Where to get Lucite for pickguards?

milo · Post by **milo** » Mon May 24, 2004 11:29 am

For those of you who have made your own pickguards, where did you get the clear Lucite/Plexiglass to make them with? I would like to give this a shot, but I want to make sure I get the right stuff.

tonewerks · Post by **tonewerks** » Mon May 24, 2004 3:28 pm

If your looking for vintage stuff I can help you out. other wise try wdmusic.com or allparts.com

adam_swapp · Post by **adam_swapp** » Mon May 24, 2004 8:50 pm

I'm not sure where you are, but out here in CA we have a few Tap Plastics stores. They sell scrap pieces by the pound. I bought enough 1/8" stock for several pickguards for less than $1.

doctorwho · Post by **doctorwho** » Thu May 27, 2004 1:30 pm

Jeff, look in your local Yellow Pages phone directory under something like "Plastics - Rods, Sheets, etc. - Supply Centers".

If you can't get it locally, you can try McMaster-Carr (http://www.mcmaster.com/). They list 1/8"-thick opaque white and opaque black acryilc sheets in fixed sizes like 12"x24", but I'm not sure they sell to individuals (I've only bought stuff from them for companies I've worked for).

milo · Post by **milo** » Thu May 27, 2004 3:37 pm

I haven't had much luck with the phone book, but I never thought about McMaster-Carr. We use them through work, but I've ordered a $6 item as an individual with no problems. I'm assuming I can't just use the standard hardware store plexiglas that they replace storm doors with, right?

fabgear · Post by **fabgear** » Thu May 27, 2004 5:31 pm

Jeff,

Nope, you're local hardware store would only have stock clear, but if that's the color you're looking for you can use that. A lot of times what they carry is about .093 in thickness, so you might want to try to find a plastics supply in your area. I get my plastics for pickguards from one of two plastic supplies in my area.

kennyhowes · Post by **kennyhowes** » Tue Jun 01, 2004 6:10 am

So what do you guys use to cut the stuff?

adam_swapp · Post by **adam_swapp** » Tue Jun 01, 2004 12:52 pm

Band saw, 1/8" blade, 15 TPI. It cuts like butter, and with the thin blade the sharp corners (e.g. on the upper guard) aren't a problem.

Due to their reciprocating nature, jig saws, sabre saws, etc. are problematic. They tend to grab the plastic on the upstroke, which causes it to flex and sometimes crack. Moreover, the cuts don't seem to be as smooth, and require more finishing time on the edges.