Complete Pickguard Cutting Tutorial (Silent Film)

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TOOL LIST:

*Double Stick Tape
*Band Saw

*Flush Trim Carbide Tipped Lower Bearing Router Bits

-1/2" diameter x 1/2" cutting height (Amana Tool 45487)
-1/4" diameter by 1/2" cutting height (Amana Tool 47090)
-45 Degree Bevel bit (Amana Tool 47204)
-82 Degree Single Flute Countersink (Using a 1/2" here but 3/8" Diameter may be better!)

*Forstner Bits (3/8" for Fender Potentiometer Holes -- a set of various sizes however is best)
*Drill bits (complete set is best, and I prefer regular [not brad point] for pickguard copies, though it's good to have both):

-1/8" (.125") drill bit for most standard pickguard screw holes
-9/64" (.140") drill bit for 6-32 screw holes, such as the ones on Fender switches and Stratocaster pickups
- .116" drill bit for 3-48 screws holes, which are used on most humbuckers and Fender Telecaster neck position pickups

FOR SWITCH BLADE SLOTS (trim router option -- OLD method shown in this video):

*Trim Router with Plunge Base. I use the Bosch Colt PR20EVS as seen here:

https://www.amazon.com/Bosch-1-Horsep...

-Brass guide bushing set for the trim router
-1/16" straight cut carbide bit
-RA1129 Template Guide Adapter to use with the Colt plunge router base (https://www.amazon.com/Bosch-RA1129-T.... The RA1129 template guide adapter is mounted in the plunge base and allows you to thread on brass guide bushings.

I use my own handmade routing template for doing the switch slot. My template requires a 5/16" brass guide bushing mounted in a plunge router base as described above with a 1/16" router bit to cut.

My NEW method (updated 4/7/2022) is to use the Stewmac Plunge Router Base and a Dremel tool with a 1/16" CD x 1/8" SHK bit.

I've made a new template using an 1/8" slot. The 1/8" shank of the Dremel bit fits into the template, which acts as a guide. For more information, and to see it in action, check out my NEW video, which is an addendum to this tutorial:

"Copying a Pickguard (from Sweden!) - Troubleshooting, Tips and Tricks!"

   • Copying a Pickguard - Troubleshooting...  

Finally:

*Spatula for separating the template from the pickguard material. Very helpful. You can pull it apart with your hands, but a spatula goes a long way in making that much easier.

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MUSIC: "Frog Legs Rag" was removed due to a fraudulent copyright claim. From 2:55 to 5:05 or so, I replaced the audio with some YouTube audio library songs, namely Billy Goat Stomp and King Porter Stomp. Barring that, all other music is by Kevin MacLeod and free to use under the Creative Commons license.