warped pickguard

[Brian Farrell]

Any secret to flattening out a warped pickguard? Got one from the 70's that was glued to wood then finished over with laquer, then the edges curled down and it peeled right off.

I'm guessing it's celluloid, so I'm hesitant to use any real heat on it.

I tried soaking it in very hot water, not boiling, but no dice.

ideas? what's worked for you?

[Jim Bancroft]

You can put in in near boiling, or even boiling, water, clamp it between a couple scrap board, let it cool and see if it stays flat. If it doesn't flatten out, I'd replace it with another.

Jim

[Nick Anthony]

or heat it with a hot air gun and clamp it sandwiched in wax paper with corian or another hard true flat material let it cool and see what happens ....like jim said if not replace it

[Ronnie Nichols]

It seems to me that the lacquer on these pickguards is a real problem. I've seen some Martins that had a SEVERE cupping in the top under the pickguard. We've all seen the top cracks that can develop when these things shrink. I've followed Frank Ford's advice for a long time and finished the top under the pickguard and then replaced it with a new one attached with the 2 sided adhesive. I think I saw a newer article on Frank's website recently about flattening these old pickguards. If Frank says it is ok to flatten one, I'm sure he's right. I realize it is sometimes hard to find a pickguard that matches the original exactly. I really don't understand why the lacquer starts shrinking after so many years, but it can cause some real problems.
Ronnie Nichols