Best Tool For Cutting?

[68charger]

I'm going to make a leather pick guard for my fender stratocaster. I have a nice piece of 1/8 inch thick leather that will be great for it but I don't think the shears I have will do a good job cutting it once I've traced the pick guard shape on the leather. I think the bulkiness of my shears and the fact that it's tough to cut completely straight with them will make it difficult to get this right. Is there a tool and method that people recommend?

For reference, a plastic stratocaster pick guard is in the attached picture. I'll have to make some curvy but precise cuts, and cut the holes for the pickups.

Thanks in advance,

Ted

Edited October 10, 2011 by 68charger

[oldtimer]

I would use a set of round punches and a sharp head knife.

/ Knut

[BillB]

What type of blade are you comfortable with if any? I grew up using a sheath knife and years ago had one made to my specifications for cutting leather. I use that knife and a curved trimming knife to do all of my cutting with.

If you are not used to a blade, then I would follow Oldtimer's advice.

As for method of cutting I would first learn which way I cut best, i.e. left to right or right to left. Inside out on a curve or outside in on a curve. When and where ever you can for cut out like the ones for the pickups, you should use a hole punch at each end and then cut the straight lines between the holes. Hole punch for the holes for the controls as well. Never cut all the way to the corner on an inside corner. Cut from the corner out. So the rectangular notch at the end of the pick guard would require four cuts: 1) Starting at the top corner and working out to the edge; 2) from the same corner cut down half way to the next corner; 3) turn the leather so you can cut down from the bottom corner to the cut from the first corner; 4) from the bottom corner out to the edge.

Depending on the stiffness of the leather you are using, I might even first leather cement it to a piece of poster board to help reduce stretching and moving while cutting, especially the very slim pointed ends toward the neck of the guitar.

BillB

[68charger]

Bill and Knut -

thanks so much for the help. I'm not that familiar with sheath knives so I guess I'll pick up a head knife and get to practicing.

Thanks again,

Ted

[Dink]

For the detailed cuts like you want, I like a trim knife with a hooked blade, I use the ones with replacable blade. They are reasonably priced and available at any of the leather stores.

Dink

[WyomingSlick]

Are you going to tool this piece of leather?

If so; then you had better consider this: Leather that is tooled will deform from the tooling. You can minimize this by temporarily cementing the leather to a stiff backing before tooling. Do a search on this forum for more information on that aspect of leather tooling.

But ! Even doing that, some distortion may occur. For that reason, you may wish to wait untill the tooling is done and the leather is dry, before cutting the holes for the knob shafts, the pickups, jacks, switches etc. I watched and listened to a buddy who turned the air blue while he tried to fit a piece which had fit perfectly prior to him carving a beautiful design on it. He finally ended up doing the whole thing over and only did his final cutting of the holes just before he glued it down.

[St8LineGunsmith]

instead of using card board glued to the back I use clear packing tape or that blue painters tape

it comes off a lot easier than trying to peel off glued on card board and it does an excellent job at keeping the leather from stretching during tooling.

I do this to all my leather projects that require tooling.