[mirwa]

Ned,

I have success from doing the following, maybe part of my process could be adapted to your tools or equipment.

I have a vacuum press machine for laminating veneers onto guitar bodies, can supply photo if you wish.

With the vac press, I dial the vacuum down to a very light pull, place the pickguard in and turn machine on, it lightly pulls on the surface, I leave it under vacuum for about 10 minutes

Whilst under vacuum I apply a heat lamp approx 1 meter away to warm the area up, after 10 minutes I increase the vacuum and allow another ten minutes, repeat until its flat again, then I turn of the heat and turn of the vac pump and leave it under the residual vacuum pressure until the tank goes back to zero, this usaully takes about 2 hrs.

Flat pickguard.

Steve