Making a Pickguard

[Gordy01]

I know this went around a while ago, but I didn't really read the last thread.

I also know that this is not about electric guitars in particular, although the info

will work for an electric with the same problem.

I want to make a pickguard for and acoustic guitar. I think I need to cut it from a

blank, as there are no pickguards listed on the manufacturers site, and the guitar has an oval

shaped sound hole.

I see on the StewMac site that they sell blanks, and I've already got a 45 degree trimming router bit.

I guess my questions are:

"How do you cut the blank to shape?"

I've got a band saw, or a jig saw.

Will they work, or are they too rough a tool for this?

Do I need to temporarily glue the blank to a piece of wood?

 

I remember Twang talking about this, so any help will be greatly appreciated.

[fiddlinjd]

BAND SAW?! this ain't 1/4" plate steel! hahaha

 

jigsaw is just too messy

 

a scroll saw works quickly.

 

or run it around a router.

[TWANG]

I use a little table reciprocal saw... it's nice because you can take off one end of the blade, and use it to thread through the piece and cut holes in the middle.. and it's slick enough to get a good edge, and follow a line real carefully.

 

You can use a jig saw.. a band saws blade, or jig saw, has to have the right teeth to cut fairly smoothly, and they are thick, so they don't turn corners as tightly.

 

I get adhesive backed material from AllParts. I suppose Stew macs is commensureate.

 

Cut your pattern, make the cut line perpindicular.. as straigh as possible..

leave maybe 1/16th end at most around the trace line..

 

after that you can finish it off in several ways..

small hand files.. set up a router table.. you can even use a belt sander but it'll only do a couple of useful things.

 

drilling is easy.. bevelling holes self explanatory..

 

get the file marks out of the edges.. then sand them without scratching the top.. and use three grades... fine very fine super fine so they

buff out nice.

 

you can skip most of that with a thin ply acoustic guard.

no holes, no real edges.

 

TWANG

[TommyK]

One thing to remember, don't cut it with the saw to the finished size. Cut it to about 1/8" over sized, then trim with your router. Otherwise you'll end up with an undersized guard after you get all the saw chatter off.

 

The thin plastic might have a tendency to want to jump up and down as the saw tries to bit into it. At a minimum it will make for slow cutting. Worst, you might crack the plastic. If it were me, since you probably won't be able to cut a 'test piece,' to see how the plastic works in the saw, I would used double sided tape to affix it to a piece of thin wood like 1/8" plywood so that it was good and stiff. THen cut through the plastic, wood and all.

[TWANG]

You do gotta hold it flat and stable.

What happens is .... you cut to the outside edge.. that's the back of the guard.. then you bevel in..

that's where the 1/16th extra comes in.. you make minor errors... and you're covered..

bevel the edge a bit, and the 1/16th comes right off.

 

If you use an odd thing.. like a jig saw.. you've got to have the right blade and you have to keep the piece stiff or the teeth will pull it up

and down.

that's why I like my little table saw.. thin blade nice flat surface to hold it to.

But you'll get it done!

 

TWANG

[Gordy01]

Thanks everyone! I like the bandsaw for cutting. I can put a blade on it that is only 3/16 wide,

and really fine toothed. The advantage of the band saw that I see is the uni direction of the blade.

It only goes from top to bottom and the table on my saw is nice and wide.

If I had a scroll saw I might like that better! Another purchase to get past the wife. :-(

Thanks for the advice on leaving a little extra for routing the edge.

Because this guitar has a high gloss finish, I was considering a thin guard material for it.

 

The next consideration is clamping.

[TommyK]

Thanks everyone! I like the bandsaw for cutting. I can put a blade on it that is only 3/16 wide' date='

and really fine toothed. The advantage of the band saw that I see is the uni direction of the blade.

It only goes from top to bottom and the table on my saw is nice and wide.

If I had a scroll saw I might like that better! Another purchase to get past the wife. :-(

Thanks for the advice on leaving a little extra for routing the edge.

Because this guitar has a high gloss finish, I was considering a thin guard material for it.

 

The next consideration is clamping.[/quote']

 

I agree that the bandsaw would be best for the reasons you state. Still I'd back the piece up as pickguard material can be floppy.

 

Clamping? You mean to affix the guard to the top? I don't think anyone has ever had to do that as it probably isn't needed. Just peal the back off, place it where you want it, then burp out any air bubbles and you should be good to go.

 

I used to buy stuff like this for the manufacturing industry. The adhesive takes a few days to reach it's maximum holding power. This is good as it gives a couple oops's and you can reposition. Within a few days, removal is more difficult. Clean the guitar top. Make sure your hands are clean and dry. Minimize finger contact with the adhesive, 'Iron' it down with your thumb. One technique I've seen on these somewhat stiff pieces is to prop the pick-guard on a couple dowels or, better a couple round Bic Stick pens. Then remove one pen and start pressing the wide end down first. work your way towards the other pen. Work your thumb back and forth pressing down as you go. Then when you get close enough to the second pen, hold the tip of the guard with the tip of your finger, from the side and continue working your thumb back and forth until the whole thing is down.

[TWANG]

scroll saw works for me..called it reciprocal above..

but the blades are different... that is, I use the one for very thin cuts and sharp turns..

Ace has them in a combination pack.

Cuts perfect.. did a set of mounting rings in wood yesterday using that.

 

You could use the thin material on an electric I suppose..no reason why not except warpage.. and the adhesive should take care of that.

But I'd use the three ply!

TWANG

[jer56]

I recently made a pick guard for a Godin Radiator and used a roto zip to cut the blank.

Worked real well, just spring clamped the stock so it hung about three inches over the edge of my work table, cutting about eight inches of radius then rotating. Just be sure to use the right cutting bit...the one for plastics and laminates.