Plexiglass

Brian Henry · Posted 17 Feb 2008 11:17 am

I am going to make a 10 string non pedal steel from Carter parts. I would like to use plexiglass. I have a piece that is 1 inch thick. This makes it very heavy. What if I used 1/2" would it be strong enough not to bend with 10 strings?
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Bill Creller · From: Saginaw, Michigan, USA (deceased)

A piece 1 inch thick would seem to be very stiff, but I believe it would warp over time with string tension on it. If it were me, I would just try it!!
I don't think the 1/2 inch piece would do the job unless you had some side rails under it to make it stiffer and more rigid.
Just my $.002 Very Happy

Alan Brookes · From: Brummy living in Southern California

Are you using Plexiglass so you can see the mechanism and levers through the instrument ?

Your question relates to thickness, but you do not mention shape. Try to crack an egg by compressing it from the ends and you'll see how much shape is more important than thickness. Since you mention Carter, I'm assuming you're going to be building a pedal steel guitar with a rectangular box shape. Glued together in the same dimensions as a Carter PSG your Plexiglass will be enormously strong. If you want to increase its strength you can fill in some of the underneath. By that I mean that most PSGs are 5-sided, with an open underneath. Filling in the underneath would increase the strength, but you have to leave holes for the rods to pass through and for routine maintenance and adjustment. That doesn't mean that you can't have horizontal struts, both lengthwise and side-to-side, all of which could be incorporated into one underneath piece.

Bill Hatcher · From: Atlanta Ga. USA

Your going to the time and effort....go with the 1 inch.

Brian Henry · Posted 18 Feb 2008 3:27 am

Alan, This is going to be a NON PEDAL steel. Iam only going to use carter headstock, tuners, and neck. I am having a bridge made from stainless steel. Solid black plexiglass would look and sound awesome I believe.
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Randy Reeves · From: LaCrosse, Wisconsin, USA

just keep in mind that plexi-glas scratches very easily. in no time at all you will have swirls everywhere. then a button on your shirt cuff will make a deeper scratch.

Bill Hatcher · From: Atlanta Ga. USA

Maybe Lexan or whatever they used, like the old clear Dan Armstrong guitars would be more durable.

Alan Brookes · From: Brummy living in Southern California

Randy has put his finger on the reason why see-through plastic has never caught on. You'll have to keep it in the case and be very, very, very careful you don't scratch it. Even the case itself could scratch it. A lot of 40s and 50s lap steels had Plexiglass fingerboards. Look at them now, they've usually got scratches all over, and they have a tendency to crack where they're screwed into the fingerboard. Sad

Have you ever seen those blocks of clear plastic with something embedded into it, often an insect, or a medallion ? That's done with a clear plastic resin that is poured. Idea

You could create a clear plastic block with items inserted; maybe glitter powder; then insert a low-voltage light bulb, and built your lap steel out of that. You could even end up with an illuminated fingerboard that you could see in the dark.

Idea

I've thought of covering a lap steel with holographic material. What with that and clear plastic resin you could make something quite spectacular. Cool

John Billings · From: Ohio, USA

My 40's Orpheum is plastic, and has lightbulbs inside it! There are now high tech polishes and swirl removers that work well on transparent surfaces.

Alan Brookes · From: Brummy living in Southern California

That's cool, John. How about taking a photo of it at night. Shocked

John Billings · From: Ohio, USA

Alan, I don't know how to do that! Every time I try, the auto-flash goes off. And I'd probably have to have a different exposure time. The only thing that lights up is the fretboard. Every time I take it out, I marvel at how beautifully built it is.

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