Can a warped 60s Fender celluloid s/p be unwarped?

[Clarky]

I have just got hold of my 63P and very lovely it is. Its currently wearing a repro tort guard but I do have the original. The latter is very warped and quite rigid (as well as lacking a tip and having a couple of cracks). I am worried that if I screw it on to the bass it will crack and furthermore - given that the upper edge bends outwards with a fair (0.5cm gap) from the shielding plate underneath - catch on my right hand while playing.

So is there any way of unwarping it or at least making it less warped? For example, would immersing in hot water soften it before I could lay something heavy on it to flatten it out (and then later screw on to bass)? All suggestions gratefully received

[attachment=76469:IMG_6141.jpg]

Edited April 2, 2011 by Clarky

[icastle]

[quote name='Clarky' post='1185777' date='Apr 2 2011, 01:36 PM']I have just got hold of my 63P and very lovely it is. Its currently wearing a repro tort guard but I do have the original. The latter is very warped and quite rigid (as well as lacking a tip and having a couple of cracks). I am worried that if I screw it on to the bass it will crack and furthermore - given that the upper edge bends outwards with a fair (0.5cm gap) from the shielding plate underneath - catch on my right hand while playing.

So is there any way of unwarping it or at least making it less warped? For example, would immersing in hot water soften it before I could lay something heavy on it to flatten it out (and then later screw on to bass)? All suggestions gratefully received

[attachment=76469:IMG_6141.jpg][/quote]

I reckon your idea sounds as good as any.
Perhaps do it repeatedly over a period of a few days and slowly put more weight on it (so try and flatten it out in stages instead of all in one go).

[Ou7shined]

I'm not sure if warm water would do anything. Putting it flat in a sealed container with acetone fumes (nail varnish remover) might make it malleable enough to flatten out. This is just off the top of my head like so it might be worth experimenting with the tip first.

[hillbilly deluxe]

Someone did this on TB.
[url="http://www.talkbass.com/forum/f18/unwarp-pickguard-303324/"]http://www.talkbass.com/forum/f18/unwarp-pickguard-303324/[/url]

[wesfinn]

have you checked to see how much it has shrunk over all already? if its been off the bass for ages and not screwed to anything you might have major issues getting the screws in now. Applying heat the the guitar will more than likely cause more shrinkage in the long run.

Wes

[wateroftyne]

Plate glass in the sunshine worked for me.

[Musicman20]

Er...pics of bass please!

[Noisyjon]

[quote name='Musicman20' post='1186008' date='Apr 2 2011, 05:58 PM']Er...pics of bass please![/quote]

+1

[Jerry_B]

[quote name='hillbilly deluxe' post='1185895' date='Apr 2 2011, 03:41 PM']Someone did this on TB.
[url="http://www.talkbass.com/forum/f18/unwarp-pickguard-303324/"]http://www.talkbass.com/forum/f18/unwarp-pickguard-303324/[/url][/quote]

But he was based in Texas, which tends to get a bit hotter than London...

[hillbilly deluxe]

No sh*t But the principle would be the same,2 flat surfaces and heat.

[LawrenceH]

AFAIK celluloid is a thermoplastic so heat should work. I'd want something a bit more controlled than sunlight though, and I'd also suggest that given the potential value of this piece it'd be worth trying on a repro made from the same material first and expecting the older one to be even more brittle, or as Ou7shined suggested, the tip.
Water might be a good way to control the temperature as long as it doesn't lead to clouding of the plastic, but I'd be careful there as well.

[Clarky]

Thank you all! Been out all afternoon/evening hence my tardy reply. I like the sandwiched-between-glass-in-the-sun suggestion, lets hope we get some sun tomorrow!

[attachment=76520:55377879...35a9_b_1.jpg]

[wateroftyne]

[quote name='Clarky' post='1186323' date='Apr 2 2011, 11:50 PM']Thank you all! Been out all afternoon/evening hence my tardy reply. I like the sandwiched-between-glass-in-the-sun suggestion, lets hope we get some sun tomorrow!

[attachment=76520:55377879...35a9_b_1.jpg][/quote]
Cool! It doesn't need heat... Just sun. :-)

[wateroftyne]

...and that bass is beeeeyootiful!

[martthebass]

Haaaa,

My year of birth bass also.

If I sold all my gear maybe I'd be able to afford the neck and a few screws of a 63P.....

[hillbilly deluxe]

you could try the glass sandwich in a bath of hot/warm water ?

[Clarky]

[quote name='martthebass' post='1186513' date='Apr 3 2011, 09:22 AM']Haaaa,

My year of birth bass also.

If I sold all my gear maybe I'd be able to afford the neck and a few screws of a 63P.....[/quote]
Mine is an oly white refin (all parts are original) so its not that hefty price wise. Your Status and MMs should comfortably cover one

[Clarky]

[quote name='hillbilly deluxe' post='1186522' date='Apr 3 2011, 09:34 AM']you could try the glass sandwich in a bath of hot/warm water ?[/quote]
Isn't it the UV rays that make it pliable rather than necessarily the heat? Which is why the sun works???? There's one blog site that says if you heat up celluloid it releases cyanide gas as well as being highly flammable

[hillbilly deluxe]

Celluloid is highly flammable,i dont think that warm water would be enough to release poisonous gasses though,if it was there would be dead bass players all over the place at hot outdoor festivals.

[Slipperydick]

I realise its a different type of plastic, but surely as its still a thermplasic, have you thought of looking on old vynil records sites. Google comes up with a few ideas for straightening warped records..

I seem to remember putting brown paper on warped singles and ironing them when I was a kid, cant remember how well it worked though.

[LawrenceH]

UV is normally used as a curing agent, not to make stuff pliable - not sure how it affects nitrocellulose though.
Gentle controlled heat is probably a reasonable starting point. Something like an electric blanket around glass plates might be an idea, or one of those heat mats used for keeping exotic pets or germinating seeds! I'm used to having all sorts of laboratory equipment at my disposal that would be ideal for this, but I'm guessing you don't unfortunately.

Edited April 3, 2011 by LawrenceH

[Clarky]

B*gger, b*gger and thrice b*gger.

The sun didn't do it, so I carefully used my wife's clothes press through a towel which flattened it pretty well very quickly (on a low heat). Unfortunately it has shrunk so much with age it just doesn't fit. Some of the screwholes are as much as 0.5cm out (bear in mind these need to align with the holes in the body and the holes in the metal shield). I understand now why it was off the bass, with no attempt made to re-fit.

Going to have to get a replacement. Ho hum

Apreciate all the help and advice anyway folks

[Ou7shined]

Pants.
Well if all is lost, why not try what I suggested earlier with the acetone fumes? You might still be able to coax it in the right directions with a rolling pin or something.

[Clarky]

[quote name='Ou7shined' post='1186761' date='Apr 3 2011, 02:48 PM']Pants.
Well if all is lost, why not try what I suggested earlier with the acetone fumes? You might still be able to coax it in the right directions with a rolling pin or something.[/quote]
Thanks but it would need stretching really quite dramatically and I don't see thats possible. I am stuffed on this. Never mind. Thanks again though matey

[Ou7shined]

Shame. No probs.
Funny old world we live in eh - that p/g will probably follow that bass around for the rest of it's days... but it will never go on it.