Need advice on making inexpensive homemade tools

[mandosonthemarsh]

Hi again. I need some advice on construction a clamping system to hold my guitars and mandolins in place while I work on them. I do not want to spend a boatload of money. I would like to go the homemade route, for I am just starting out. My next project will be regluing a pickguard on a 70's Alverez acoustic guitar. It is curling up on the ends. Also I would like to know a simple clamping setup and the correct glue to use. Are there glues on the market that are forgiving in that you can wipe them off if you get some on the wrong spot? Thanks again for all your input! Bruce.

[Michael Lewis]

Your pick guard situation depends on whether there is finish under the guard or not. If there is finish under there just clean the area up and put a self adhesive guard on. If there is bare wood you need to apply several coats of lacquer to build the thickness to match the surrounding finish. Whatever you do the surface needs to be clean and flat, no lumps or dips or they will telegraph through the new guard.

Many years ago we used to use 3M contact cement for re applying pick guards, but no more. Now we use 3M transfer adhesive, which is much more forgiving, easier to use, and does a much nicer job. Transfer adhesive is just the adhesive between two sheets of slick paper. Peel one paper and stick the stuff to your guard, then peel the other paper and stick the guard down. Take your time to make a nice clean job and you will be well rewarded.

[Mattg]

Hi again. I need some advice on construction a clamping system to hold my guitars and mandolins in place while I work on them.

Many luthiers simply use a nice clean pad of some kind and a neck rest. This is sufficient for many common repair operations. Not sure why you would need a clamp. Seems like an opportunity to damage an instrument.

The pad can be some kind of carpet or rug (clean) or a rubber mat that is just larger than the body of the instrument. Something that helps avoid scratches and dents. A neck rest should be just tall enough to keep pressure off of the peg head. It's just a block of wood with a neck size groove carved in the top. I glued is some soft leather in the groove to protect the neck. I've got one for guitars and one for mandolins.

Another good thing about the pad is it is a "tool free zone". I never place a tool of any kind on that pad to avoid damaging the instrument. It's just a good bench habit.

I'm not a pro but I build a few instruments, repair my own and repair a few for friends.

[Paul Hostetter]

I've found but a few instances when it would be advantageous to have an instrument clamped or immobilized so I could work on it. I usually need to move them around. Exceptions are a weird doughnut pad I made for working on bowlback instruments and Greek bouzoukis, and a way to immobilize cellos and basses while I plane their boards. If you needed to clamp more common instruments down, you might want to look at commercial jigs and copy them with wood and hardware store parts.

Regluing curling pickguards is often a losing proposition, since you're fighting plastic that's deforming naturally. It might be more expeditious to simply start over, using 3M's #467 transfer adhesive film like all the big guys use, and as Michael just suggested. You sure don't need to clamp the guitar down to do that though.

[Rick Turner]

I've "relaxed" curled pickguards by removing them, putting them between a couple of sheets of thick plate glass, and baking them in an oven at about 150 degrees F. You can put some spring clamps on to help get it all flat. Let the whole thing cool slowly, and you'll probably have a flat, slightly smaller but original pickguard.

The transfer adhesive is the way to go. You can get it from LMI.

[man dough nollij]

I've heard that celluloid burns explosively if you get it too hot. I wouldn't want to find the critical temperature by blowing up my oven! ~:>

[Rick Turner]

It does, and it won't if you're careful. There's not enough celluloid in a pickguard to do much mischief unless you turn it into shavings or dust. Then watch out...