Cutting Down a '51 Guard

[adamjn]

I have a Squier '51 that's part guitar, part therapy. Bought it off of ebay with some mods already done to it, and have just run with it. I got a guard from GFS, one of those huge Tele Deluxe style ones, and want to cut it down to stock size. So, anyone have any suggestions about doing that? I can make a template no problem, but what to use to do the actual cutting?

[BillStickers]

You should use a jig saw [or something]...
but err... for just whatever is about it would be difficult. You'd need to secure in a vice [I don't think there's a safe substitute] and maybe have a go with a hack saw...
For crazy perhaps dumb ideas you could use tin cutters, bolt cutters or scissors... you could be really unwise and smolder it into shape with a soldering iron and then sand it to perfection =) but I'm 99.9% plenty of people would warn against anything else other than a jig saw [or whatever other power tool folks use that don't have a $$$$+ pro price tag, although those things cost like 250...]

[adamjn]

Advice well taken Bill, thanks.

[BillStickers]

Originally Posted by adamjn

Advice well taken Bill, thanks.

LOL it feels like I replied for little reason

[Sollophonic]

I cut my Deluxe torty one down to a standard size using a combination of hand tools. Took a while but worked out pretty well. Mind you I'm pretty good at making my own pickguards



I made a plain black one for my blonde one too.

[Detman101]

I just used my dremel to make my pickguard from a sheet of plastic.
Then hand sanding to smooth it down.

Dm

[mijstrat72]

+1 on the dremel, I've used my dremel on plastic and bakelite to build custom pickguards. Practice prior to doing the real thing so you have your mojo down.