ABS Plastic for an Arch top End Cap

[Philip Secrist]

I need some ABS white plastic that is around 2.5" x 5/8" x .250" thick as well as a .020/.020 inch black/white laminate for an arch top guitar neck end cap.  All I can find are plastic companies that want to sell me huge quantities! I am only building a couple of guitars. Any ideas where I can get this materials in small quantities? I have checked the two parts houses I order from and they don't have anything wide enough...just binding widths.

[Mark Pollock]

Just off the top of my head, have you considered going to a Corian countertop shop for remnants? Easy to machine, easy to polish. Doesn't shrink, doesn't fade. You might even be able to order samples from http://www2.dupont.com/Surfaces/en_US/where_to_buy/order_a_sample.html. You could also make your own laminate that way.

[Philip Secrist]

Great idea Mark. Thanks!  Any idea on how to get the 40 thou black white laminate (20 thou white/20 thou black)?

[Mark Pollock]

Make your own by laminating the colors from Corian? Aren't you having to thickness stuff already? That's the best I can come up with.

OOOH! OOOH! You could even then make a nut with laminated black/white layers of corian! That would look great! (I think like a pen turner - we glue up all kinds of wacky crap.)

[Ned Knepp]

How about ordering Black/white or White/Black pick guard material from Stew-Mac or some other source. You can cut your own heel caps from that and maybe even make a matching pick guard for the same instrument.

[Philip Secrist]

Thanks Ned, but they don't sell anything thick enough. The heel cap is about 1/4" thick by 1/2" wide by 1.125" long and the black and white laminate needs to be the same length and width but 0.040" thick (0.020" white and 0.020 inch black). This is the traditional arch top end cap to continue the binding lines up and over the end cap.

[Paul Verticchio]

Hi Phil.

Have you tried a Trophy shop?  The have all kinds of laminates & remnants.

Best of luck (:

[Philip Secrist]

I'll do it!  Thanks Paul.

[Ron frazier]

I have used plastic irrigation pipe . Some 4 inch pipe can be sanded flat or use a hair dryer to heat and flatten.

Ron