Always Use Protection...

Hesh1956 · Post by **Hesh1956** » Sat Jul 18, 2009 10:17 am

Since I haven't posted anything of value for a while I thought that I would continue the trend and post this....

One of the many things that I picked up from David Collins is how to be more responsible when working on someone else s instrument and when working on your own guitars.

This is a shield of sorts to prevent the errant slip of tools from damaging the upper bout of a guitar. It is very useful when fret dressing on a new or older guitar. I am in the process of making these for each of the sizes/models that I build.

It starts with a plastic "For Rent" sign but a "For Sale" sign would work just as well...

After tracing (I used my OM mold) the upper bout, annotating the neck extension location, and figuring out where it needs to stop so as to not make contact with a bridge the shield was cut out. I found that a 2400 micro mesh pad worked better than sand paper for deburring the edges and the pads conform to the curves very well too.

I had some self stick cork that came from LMI or Stew-Mac and once the shield has been sized and cut out the cork is applied to the back side to protect the finish of the guitar.

Provided that your finish is tough enough, this one is cat urethane, I use masking tape to tape the shield in place before getting out the fret files. I would not use masking tape on a FP or some other finishes without doing some testing first...

This one took me about 30 minutes to make and offers decent protection with very little effort. The next time I fret an OM all I have to do is make sure the cork side is clean...

, slap it down, tape, and Bob's my uncle.

Thanks for looking.

Joe Sustaire · Post by **Joe Sustaire** » Sat Jul 18, 2009 11:19 am

That is a good tip Hesh, glad you're passing it on! I don't know how many times I've scratched/gouged/dented my own builds and thought "thank god this isn't someone's vintage Martin".

I don't quite understand why I seem to think it's okay to treat my own work this way!

Joe

Robbie O'Brien · Post by **Robbie O'Brien** » Sat Jul 18, 2009 1:01 pm

Nice idea Hesh. A placemat also works well and you can get some funny ones too like this Spongebob one.

John Steele · Post by **John Steele** » Sat Jul 18, 2009 2:23 pm

Nice idea Hesh. I am still laughing at the spongbob placemat. I'm heading to Mickey-D's for breakie to score my own free 'protector' and a Mcmuffin! May even do the puzzle too.
Seriously tho, nice clean solution you posted.
J

kiwigeo · Post by **kiwigeo** » Sat Jul 18, 2009 2:34 pm

Anybody any Australian suppliers of that cork sheet?

Lillian · Post by **Lillian** » Sat Jul 18, 2009 3:01 pm

John, I think they are talking about the thicker mats that grandmothers and mothers of small children keep by the dozen.

Pete Brown · Post by **Pete Brown** » Sat Jul 18, 2009 3:52 pm

kiwigeo wrote:Anybody any Australian suppliers of that cork sheet?

Martin, for jobs like this I use cork tiles purchased from Bunnings, our very own speciality luthiers supplies store.

liam_fnq · Post by **liam_fnq** » Sat Jul 18, 2009 3:56 pm

i'm pretty sure i saw a whole box of cork tiles at bunnings for $13.

Lillian · Post by **Lillian** » Sat Jul 18, 2009 4:27 pm

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll ... 0342679108

Not quite what you had in mind I'm sure, but its a start. Check with flooring stores. Cork is sometimes used as an underlayment.

http://www.ilist.com.au/australia/house ... page1.html

Tom West · Post by **Tom West** » Sat Jul 18, 2009 10:01 pm

Also use one around the bridge for sure things as sloting pin holes. Have used it on all but one off my guitars. Please don't ask why.

WaddyT · Post by **WaddyT** » Sat Jul 18, 2009 10:45 pm

Another place to check is craft stores. I have bought rolls of cork and some thin cork, self-sticking tiles.

Hesh1956 · Post by **Hesh1956** » Sun Jul 19, 2009 1:09 am

I'll add something here that I forgot to put in the OP.

These things work better if they are strong but thin. They need to sit below the surface of the fret board so as to not inhibit your movements when filing frets and fret ends. Both the cork and the sign are each less than 1/16th" thick so mine is still sitting about 1/8" below the fret board.

Self-stick felt would have worked too but I couldn't find any. It would be slipperier though so maybe cork is better - don't know.

matthew · Post by **matthew** » Sun Jul 19, 2009 9:13 am

I alway have a roll of that perforated non-slip mat stuff from the $2 shop. for that sort of purpose. it conforms to a curved top well, lets me put my tools on the top while working, can easily be cut up for smaler uses. Good stuff.

Paul B · Post by **Paul B** » Sun Jul 19, 2009 11:30 am

Be careful of that non-slip mat stuff Matthew. If it's the same stuff I'm thinking of it's been known to screw up some types of finish due to plastisizers leaching out and plastisizing the finish.

Lillian · Post by **Lillian** » Sun Jul 19, 2009 12:18 pm

I have heard of them having silicon on/in them that you can't get off/out of them. I don't remember who, but someone had real issues with a guitar fish-eyeing like mad. Couldn't get a finish to work. Traced the contamination back to a non-skid mat in his shop.

kiwigeo · Post by **kiwigeo** » Sun Jul 19, 2009 12:22 pm

Ive had problems traced back to silicon realease agent on rubber non-slip matting.

jeffhigh · Post by **jeffhigh** » Sun Jul 19, 2009 1:27 pm

I would not leave a plastic placemat in contact with a lacquer finish for more than the 1/2 hour at a time you need it.
I have had a pvc guitar cable mark a guitar lying on it overnight so that it needed rubbing out.

Dave Anderson · Post by **Dave Anderson** » Mon Jul 20, 2009 11:14 pm

I have been using the "plain" model without the cork underside.
Good idea that cork.

Thanks Hesh

Hesh1956 · Post by **Hesh1956** » Tue Jul 21, 2009 9:27 am

I had a Luthier friend tell me today that cork is not the best way to go because it can pick up metal filings say when fret dressing and the filings can stick to the cork. The next time you use your shield you end up scratching the finish of the guitar.

So if you go with cork vacuum the cork side of the thing after every use. Felt is probably what I will use on the one I have to make for dread*oughts if I can find some self stick felt.

Hey Dave buddy!

Nick · Post by **Nick** » Tue Jul 21, 2009 9:43 am

Out of the two I would personally go with cork, any fillings could/would 'bury' or work themselves into the weave of the felt and even a good vacuum would have trouble getting those pesky small fillings out. At least with cork the filings would be visible and any stuborn bits could be picked out.
You could always run a piece of masking tape around the edge of the fingerboard and onto the protector so that any fillings coming off the fret cant work their way between the board and protector. If the masking tape runs up higher than fret level it doesn't matter as the file will soon level off any errant masking.This is how I attack the process and I make sure I brush the fillings away from the guitar before removing protector.I also run about 6" of masking tape along the edge of the protector on the shoulders of the guitar just incase any fillings work their nasty way in there too!

My protectors aren't the flash plastic jobbies though! I usually just cut some stiff card for each guitar then chuck the thing away when I've finished

Kim · Post by **Kim** » Tue Jul 21, 2009 10:21 am

You can get 'very' thin self-stick felt which is used to line draws, makes them look especially classy in a sideboard for instance. This felt contact product looks similar to what you would expect to see on a pool table but the weave is so very thin it is unlikely to hold anything of significance so maybe that would do the trick?

Just a tip for those unaware, nickle and stainless fret wires and their filings are NOT magnetic domains so a rare earth magnet broom will not clean them up, they do need to be vacuumed.

Cheers

Kim

kiwigeo · Post by **kiwigeo** » Tue Jul 21, 2009 11:33 am

Kim wrote:You can get 'very' thin self-stick felt which is used to line draws, makes them look especially classy in a sideboard for instance.

How do you get the felt off the guitar once youve finished?

Bob Connor · Post by **Bob Connor** » Tue Jul 21, 2009 12:49 pm

kiwigeo wrote:
Kim wrote:You can get 'very' thin self-stick felt which is used to line draws, makes them look especially classy in a sideboard for instance.
How do you get the felt off the guitar once youve finished?

Things a bit slow out on the rig Martin.

Lillian · Post by **Lillian** » Tue Jul 21, 2009 1:07 pm

Why not use a chamois cloth or thin leather with the smooth side out? It can be attached to the plastic with spray adhesive. You could hold the whole thing in place with magnets. Put felt or something on the one you stick inside the top.

Hesh1956 · Post by **Hesh1956** » Tue Jul 21, 2009 9:12 pm

Yeah leather would be great too - good idea Lillian.

Pool table felt is another good idea - thanks Kim.

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