Dremel and cutting pick guards

stonevibe

So I've owned a Dremel for years and used it for the odd bit of stuff when putting guitars together. Recently I needed to make a pick guard for a Telemaster and needed a router table.

So as I don't really have space for a workshop I need something small. Found out Dremel made a little router table for their tools and ordered one and some router bits.

Made my pick guard, its not perfect, but for my first attempt I'm happy with it.

So was going to ask are there any router bits I should use specifically for plastic? Plus any other tips for using Dremel tools for cutting pick guards.

The thing I bought is one of these

The router bits I bought were a basic set of 6 (non-Dremel) ones off of Ebay.

I want to start making more of my own custom stuff and so I figured this was the way to go (until I buy another house and build a workshop...)

So thanks to @juansolo (cheers for the template mate) I now have a reasonable pick guard on my Telemaster.

thermionic

I used a Dremel freehand to bevel the pickguard of my Tele. It looked too square and shiny, the bevel (and taking the shine off with wire wool) makes it look much classier. Not perfect, but acceptable. I can't remember what bit I used though.

stonevibe

I need some practise cutting guards, but as I'm always building Telemasters and other non standard guitars. I figured this would be the best route in the long run.

marktheharp

Nice telemaster
if I can ask.... .
Where did you purchase the body ?
I am looking at building a telemaster jnr (sure you know ,just a slightly smaller body after bridge plate )
is that some kind of blade pickup with phase switching and stuff ?
Cheers Mark .

stonevibe

marktheharp said:

Nice telemaster
if I can ask.... .
Where did you purchase the body ?
I am looking at building a telemaster jnr (sure you know ,just a slightly smaller body after bridge plate )
is that some kind of blade pickup with phase switching and stuff ?
Cheers Mark .

The body has done the rounds on here. So I think I'm the third owner or possibly the fourth.

I did a thread on here somewhere and it has the history from former owners somewhere in there.

TTony

I didn't realise that they made these ... but looks like a great idea.

Amazon reviews don't like it much though, unfortunately

stonevibe

It works fine. 

Just got to remember the Dremel is only really for small jobs.

juansolo

Looks spot on!

stonevibe said:

marktheharp said:

Nice telemaster
if I can ask.... .
Where did you purchase the body ?
I am looking at building a telemaster jnr (sure you know ,just a slightly smaller body after bridge plate )
is that some kind of blade pickup with phase switching and stuff ?
Cheers Mark .

The body has done the rounds on here. So I think I'm the third owner or possibly the fourth.

I did a thread on here somewhere and it has the history from former owners somewhere in there.

Indeed it's here http://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/comment/233754/#Comment_233754

marktheharp

yep seen the GFS jobbies, missed one on gumtree a few months back! doh..... :-S

cool guitar.

Sambostar

I just made a router table out of MDF and some 2 by 4's.  It has a countersunk freehand and guide routed rectangular flush rebate for a quarter inch aluminium router plate to secure the upturned router via machine screws, with another circular rebate lip and cutout in it for around the bit, the hole and lip of which I got machined at the local engineers to tolerance, in which slots a circular aluminum plate, held down by three machine screws.  The whole lot cost 80 quid.  Bearing guiding router bits are a bit pricey though, some of them are twenty or thirty quid each.  I made it originally for a job where I had to produce thirty identical softwood quarter circle, curved trusses, but intend to do a few stratchplates and bodies on it too.

Use it quite a lot for making tenons and profiling.

It has a quarter and a half inch collet. The half inch collet is a bit off, so it's noisy as feck.  Truly scaruy with a two inch long bearing bit on it, don't know if I have the guts to do a guitar body from a template yet, I mean it would have to be very cautiously done, a mm at a time from the rough jigsaw cutaway.  Should try a stratchplate though on low revs.  I don't think that would be scary at all with a handcut and sanded template.