time right? You know me too well @boo which is exactly why I took your advice and walked away. 

Can’t thank you enough for replies though.
Ive left this for now, did a bit of finiting then walked away and poured a JD & coke medicinal like 🤣

@cheesewhisk That’s the spirit! 😉👍

@cheesewhisk Oh man I can feel what you felt  when you realised what happened. I had the same happen to my last build, only for me, I went through the front , when I was routing out the control cavity... Luckily after a while and a few deep breathings, I realized almost no issue is unfixable and at that time I deciced to add a top , making it a more beautiful guitar then I had originally planned.
I guess my message is: See it as an opportunity to try something new and expand your capability to improvise at the spot 🙂
I like @Boo's solution, that last picture looks just like a Les Paul cavity cover. 
You got this.

@cheesewhisk Dude, that sucks!!! So sorry to see this but maybe my story will make you feel a bit better…

The other day I was working on a customer's Partscaster and realized that the hole for the output jack wire between the two cavities was in the wrong location, the cable was getting pinched so I decided to drill a new hole. No problem right? I've done it plenty of times. But this time I got the angle wrong and drilled right through the back of the guitar!!! Sound familiar? Fuuuuuck, this is a customer's guitar, remember? The best part was when I was thinking to myself: "Hmmm, this angle seems wrong, I should stop." That’s exactly when the bit blazed through the back! The second best part? I then noticed a sneaky other hole that would have worked perfectly, D'oh!!!

So now that I've joined the 'Drilled Right Through the Back of the Guitar Club' I can really share your pain. 

You did well by pouring a Jack and Coke (those are now known as a Lemmy btw 😉).

Here’s what I do when flagging a drill bit: I place the tape on the bit with a little extra space and never drill to the tape, just close. That way the tape can’t get pushed up. Hope this helps for next time.

The control plate fix should be pretty easy and you can still use the battery box, just install it in the second cover.

Or if you really wanna get fancy build a router sled and mill a couple of mm's off the back and cap it with a sweet veneer, talk about deluxe! 

Either way, chin up mate. At least you didn’t do it to a customer’s guitar. 

@cheesewhisk  I know that feeling all to well when you think you've ruined weeks of work, but once you calm down and think about it there's always a fix and another lesson learnt.

So now that I've joined the 'Drilled Right Through the Back of the Guitar Club' I can really share your pain. 

@mattbeels Hey Matt, how’s things? Not seen you for a bit, how’s the shop? 
Sorry to hear about your drilling accident too, especially on a customer’s guitar. What did he/she say? 😱 

@mattbeels  thanks for sharing that one, a customer, jeez the idea makes my blood go cold.

@robin oh there's been so many lessons 🤣 still it definitely feels better than it did yesterday.

@boo

I’m alright, thanks. You? Pretty busy with the shop so that’s fine (except for…)

Yeah, he doesn’t know yet. Fortunately it’s an aftermarket body with a shitty white paint job so hiding it won’t be too difficult. I’ll tell him of course but judging by his demeanor when he dropped it off I don’t think he’ll be too upset, we’ll see soon! 🤞

No one need ever know. 
Bonus pic of first coat of danish oil