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| Working with Tor-Tis http://www-.luthiersforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=10102&t=8500 |
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| Author: | Brock Poling [ Sun Sep 17, 2006 4:21 pm ] |
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Do any of you have direct experience working / shaping Tor-Tis? I am working on a custom pick guard and after looking @ several materials, that is going to be the final answer. However, I seem to remember someone (John How?) saying it chips really bad when you try to shape it w/ a router. Did I remember correctly? Anyone have a good solution to shaping this (if routing it isn't an option). At almost $60 a sheet I don't want to experiment too much. 
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| Author: | Jim Watts [ Sun Sep 17, 2006 4:29 pm ] |
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Brock, I make a thin 1/8-1/4 or wood template, double back tape it down and scribe around it with an kinfe a a few times, it goes quick. Sand the edges to polish and a scraper puts a nice bevel on. BTW - I'm sitting here surfing the the OLF while doodling on a new guitar that just got strings today, sounds great right out of the shoot. Pictures coming! |
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| Author: | Mario [ Sun Sep 17, 2006 4:30 pm ] |
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I've used about 80-100 sheets of the stuff(2-3 guards per sheet). Out of that, only maybe 3-4 pickguards cracked or chipped enough to be ruined. One sheet couldn't be cut at all, it was so brittle, but that one was their bad... I've never routed it. Soak in very hot water(as hot as you can stand), and cut it while hot, using your best(or your wife's best) scissors. If you can, cut it -in- the hot water, but if you must pull it out, cut about 2-3 inches, then put it back in the hot water. You'll know when to stop cuting, as it gets harder, and if you force it here, it will crack. It'll bend and seem to want to hold that new shape, but fear not, once you're done cutting, place it back in the hot water to soften a few seconds, and then place it on a piece of glass or something, while it cools. Only cut near your line, then sand to the line. Sands easily. Bevel with a razor blade, then buff the edge back..... |
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| Author: | Kim [ Sun Sep 17, 2006 6:51 pm ] |
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Well, Mario the Maple Leaf Marvell does it again...gotta love this place. Thanks Mario, great tip 
Cheers Kim |
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| Author: | John How [ Sun Sep 17, 2006 11:50 pm ] |
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Good advice above, you want to make sure you don't bend it much either and make a support the same shape as your pickguard (I use a piece of 1/4" plywood) to support it as you bevel and polish the edge. |
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| Author: | Arnt Rian [ Mon Sep 18, 2006 12:16 am ] |
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I also cut them after heating the sheet in water, but I use a utility knife, must try scissors next time. I cut my first one cold, and it took forever, this this is tuff stuff! It also felt like it was close to breaking all the time. Todd, the Tor-Tis (epoxy) pickguard material is not the same as the Tortis ("cultured turtle-shell") pick material, it is way to brittle. <edit> Here's a little background |
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| Author: | Brock Poling [ Mon Sep 18, 2006 1:45 am ] |
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Thanks guys. 
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| Author: | Mario [ Mon Sep 18, 2006 2:55 am ] |
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For sanding the rosette radius into the guard, I glued a strip of 80 grit to a small ice cream pail. Its taper allows every radius I encounter. Simple is what simple does...., but someday, I'll get my bro to turn me a cone like Frank's. I've tried gluing up scraps and made picks out of them. Looked genuine enough, but they wore like crazy; one or two tunes, and the edge would get all raspy. The cultured stuff Dave makes the picks from is a completely different material, similar only in name. Those picks are DA BOMB! Best there is, period. |
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| Author: | pharmboycu [ Mon Sep 18, 2006 3:04 am ] |
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From a player's perspective, they are as close to the real thing as you can get, both in tone and feel. Great picks. |
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