Making plastic pickup covers

[MPU]

Here’s how I make custom pickup covers from plastic. I want to upgrade my NS Design WAV EMG passive pickup to an active one. NS does not sell them (they use active pickups on other models) and the pickup shape is not the usual EMG soapbar.

 

[MPU]

First I make a plug that has the same inside width as EMG soapbars. My plan is to remove the covers from EMG soapbar and cast it inside this cover. I’ve done it before with different shape so it will work.

 

[MPU]

Then I cut 25mm strips from pickguard blank and use heat gun to shape it. Some clamping is needed while shaping. Plastic distorts a bit but no worries. Then I cut the strip and glue it with ca. Sides of the cover done.

 

[MPU]

Then I sand the radius to both the plug and the cover. I make the top of the cover from textured plastic I cut from a closed MM5 pickup cover.

 

[MPU]

I mask the top before gluing it to the sides with ca to prevent any markings or scratches. Some clamping and covers are ready for sanding.

 

[MPU]

Final step before casting is sanding the shape of the covers. Pickguard material is thicker than pickup covers so there is about 1mm to sand. That removes all the distortions and clamping marks. I round the edge with scraper. I sand to 320 and then polish with grey Mirka pad. Finishing and drilling is done after the pickups are cast with epoxy or casting urethane.

 

[Azari]

Perhaps these could also be 3D printed

 

[Bruce Johnson]

Final step before casting is sanding the shape of the covers. Pickguard material is thicker than pickup covers so there is about 1mm to sand. That removes all the distortions and clamping marks. I round the edge with scraper. I sand to 320 and then polish with grey Mirka pad. Finishing and drilling is done after the pickups are cast with epoxy or casting urethane.

Very nice, Marko! I suspect that you used to build model cars and airplanes when you were a kid? That's where I learned to form plastic into anything I wanted.

My only suggestion would be to find some better plastic stock to work with, like black sheet styrene or ABS. In the thickness you want. The vinyl pickguard material is kind of gooey and soft.

One minor suggestion to your tooling: When you make up your wooden form, shape a slight concave into the two long sides. Just a mm or two. Make it a little bit of an hourglass form. Then, when you heat form the plastic around it, you can pinch it across the width with the clamp. This will allow the corners to bend to maybe a degree more than 90. It's room for them to spring back slightly as they cool. So the sides will spring back to straight.

 

[MPU]

Yes, I’d like to use ABS all the way but I couldn’t find it locally. I made the covers from a bit too thick thick material to have extra thickness for sanding.
And yes, I have made my share of model planes back in my youth.

 

[MPU]

Perhaps these could also be 3D printed

Yes, but the texture of the print is not like what I want.

 

[littlebun]

Nicely done

 

[Azari]

Yes, but the texture of the print is not like what I want.

3D printers are getting better all the time. The higher end models can produce very smooth results, where you can hardly tell it’s 3D printed.

 

[logdrum]

3D printers are getting better all the time. The higher end models can produce very smooth results, where you can hardly tell it’s 3D printed.

Yeah but those printers are also not cheap. I actually like what the OP did.

I am in the sax forum and even with 3D printed mouthpieces using high end printers , they still have to hand finish them. And these are not the hobbyists with mid grade printers, a company in France. SYOS

 

[MPU]

3D printers are getting better all the time. The higher end models can produce very smooth results, where you can hardly tell it’s 3D printed.

Sure do but under 10€ for two covers? Not going to happen. And that curved top is problematic, you can’t print the cover upside down like you can with straight top. We have a printer at work but this curved top was the reason I didn’t use it.

 

[MPU]

Then it’s time for some pickup destruction. I sanded the sides of two EMG pickups with belt sander. When the sides were about paper thin, the covers were easy to pry off with pliers. A bit of filing at the corners and pickups fit to their new shells.

 

[MPU]

After taping the sides of the covers I cast the pickups with black casting urethane and let it cure for a few days.

 

[MPU]

This morning I filed the bottom edges of the pickups and drilled mounting holes. Now the pickups are ready for assembling. Bass refinishing is under work so it takes some time before assembling the bass.

 

[Beej]

Nice work, those look factory made.

 

[MPU]

Nice work, those look factory made.

That’s what I tried to do. I too think they look good.