The Acoustic Guitar Forum

Go Back   The Acoustic Guitar Forum > General Acoustic Guitar and Amplification Discussion > Build and Repair

Reply
 
Thread Tools
  #1  
Old 03-07-2018, 10:23 AM
Ned Milburn Ned Milburn is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: Dartmouth, NS
Posts: 3,127
Default Gluing Pickguards...

Hi Friends,

Question with a bit of background...

I have a beginning-to-get-oldish - not quite really old - but old enough Gibson in for some work.

Its pickguard has come away enough that it is best to remove and re-glue. Part of the pickguard is warped. It is a thin tortoise-shell non-laminated P/G about 1.2mm thick (estimate).

So, I need to unwarp and reglue... Probably a good idea also to clean the original glue (which looks like "all purpose" cement that shoe repair would use...

I have reglued before with Titebond with mixed success. I don't want to use solvents without knowing they are safe for the P/G. Don't want to use MUCH heat to straighten because I don't want to go "poof" into flames...

Any thoughts...??
__________________
----

Ned Milburn
NSDCC Master Artisan
Dartmouth, Nova Scotia
Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old 03-07-2018, 11:17 AM
nottypine nottypine is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Oct 2009
Posts: 57
Default

As far as the flattening goes I've warmed glass plates and slowly sandwich the pickguard between til it lay flat. Once turned loose they do tend to shrink
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 03-07-2018, 11:54 AM
phavriluk phavriluk is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: Granby, CT
Posts: 2,913
Default a guess

Perhaps a combination of techniques, flattening the pickguard for one, and cleaning off the old adhesive, and reinstalling the pick guard using some of
3M's double-sided sheet adhesive? Sort of emulating what a new pickguard would arrive with, but performed on the original after cleaning.

Perhaps this kind of repair can involve some 'specification creep' depending on what's under the existing pickguard.

Good luck with it.
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 03-07-2018, 06:12 PM
mirwa mirwa is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Sep 2013
Posts: 3,109
Default

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
__________________
Cole Clark Fat Lady
Gretsch Electromatic
Martin CEO7
Maton Messiah
Taylor 814CE
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 03-08-2018, 07:32 AM
Ned Milburn Ned Milburn is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: Dartmouth, NS
Posts: 3,127
Default

Thanks Steve and others for your ideas.
__________________
----

Ned Milburn
NSDCC Master Artisan
Dartmouth, Nova Scotia
Reply With Quote
Reply

  The Acoustic Guitar Forum > General Acoustic Guitar and Amplification Discussion > Build and Repair

Thread Tools





All times are GMT -6. The time now is 09:32 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions Inc.
Copyright ©2000 - 2022, The Acoustic Guitar Forum
vB Ad Management by =RedTyger=