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 Post subject: Adhesive for pick guard
PostPosted: Sun Mar 03, 2019 9:48 pm 
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Brazilian Rosewood
Brazilian Rosewood

Joined: Thu Nov 04, 2010 1:46 pm
Posts: 2124
First name: Freeman
Last Name: Keller
Focus: Build
Status: Amateur
I'm working on an old Yamaha that has a big thick engraved pick guard (thing Gibson Hummingbird) that is coming off. It looks like it was attached to the top which was finished (doesn't react to lacquer thinner, must be some sort of catalyzed something). There is damage down to the wood in a number of places, mostly right along the edges of the p/b. I'm guessing someone tried to repair it at some point with unknown glue.

Got the p/g off and cleaned the old glue off of its (mostly scraping, naphtha didn't touch it). Cleaned up the top and brushed a couple of coats of shellac on the bare wood. Warmed the p/g and clamped it flat overnight. Put double sticky tape on it and attempted to reattach it. Came loose from the top after a couple of days.

Dilemma now is what glue to use. I know contact cement is sometimes used for p/g's but with the irregular and damaged wood I'm wondering if this might be a case for (whisper) epoxy. I can get good clamping action all around the p/g but I know I only get one chance. Thoughts?


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PostPosted: Tue Mar 05, 2019 1:41 pm 
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Brazilian Rosewood
Brazilian Rosewood

Joined: Thu Nov 04, 2010 1:46 pm
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First name: Freeman
Last Name: Keller
Focus: Build
Status: Amateur
Bump. Anyone? Here is a picture of the guitar - as you can see the top is not nice and level and flat.

Attachment:
IMG_5083.JPG


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IMG_5084.JPG


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 Post subject: Adhesive for pick guard
PostPosted: Tue Mar 05, 2019 2:25 pm 
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Cocobolo
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Joined: Fri Mar 17, 2017 8:42 pm
Posts: 388
First name: Pierre
Last Name: Castonguay
City: Québec, Qc
Country: Canada
Focus: Repair
Status: Semi-pro
I had the same problem not too long ago - an old Norman guitar with a pickguard that someone had tried to glue back several times with different glues creating a fussy mess. We wanted to keep it original, so proceeded to remove all glue traces from both pickguard and body and apply some sort of finish on the now-exposed wood. It seems you've already done that from what I read.

Next I did some research and found this :

3M VHB Adhesive Transfer Tape

That's the Canadian (or maybe industrial, can't remember) version of the product. It seems that it is the stuff many builders are using, I got the reference from the former paint shop manager at Guitares Boucher.

From what I gather, it is the same transfer tape StewMac are selling for gluing pickguards. It worked wonders on the old Norman. It's hard to get elsewhere, though.

Needless to say, I now keep some in stock. ;-)


Pierre
http://www.torvisse.com


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PostPosted: Tue Mar 05, 2019 8:44 pm 
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Contributing Member
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Joined: Sat Feb 02, 2008 4:01 pm
Posts: 1104
Location: Winfield, IL.
Hey Freeman,

I just did one of those last summer. You got first steps correct, remove the pick guard and all the old adhesive and seal the raw wood. What I did next was to fill the areas of missing wood and finish with epoxy finishing resin. Once that is scraped and sanded smooth you'll be ready to reinstall the pick guard using the 3M adhesive sheet that Stew Mac sells. The warp makes it tough to get those back on properly but with a hair dryer and strategic removal of the backing paper you'll do just fine.

Steve


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PostPosted: Tue Mar 05, 2019 10:04 pm 
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Brazilian Rosewood
Brazilian Rosewood

Joined: Thu Nov 04, 2010 1:46 pm
Posts: 2124
First name: Freeman
Last Name: Keller
Focus: Build
Status: Amateur
Thanks Steve and Pierre, I did a bunch of drop filling with CA today to try to level all the holes and ordered some of the 3M stuff.



These users thanked the author Freeman for the post: Smylight (Wed Mar 06, 2019 8:42 am)
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PostPosted: Wed Mar 06, 2019 8:43 am 
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Cocobolo
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Joined: Fri Mar 17, 2017 8:42 pm
Posts: 388
First name: Pierre
Last Name: Castonguay
City: Québec, Qc
Country: Canada
Focus: Repair
Status: Semi-pro
Great, good luck Freeman!


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PostPosted: Tue Mar 12, 2019 12:40 pm 
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First name: Gil
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I would also recommend the 3M transfer adhesive for this project. This is my preference for all pickguard attachments unless the customer requests it be glued down, as in the case of a valuable old Martin to conform to originality. I prefer sticking them on because it prevents the possibility of future top cracks from pickguard shrinkage that commonly happens with pickguards that are glued on; and, sticking on is much easier and faster :).


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PostPosted: Tue Mar 12, 2019 8:58 pm 
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Brazilian Rosewood
Brazilian Rosewood

Joined: Thu Nov 04, 2010 1:46 pm
Posts: 2124
First name: Freeman
Last Name: Keller
Focus: Build
Status: Amateur
Thanks everyone. I drop filled all the blown out areas with multiple drops of CA and leveled back to the the finish, the warmed the area slightly with a hot air gun and stuck the p/b back down with the 3M tape. I had previously warmed the pick guard and clamped it between to pieces of UHMW - it wasn't completely flat but about as good as it was going to get. Warned the owner that it might come back off and we could try a more aggressive adhesive if it did. He asked if I could make a new P/g - I said not for this one.

Fingers are crossed

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IMG_5101.JPG


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IMG_5104.JPG


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These users thanked the author Freeman for the post: Smylight (Wed Mar 13, 2019 7:10 am)
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PostPosted: Tue Mar 12, 2019 9:11 pm 
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Koa
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Joined: Fri Feb 10, 2017 11:09 pm
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Location: Cowichan Valley, BC, Canada
First name: Conor
Last Name: Searl
City: Duncan
State: British Columbia
Zip/Postal Code: V9L 2E5
Country: Canada
Status: Semi-pro
That looks pretty great Freeman!


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PostPosted: Wed Mar 13, 2019 7:10 am 
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Cocobolo
Cocobolo
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Joined: Fri Mar 17, 2017 8:42 pm
Posts: 388
First name: Pierre
Last Name: Castonguay
City: Québec, Qc
Country: Canada
Focus: Repair
Status: Semi-pro
Freeman wrote:
Thanks everyone. I drop filled all the blown out areas with multiple drops of CA and leveled back to the the finish, the warmed the area slightly with a hot air gun and stuck the p/b back down with the 3M tape. I had previously warmed the pick guard and clamped it between to pieces of UHMW - it wasn't completely flat but about as good as it was going to get. Warned the owner that it might come back off and we could try a more aggressive adhesive if it did. He asked if I could make a new P/g - I said not for this one.

Fingers are crossed

Attachment:
IMG_5100.JPG


Attachment:
IMG_5101.JPG


Attachment:
IMG_5104.JPG


Success!


Pierre
www.torvisse.com


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PostPosted: Thu Mar 14, 2019 8:35 am 
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Joined: Mon Dec 20, 2010 7:15 pm
Posts: 1041
First name: Gil
Last Name: Draper
City: Knoxville
State: Tennessee
Country: USA
Focus: Build
Status: Professional
Nice work! That adhesive is very sticky. I'd say it isn't going anywhere.


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