cutting acustic pick guard blank

[hell]

Just wondering what is the best method for cuting a acustic pickguard blank. I have a older yamaha guitar and the pickguard has warpped with age. I have a new pattern drawn and order the blank but not sure of the best method of cutting.
Would be greatful for any advice.
Take care, b

[Jim Bancroft]

If you are cutting material like Stew Mac sells, you can use scissors, and cut it cold.
If you are cutting Greven material it needs to be warmed because it easily cracks. I cut it in the sink with hot water.

If the Yamaha pickguard doesn't look like a potato chip, it can be flattened. Just place it in some boiling hot water, remove and quickly clamp between two flat surfaces.
Or you can also clamp the warped guard between a couple flat board, then submerge that for a few minutes in some boiling water. Remove, let it cool, then remove clamps.

Jim

[hell]

thanks for the reply jim, it is from stew mac and I did think I may be able to use scissors but was not sure. Thanks for the tips on correcting original guards, I want to make a custom guard using a flame pattern on this one. It is a old red label yamaha with a very nice bright sound.

[mike carne]

Depends on the thickness.Assuming you've not got a self-adhesive Yamaha replacement (I've found you cannot cut or sand these-the edges won't stick) but have an oversized blank, then scissors are OK for thin ones,bandsaw for the thicker
stuff.I've sanded the edges,but I'd like to know how to properly bevel them.
Double-sided sellotape has been recommended to me and it worked out fine.
Question -if you remove a pickguard and want a different shaped one-apart from leaving the guitar out of it's case and on a stand for weeks/months-what can you do about the white bits?
Take it easy,
M.

[Jim Bancroft]

To bevel a pickguard you can use a single edge razor blade, then finish off with various grits of wet &dry sandpaper/w water, and finally polish with lacquer polishing compounds.

Jim

[Von Luhmann]

would not a dremel tool attachment with drywall attachment work for this and one of the router bits for the bevel....(cover it all with masking tape first) then finish with sandpaper and jewler files?

[Jim Bancroft]

Sure, a dremel tool would probably work, but why go to all the bother, when it's simple to do like I described with a single edge razor blade. Nothing to mask off
Plus you have to worry about heat buildup with a router bit. No thanks, routing is not the way to do this.

Jim

[Ned Knepp]

I built a pickguard for a Gibson mandolin once that required that I remove about 1/8 inch of the thickness from the plastic to match the original. I used a router to do it but had to run at a very low speed and feed at a VERY low rate. Heat buildup is a real problem. Even at low RPM and slow feed rates, the plastic melts very easily. I was never able to get a good flat surface and spend a lot of time scraping everything flat after I finished removing the extra plastic.

I haven't tried using a router to make a bevel on a pickguard but I think I 'd just do it by hand.

BTW, Dental Labs use a small alcohol torch to burnish wax setups for castings. Basically, it's a plastic bottle with a wick in the cap and a small tube to one side of that. The tube is positioned to blow across the flame when the bottle is squeezed. With some practice it can come in handy to help burnish plastic edges too, as long as your are sure it's not nitro. It takes a bit of practice and I wouldn't try to use it on flat surfaces but you can get a mirror finish with on thin edges with a bit of care.

Ned

[Donald A. Fortune]

If your new pickguard is too thick to use scissors on then try a pare of aircraft shears
(yellow handles)
good luck
Donald