I want to Make a Birds eye Maple Pickguard.ideas?

Guitartom_ca · December 6th, 2009, 05:11 PM

I have some birdseye maple that i want to make a pickguard from. I am afraid that if i make the wood 1/8 " thick that it will break easy. Is there anything clear that i could put on the wood to give it strength like an epoxy or something? what about superglue ?

thanks

StraightNeck · December 7th, 2009, 03:52 AM

Glue it to a 2 mm mdf board.

vtcyclist · December 7th, 2009, 09:00 AM

Model shops sell very thin plywood that would be good laminated to the maple. Bevel and paint the edge, no one would know it is not one piece.

Guitarnut · December 7th, 2009, 09:43 AM

You can sandwich the thin wood between 2 routing templates and it will work fine. Depending on what type of bit you use, one of the templates can be undersized slightly so you don't have to worry about perfect alignment.

I routed a control cover this weekend with 2mm thick maple and it worked fine with a single template. Just make sure you have a sharp bit, start on side grain and move toward end grain. Starting on end grain will cause splitting as you move into side grain.

I just screwed the template to my tabletop and used a thin strip of maple as a spacer.

Peace,
Mark

joe desperado · December 8th, 2009, 03:47 PM

If your worried about it once complete...don't. Birdseye is flatsawn wood. Probably the best choice for a pickguard. 1/8" thick is plenty thick for a pickguard screwed to the body.

J

December 6th, 2009, 05:11 PM	#1 (permalink)
Guitartom_ca Tele-Meister Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Canada Age: 35 Posts: 477	I want to Make a Birds eye Maple Pickguard.ideas? I have some birdseye maple that i want to make a pickguard from. I am afraid that if i make the wood 1/8 " thick that it will break easy. Is there anything clear that i could put on the wood to give it strength like an epoxy or something? what about superglue ? thanks Last edited by Guitartom_ca; December 6th, 2009 at 08:39 PM..

December 7th, 2009, 09:43 AM	#4 (permalink)
Guitarnut Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: USA Posts: 1,101	You can sandwich the thin wood between 2 routing templates and it will work fine. Depending on what type of bit you use, one of the templates can be undersized slightly so you don't have to worry about perfect alignment. I routed a control cover this weekend with 2mm thick maple and it worked fine with a single template. Just make sure you have a sharp bit, start on side grain and move toward end grain. Starting on end grain will cause splitting as you move into side grain. I just screwed the template to my tabletop and used a thin strip of maple as a spacer. Peace, Mark __________________ "Thought that is no longer limited brings experience that is no longer limited" Marianne Wiliamson

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December 7th, 2009, 03:52 AM	#2 (permalink)
StraightNeck Tele-Meister Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Sweden Age: 47 Posts: 215	Glue it to a 2 mm mdf board.

December 7th, 2009, 09:00 AM	#3 (permalink)
vtcyclist Tele-Meister Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Vermont Posts: 351	Model shops sell very thin plywood that would be good laminated to the maple. Bevel and paint the edge, no one would know it is not one piece.

December 8th, 2009, 03:47 PM	#5 (permalink)
joe desperado Tele-Meister Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Chicago Posts: 335	If your worried about it once complete...don't. Birdseye is flatsawn wood. Probably the best choice for a pickguard. 1/8" thick is plenty thick for a pickguard screwed to the body. J

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