which file to use to enlarge pickup rout on a pickguard?

[appar111]

I have a couple spare standard tele pickguards laying around and wanted to enlarge the neck pickup route on one of them to fit a humbucker.

What's the best type of file to use for this? I need something I can pick up at the local mom & pop hardware store...

[alanfc]

I have on-hand already, but could not do without, for this job.

Heavy duty kitchen scissors (bone scissors), for first cut, measure twice !
Pack of emery boards/nail files - great sandpaper on there, a neat sanding tool
Round file
Flat file

All my supplies are local hardware chain and grocery store.

[Axis29]

if you just buy a file, you'll be there a long time!

Try a handheld coping saw. They're usually under ten bucks. This'll get you close, then buy one of the half round files with not too aggressive of a cut. The round side will get you the rounded corners and the flat side... well, the flat sides. You may not find anything small enough on the round side, at that point, pick up a flat file and a round or rat tail file for the corners and rounds.

It's basically plastic, and should file much like wood or other plastics. Nothing special required.

[jefrs]

I found scraping the edge with a good pocket knife to be more effective than filing

But there are times when a file works: a small tapered half-round.

And fine wet'n'dry to finish (you can wrap this around the file).

Other things
Swiss files / carding files / riffler files.

The Dremel.

[Vizcaster]

You could try a handle meant for jigsaw blades. I have one that will hold small jigsaw blades as well as big sawzall blades for all kinds of jobs. Otherwise a coping saw is the best bet to cut the hole before you file it smooth.

[appar111]

How the heck would I get a coping saw like this into an existing pickup route on a pickguard to enlarge it?

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...Coping_saw.jpg

I'd imagine that a coping saw, or even a large pair of kitchen scissors would be real hard to get into a tele neck pickup hole to enlarge it.

[lostpick]

Dremel

You'll find other uses for it
After the pick guard....

[kwerk]

Originally Posted by appar111

How the heck would I get a coping saw like this into an existing pickup route on a pickguard to enlarge it?

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...Coping_saw.jpg

I'd imagine that a coping saw, or even a large pair of kitchen scissors would be real hard to get into a tele neck pickup hole to enlarge it.

Yep, you're right, scissors is not a very realistic option. As far as the coping saw goes, remove the blade (a 2 second operation) insert thru guard, reattach to handle, make your cut, detach blade again, done. As others have said, cleanups with a file or even sandpaper wrapped around a dowel or a pen will do the trick fine.

The best thing about a coping saw is that generally you can orient the blade to face whichever direction you need it to by simply slackening off the handle and turning the blade. This allows you to always have your handle orientated the same way if necessary(particularly useful for something like a pickguard which only allows limited manoueverability).

A simple but very useful concept.

[Axis29]

Originally Posted by appar111

How the heck would I get a coping saw like this into an existing pickup route on a pickguard to enlarge it?

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...Coping_saw.jpg

I'd imagine that a coping saw, or even a large pair of kitchen scissors would be real hard to get into a tele neck pickup hole to enlarge it.

Originally Posted by kwerk

Yep, you're right, scissors is not a very realistic option. As far as the coping saw goes, remove the blade (a 2 second operation) insert thru guard, reattach to handle, make your cut, detach blade again, done. As others have said, cleanups with a file or even sandpaper wrapped around a dowel or a pen will do the trick fine.

The best thing about a coping saw is that generally you can orient the blade to face whichever direction you need it to by simply slackening off the handle and turning the blade. This allows you to always have your handle orientated the same way if necessary(particularly useful for something like a pickguard which only allows limited manoueverability).

A simple but very useful concept.

Couldn'ta put it better myself.

This is the way people been cuttin' weird, non-round holes for a loooong time. Same concept as a scroll saw.

[jefrs]

Originally Posted by appar111

How the heck would I get a coping saw like this into an existing pickup route on a pickguard to enlarge it?

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...Coping_saw.jpg

I'd imagine that a coping saw, or even a large pair of kitchen scissors would be real hard to get into a tele neck pickup hole to enlarge it.

The OP wants to cut the pickguard, not the body rout.

[jefrs]

Originally Posted by lostpick

Dremel

You'll find other uses for it
After the pick guard....

+42


it's the answer to everything ...

[Telenator]

First, tape off the area you want to cut and use the tape as a guide. Then, take a utility knife blade and scrape. Pickguard plastic scrapes very easily and if you're caerful, you'll have a perfect slot when you're done.

It is very important to change the angle of the blade as you go. Scraping in one direction using only one angle will take any small divots and make them bigger. Swing the blade left, then right, then flipn the guard over and scrape from the other side. It goes a lot faster than you think.

[kwerk]

Given that you wanna go from a standard size neck pu hole to a bucker, you could be scraping or filing for a long time. Another option would be to mark out your bucker area and drill out the remainder. Leave enough to clean up with a file. In theory you should be able to get your corners perfect with this method if you select the right drill bit, then simple straight line cleanups after that. You could then even cut from corner to corner with a craft knife if necessary.

[Bolide]

Mark your outline, drill at your corners, use the coping saw, or even a hacksaw, to make cutlines in the waste area roughly parallell to the finish lines from the existing rout to your drilled corners and from corner to corner, and then do the finish with the utility knife as Telenator described.

Making curved cuts with a coping saw accurately takes a bit of practice, and quite a bit of waste stock to practice on, more than I imagine the OP has on hand at the moment. I think learning the art of the coping saw is valuable, but I don't think the OP quite wants to learn it on this PG today.

When using a coping saw it is helpful to have a work rest which is just a plank with a v-notch leading to a kinda sorta rounded point just little bigger than the sawblade is deep which is clamped down to the bench, table, or sawhorse; the workpiece can then be lain on this plank, with the blade set to cut on the downstroke, this way the workpiece won't flex so much on the cut. If you are just doing straight cuts an ordinary vise can by used, the jaws set so that the blade can run between them without making contact, the piece resting on the flats on top of the jaws.

[appar111]

Originally Posted by jefrs

The OP wants to cut the pickguard, not the body rout.

I know, I'm the OP :) I meant the pickup rout in the pickguard...

[appar111]

Originally Posted by kwerk

Yep, you're right, scissors is not a very realistic option. As far as the coping saw goes, remove the blade (a 2 second operation) insert thru guard, reattach to handle, make your cut, detach blade again, done. As others have said, cleanups with a file or even sandpaper wrapped around a dowel or a pen will do the trick fine.

The best thing about a coping saw is that generally you can orient the blade to face whichever direction you need it to by simply slackening off the handle and turning the blade. This allows you to always have your handle orientated the same way if necessary(particularly useful for something like a pickguard which only allows limited manoueverability).

A simple but very useful concept.

Cool, I've never used a coping saw, so I didn't realize that you can take the thing apart to be able to get it into the pickup rout on the guard.

thanks!
J.

[Telenator]

You'd be amazed at how fast you can scrape a pickguard with a utility knife blade. In fact, if I had been doing this myself, the would would have already been done been this and my last post.

[Bolide]

I will defer to Telenator on this, scraping versus going to Home Despot to buy a coping saw, I can easily see the advantage of scraping for a little while while watching a Sunday movie.

I would bow in Telenator's general direction if I knew which direction that is. As I am in a swivel chair located roughly in the middle or the state......

[Telenator]

LOL! That's pretty funny!

Scraping is one of those things that at first sounds kinda crude and imprecise, but it's a skill everyone should develop. Anyone who has ever made a perfect 5 ply pickguard with a beveled edge knows the value of scraping. Not to mention carving maple tops and a multitude of other applications.

Scrape away!

[kwerk]

Well, me, I'd scrape to finish it off, but to go from a standard neck pu aperture to a humbucker aperture I'd be looking for something less precise to get me closer to the mark first. I'd definitely maintain that drilling out the corners is gonna give a much more clean result. But each to their own I guess.