Building oil pressure on new build, FIXED !! weird problem discovered Options

[barefoot]

New 2L build case align bored and gallery plugs replaced with threaded plugs so i know everything's clean in there. New CB type 1 oil pump mod the fit Tp 4. Temporary oil pressure gage fitted, Valvoline VR-1 20W-50 oil and all bearings pre-lubed with assembly lube (the red stuff)
With my test rig I'm trying to make sure oil pressure observed before trying to fire the engine. Spark plugs pulled, so easy cranking. I've now cranked it over perhaps 30 revs so far and no pressure showing yet. I did not pre-fill oil filter (not sure why that's a bad idea) I pulled filter and there was ~ 1/4 full, so it seems oil's getting somewhere, but how long does it take to build pressure ???

[barefoot]

After WAY too much starter cranking and still no oil pressure i got very concerned, how can i not be getting pressure ???
So i pulled the top tins, the fan & fan housing and tilted the engine up by the front end & pulled off the oil pump cover (type 1 pump) there was NO oil in the pump gear cavity WTF !!
How in the hell can this be, all oil galleries were clean and free, only think I could think of was i had not installed the oil pick-up tube so it engaged into the feed hole in the case.
However, test assembling my spare split case with an oil pick-up assy, there's no firkin way to assemble it wrong. I capped the oil pump, tilted the engine up on it's nose and pulled the oil strainer cover off & the aluminum oil strainer out.
Test fitting this strainer into my spare split case it looked like the center of the strainer sat up pretty far. A quick check with the calipers showed that it was up against the end of the suction tube effectivly blocking oil from entering the pick-up tube. Somehow I had acquired 3 of these oil strainers and used the best one in my build. Looking at another one, the center bit was not pushed up as far as the one i had used, unfortunately it was junk so a little blacksmithing on my only good strainer pushed the center bit down further and a further inspection in the spare case confirmed now clearance between strainer center bit and the end of the pick-up tube. In the type 4 the nut that caps the oil strainer cover does not contact the center of the strainer, can't remember what the Beetle situation is (way too many years ago)
OK, now with the strainer cover torqued back on, motor tilted back down horizontal and after 5 sec of cranking, NOW SEE OIL PRESSURE, halla-frikin-luya !!
I was so concerned that i was gonna have to tear the whole thing apart & split the case
to see what went wrong.

Beware there may be differences in oil strainers, make sure you've got the right one !!!!