New Builds
TO ADD FORUM POST USE THE DISCUSSIONS TAB OR ADD NEW TOPIC IN THE SIDE BAR
Organizer:
- Organized by
-
-
Cutting Clear Plastic Pickguard – Looking for Cleaner Results
-
Cutting Clear Plastic Pickguard – Looking for Cleaner Results
I rarely use pickguards on my builds, as most of my guitars are intended for fingerstyle players. That said, I occasionally need to install one, and I’ve yet to find a cutting method that consistently meets my quality standards.
I’ve experimented with several techniques for cutting clear pickguard material, but the results are always somewhat disappointing. Using a brand new X-Acto blade gives a reasonably clean cut, but there’s almost always a small burr along the edge. Attempting to remove it by sanding introduces a new issue: ultra-fine plastic dust tends to get under the protective film on the adhesive side, contaminating the surface and creating visible flaws once applied.
I also tried cutting the material on a small CNC router. While the cut itself is precise, plastic chips and dust still end up clinging to the glue side, even with vacuum extraction.
At this point, the cleanest method I’ve found is still manual cutting with an X-Acto and simply accepting the minor edge burr. That said, I’d really appreciate any tips or proven workflows from others who have managed to achieve cleaner, more professional results especially for transparent materials where every imperfection shows.
Thanks in advance!
-
3 Replies
-
I would suggest buying a pickguard material which doesn’t have the adhesive pre applied, then you can work everything out and then use an adhesive film to attach it. Stew Mac sells the separate adhesive sheets for attaching pickguards. It’s a 3M product, so I’m sure you can source it for cheaper per square inch, if you want to buy a larger amount.
-
Maybe you could use the cnc to cut a hard board template and then either template route or template sand. The stuff is a little thin you might cut two templates and make a sandwich ?
Im also curious if there is a way to do this with a laser without excessive burn marks.
-
I use raw pickguard sheet material, apply 3M 468MP Double Sided Adhesive Transfer adhesive sheet and trim to rough size with scissors or blades, depending on the pickguard material. I then attach to a Baltic-ply template with Scotch brand double sided tape. Then I cut the pickguard (with 3M adhesive attached), with a flush cut bearing router bit and bevel by hand with sandpapers. It goes pretty fast if you have a template.
Log in to reply.