zliminator Posted November 16, 2005 Report Share Posted November 16, 2005 I have a large sheet of plexiglass (acylic) I want to make a pickguard for my strat, I guess I can do a google search for "how to cut plexiglass" but I wanted to use a pickguard off of another cheap ebay strat which I cannabolized as a template and I was wondering how to get the knobs off. There is no set screw on the knob. Can I just prize it off with a screwdriver? Dan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thewrathofraf Posted November 16, 2005 Report Share Posted November 16, 2005 i once had a strat when i was learning to play and i accidentally popped one of the knobs off with a screwdriver, then i popped it right back on. so ya just pop those puppies off. -RAF Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soapbarstrat Posted November 16, 2005 Report Share Posted November 16, 2005 two pieces of thin plastic coated electric wire. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marksound Posted November 16, 2005 Report Share Posted November 16, 2005 i accidentally popped one of the knobs off with a screwdriver← Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mickguard Posted November 16, 2005 Report Share Posted November 16, 2005 I've been playing around with cutting plexiglass too... Both the jigsaw and the router generate too much heat...basically melts the edges, which looks ugly, and which also has a tendency to close back together when it cools down. Best method I've come up with so far is painstakingly slicing through the plexiglass with a series of sharp razor blades. You'll hate your idea by the time your through. I haven't tried my exacto saw yet though, that might work better. Meanwhile, I've tested spray-painting the back of the plexiglass. And the result is stunning. You get this deep, mirror-like effect that normal pickguards don't have. So maybe the result is worth it. As for your knob problem...just yank 'em off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GuitarGuy Posted November 16, 2005 Report Share Posted November 16, 2005 I was wondering how to get the knobs off. There is no set screw on the knob. Can I just prize it off with a screwdriver? Dan Slide the edge of a t-shirt under the knob and wrap it around. Pull straight up and the knob will pop off without any damage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zliminator Posted November 17, 2005 Author Report Share Posted November 17, 2005 with a series of sharp razor blades. ← How many did you go threw? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thegarehanman Posted November 17, 2005 Report Share Posted November 17, 2005 I prefer lexan over plexi. Plexiglass is a lot more brittle than lexan. Anyhow, I trace the shape onto the lexan with a really sharp pencil. Then I rough cut the lexan with a bandsaw(a finetooth jigsaw blade would word). To get the pickguard to the line, I use a 3/8" diameter sanding drum in my dremel. If you want to chamfer the pickguard afterwards, you could do that with a router or whatever you please. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frank falbo Posted November 17, 2005 Report Share Posted November 17, 2005 I have some small carbide milling bits that don't melt the plexi. And I put them in my drill press so I'm not going as fast as a router, maybe 3200 RPM's or so. Spraying clear guards from behind makes the coolest looking guards EVER! I've sprayed them with flat black for a super deep black look that is unmatched by anything else I've seen. The satin black just eats up the light, while the gloss top reflects it. It's awesome. And the edges reflect the base color, too. I leave the edges beveled, with a slight satin finish from 400 grit and/or a razor blade. Pretty soon I'll be trying flip flop paint under there. We'll see how that goes. I'll have to paint it in reverse, flip flop first, then the satin black primer. Or maybe I'll do something wierd like do the guitar body with black primer but the guard with dark grey primer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sparky Posted November 17, 2005 Report Share Posted November 17, 2005 There are all kinds of special blades for cutting plastics. Get one for drilling the holes and one for the cutting. They will cut a much cleaner edge. check out mcmaster-carr. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mickguard Posted November 17, 2005 Report Share Posted November 17, 2005 I tried a fine-tooth metal blade for the jigsaw, but I still got too much melting--maybe I just had it set too fast though, worth a try again. That's as far as I got though, I didn't try to clean up the edges yet. But garenhanman's right, the stuff is really brittle, you have to be really careful drilling holes, etc. I'm going to look around for a softer plastic. Another advantage to using plexiglass is that you're not limited to just colors--you could put pretty much any graphic behind there. The refraction through the plastic will make it look great. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thegarehanman Posted November 17, 2005 Report Share Posted November 17, 2005 (edited) Like I said, lexan is the way to go. It's slightly more expensive than plexi, but it's just as easy to find. It's also much less brittle, and, as a result, much more durable. Edited November 17, 2005 by thegarehanman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maiden69 Posted November 17, 2005 Report Share Posted November 17, 2005 Both the jigsaw and the router generate too much heat...basically melts the edges, which looks ugly, and which also has a tendency to close back together when it cools down. Do you know that the prefered tool for cutting plexiglass, lexan and most other plastics to follow a template is a router! All my plexiglass templates that I have done have been cut square using a plastic cutter blade, and the shape with a router, even to true the edges I use a router following a steel straight edge. 1. You can't go slow! Even with a band saw, wich will be great for the outside rough cut, if you go slow you will melt the glass 2. One rough cut, use a template bit, (a table router will be more safe for this) and attach the pickguard you are using to your blank and rout away the outside edges. 3. once the outside is done, you need to mark the holws fot the pups and the control knobs. (DO NOT USE A REGULAR BIT!!!) use a brad point bit or a forstner, the regular bit if it is not super sharp has the tendency to make the plexi creep on it and crack the edges! Once the holes are done, using a template bit again, rout the pup holes and you are done! Like I said, lexan is the way to go. It's slightly more expensive than plexi, but it's just as easy to find. It's also much less brittle, and, as a result, much more durable. Lexan is great, but it has a slight blue tint to it always, the acrilyk plexiglass is crystal clear! This is what Stew Mac make their templates with. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soapbarstrat Posted November 17, 2005 Report Share Posted November 17, 2005 I find the edges of machined lexan tend to be more "frosty" looking than plexi. I found out how great it looks when you paint the inside of a plexi control cavity cover. I needed a black one for my black Kramer. I also wanted the control cavity shielded, so I painted one side of my home-made plexi cavity cover with black shielding paint, and it looks a hell of a lot better than the factory black plastic plates on some of my other guitars. Anyone ever try using two 1/16" sheets and then putting them together ? You could paint one side and have the painted side sandwiched between the two pieces, and maybe cutting them to shape would be easier. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mickguard Posted November 17, 2005 Report Share Posted November 17, 2005 Maiden: you're using a regular router bit? Or is there a special bit for plastic? I'm definitely going to play around with this one! The pickguards I have for my 350 are old and stained...I'd like to put shiny new guards on there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thegarehanman Posted November 17, 2005 Report Share Posted November 17, 2005 I can't say I've ever noticed the blue tint in lexan. Although, you know that blue is often added to white to give the appearence of white being even whiter. Take lights for example. If you compare a totally white light to a light with just a hint of blue, more often than not, the one with blue will actually appear to be more white. I think this has something to do with the blue reinforcing the absence of yellow that we expect from 'white' things. Back on topic...I've never noticed the blue tinge of lexan, and I hardly think that lexan should be ruled out because of that. It's just got so many benefits. Oh yeah, another method for cutting thin plexi or lexan is by heating a knife. When I have to cut a straight edge on plexi or lexan, I hit my shop razor with a torch and run it along a straight edge layed on top of the plexi. It cuts like butter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maiden69 Posted November 17, 2005 Report Share Posted November 17, 2005 I find the edges of machined lexan tend to be more "frosty" looking than plexi. Yes it does, and it takes more work to polish it too. Anyone ever try using two 1/16" sheets and then putting them together ? You could paint one side and have the painted side sandwiched between the two pieces, and maybe cutting them to shape would be easier. ← My 1st templates were made by sandwiching 2 1/8 pieces, since the guy next door was realy nice and throw away a 4X8 piece because it got scratched a little bit! I have used plexy up to 1/2" for subwoofer boxes. One trick I loved to do was bevel the edges, frost tape a design and sandblast it, then just place a few LEDs to light up in the back and make the whole thing glow! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soapbarstrat Posted November 17, 2005 Report Share Posted November 17, 2005 For some reason that reminds me of the Rickenbacker "light show" guitar ( i think it's christmas lights under the transparent plastic ) http://www.northamericanguitars.com/pix/gtrs/ric331a.jpg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maiden69 Posted November 17, 2005 Report Share Posted November 17, 2005 Nope... the one we did, actualy looke like the neon bilboards on bars, but you couldn't see the bulb, but a uniform glare all over the sandblasted area! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mickguard Posted November 17, 2005 Report Share Posted November 17, 2005 For some reason that reminds me of the Rickenbacker "light show" guitar ( i think it's christmas lights under the transparent plastic ) http://www.northamericanguitars.com/pix/gtrs/ric331a.jpg ← Now THAT'S a great pickguard! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thegarehanman Posted November 17, 2005 Report Share Posted November 17, 2005 That's quite something. For once I will agree with idch and say that pickguard really completes that guitar. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mickguard Posted November 17, 2005 Report Share Posted November 17, 2005 That's quite something. For once I will agree with idch and say that pickguard really completes that guitar. ← Hey, now there's something that doesn't happen too often...ought to be pinned to the PGF Hall of Fame But I can see myself making a guitar just to have a pickguard like that! I wonder what the tonal properties of plexiglass are... Anyway, I tried out the router today --works perfectly well...so there's no doubt now, I'm going to making my own pickguards for my 350...I've got some fancy ideas for that...heh heh... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thegarehanman Posted November 17, 2005 Report Share Posted November 17, 2005 Have you ever played one of those clear bcrich guitars? I did at guitar center once. That had to be one of the worst sounding guitars I've ever played. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maiden69 Posted November 17, 2005 Report Share Posted November 17, 2005 Sorry I'm late, I'm on night shift and just got out!!! Idch, I use regular router bits, carbide tiped of course. The problem with cutting lexan with a hot edge is that it "rolles" the hot lexan to the sides making it not flat or even, have you ever used a plastic cutting knife? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thegarehanman Posted November 17, 2005 Report Share Posted November 17, 2005 A plastic cutting knife? Didn't realise such a thing existed. What I did when I cut with a straight edge and knife was hit the "roll" with a scraper. Did the trick for me. I only used the knife for straight lines though. It made pretty quick work of the plastic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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