Making A Control Cover Plate

[farren]

I realize this is pretty basic, but I know I'll get good advice here.

I need to make a new rear control cover plate for an old guitar of mine with a non-standard cavity size. The cavity is recessed 1/8" which is pretty typical from my understanding, but the shape means I will have to cut it myself rather than get one of those StewMac plates (which are supposedly cut to such pathetic fault tolerance that they often don't fit routes cut with StewMac jigs) or some other pre-made solution.

The problem is I don't have a lot of tools. Xacto knife, power drill, all kinds of manual tools, a plane I'm not good at using, but that's pretty much the extent of it. My idea so far has been to buy a 1/8" thick sheet of balsa and get something like Minwax Wood Hardener that will soak into the pores of the wood and hopefully make it strong enough to be a decent cover under my not-at-all-demanding conditions (I don't gig). Balsa is so fragile, though, that I'm not sure it will harden enough even for my use.

I'm thinking there must be a better way, but given that I don't have any precision power saws like a bandsaw, I'm pulling a blank on what to do. I'm afraid I may be confined to what I can cut with Xacto knife blades.

It matters not how it looks or even if it's that tough--I just need to close the Faraday cage.

Anyone have some better ideas than hardened balsa? Is there a harder softwood I could buy a sheet of 1/8" thickness of that I could still cut with my limited tools? If not, any experience on just how well Minwax Wood Hardener, or perhaps a very thin epoxy resin, would work? Any exoxy would have to be capable of penetrating the wood needless to say... I'd rather not use CA for this--I think it'd become brittle over time anyway.

[DC Ross]

To keep it on the cheap (if not necessarily the quickest way): An offcut of 1/8" plexi from a plastic supply place like Tap Plastics, with an X-acto saw (if you don't want to invest in something more suitable), and a variety of sandpaper.

[dpm99]

I say invest in a coping saw!

http://www.homedepot...51#.USsEUVe7OSo

Edit: Let me amend this. I would think something harder than balsa would be appropriate. Plastic is good. You can even cut it out of a trash can or something. If you want to use wood, go for a hardwood, or maybe a good 1/8" plywood, if you can find it.

First cut it out with a coping saw ($7). Cut a little wider than you want the final shape. Then use a piece or sandpaper ($1-3) to bring it to its final shape. You're spending a little money, but significantly less than you'd spend to buy a bandsaw.

[Tim37]

I say invest in a coping saw!

http://www.homedepot...51#.USsEUVe7OSo

Edit: Let me amend this. I would think something harder than balsa would be appropriate. Plastic is good. You can even cut it out of a trash can or something. If you want to use wood, go for a hardwood, or maybe a good 1/8" plywood, if you can find it.

First cut it out with a coping saw ($7). Cut a little wider than you want the final shape. Then use a piece or sandpaper ($1-3) to bring it to its final shape. You're spending a little money, but significantly less than you'd spend to buy a bandsaw.

+1 it will take a little time sanding to a final fit but it will be worth it.

[westhemann]

which are supposedly cut to such pathetic fault tolerance that they often don't fit routes cut with StewMac jigs

Stew mac templates are sized properly...they just have a bit of room for thickness of finish.I have the complete set for the control cavity and I use it all the time,but it has it's own template for making cavity covers...I use phenolic sheeting for covers.Of course,it is still difficult to make them perfect

[farren]

Thanks all. I didn't mean to suggest I wasn't willing to buy any tools, I was just sort of fixed on my lack of power tools... I will get a coping saw. Would it be easier to cut plexiglass, or a hardwood? Plexi with double-sided copper foil on the inside would look sort of cool. If hardwood would be easier to cut with a coping saw I'd probably go that route, though. Any specific hardwood recommendations? It's for a trans burst maple body but matching doesn't really matter...

[dpm99]

Go with your preference. Neither will be difficult. As for which hardwood to use, again, it's up to you. Maple's not a bad option though, especially if it matches.

[farren]

Great. I'll buy a coping saw and some maple (already have plenty of sandpaper). The body wood is very boring so some very boring maple for this will certainly do Thanks to all!

[pan_kara]

What I did recently, trying to solve a more or less similar problem, was to use HDF. I couldn't find hardwood with the proper thickness. I cut it with a coping saw and then fine-tuned the shape with sandpaper. Then I painted the inside with conductive tape and glued on some veneer on the back. I just need to lacquer the back and that'll be it.

Here's an in-progress shot:

[farren]

I ordered enough 1/8" maple from eBay to afford me a mistake or two, and perhaps a tremolo cover after this, so I'll be sure to post the results. I'll be using a coping saw and sandpaper. I'm not really worried about the finish, but I'm considering staining it ebony and just poly coating it. That's the same thing I did when I built my pedal board from 2 1/2 x 3/4" poplar boards which worked well enough. Besides, who else could say their control cavity cover matches their pedalboard?

[LightninMike]

Or if you are building with a nicely figured wood, keep the back a solid 3/16" or 1/4" proud...... route down to the actual level of the back EXCEPT for the cover.... cut it off with a nice thin blade handsaw.....

now you will have a piece that matches the grain almost perfectly

[dpm99]

Or if you are building with a nicely figured wood, keep the back a solid 3/16" or 1/4" proud...... route down to the actual level of the back EXCEPT for the cover.... cut it off with a nice thin blade handsaw.....

now you will have a piece that matches the grain almost perfectly

I've always wondered how people do that.

[farren]

Way to order the wrong thickness maple, me.

So I suppose the cavity is recessed for a 1/16" cover rather than 1/8. I'm willing to spend enormous amounts of time on it, so I'm thinking the best way, with primitive tools (sandpaper and a block of wood), would be a figure eight pattern... I've sanded the back of locking nuts that way and they've come out flat as desired. Oh well...

[MiKro]

Duct Tape will work if it's a RatOCaster.

[farren]

That was my solution for that guitar for the past 15 years or so Well, black electrical tape, but close enough. I'd like to think electrical tape was a little classier

[MiKro]

That was my solution for that guitar for the past 15 years or so Well, black electrical tape, but close enough. I'd like to think electrical tape was a little classier

No way!! The only thing classier is the Chrome Aluminum Airconditioning Tape. It has that Diamond in a Goats Behind Shimmer. LMFAO!!!!!!!!!!!!!