How to Make Wooden Guitar Picks With Wood Veneer

My name is Dan Rees from Zebranowoodcraft.com. In this video tutorial I will show you a simple process for making wooden guitar picks with minimal tools. It's really easy and inexpensive so anyone can give it a try!

To make the pick I'll be using a couple of sheets of 0.6mm thick wood veneer – here I have maple and figured mahogany.

A pencil, some simple cutting tools and a thick viscosity super glue.

Step 1: Step 1: Preparing and Cutting the Wood Veneer

Start by tracing the shape of your guitar pick onto the veneer. I'll be making a 5 layer thick guitar pick in this video but for thinner picks you can use 3-4 layers.

With the shapes traced, carefully cut them out using a scissors or craft knife.

Step 2: Step 2: Gluing Up to Make a Pick Shaped Ply

When all of the shapes

are cut out it's time to glue them together to make a guitar pick shaped plywood.

Get your mits on and apply the superglue to the surface with a cocktail stick or other sacrificial instrument.

When the entire surface is covered, quickly place the next layer of wood on top, align and squeeze or press together.

A thick viscosity glue has a delayed setting time so you have more time to align the layers.

Continue until all layers are glued together tightly with no gaps.

Step 3: Step 3: Shaping the Wooden Pick

Time for shaping: This

can be done either with a simple piece of sandpaper, a dremel tool, a linisher or bench sander with a fine grit. Here I've stuck a 240 sandpaper to a wooden plate on my lathe.

For the final shaping hand sand the edges and faces of the pick, working from a 180 to a 600 grit.

Clean the pic with a little white spirit and allow to dry.

Step 4: Step 4: Finish Him!!

Finally apply a finish of your choice – I used a simple Tung Oil, wiping it in and allowing to dry before using.

You can use a wax or oil of your choice or even spray laquer or varnish for a gloss finish!

The picks are now ready to go, so shred away to your hearts content knowing your wooden pic will be easy and inexpensive to replace!

Thank you for watching my video – if you liked it then give me a thumbs up, share your own if you make one and subscribe for more small woodworking projects!

You can find more of my work at www.zebranowoodcraft.com or follow me on Instagram @Zebranowoodcraft.

Comments

[rody66]

good. good

[Bunny Kins]

Hello! You've done a good job, there!

Whenever I've made these in the past, I have found that the .6mm veneer tends to lose the end or a corner. If anyone else is trying to make them (especially the 3-ply ones), be sure to put the centre lamination's grain at 90 degrees to the outer two and that will stop the problem.

My friends (who have a great deal more musical skill than I) agree that they do give a good sound on an acoustic guitar..... and they look good, too!

You can personalise them with a pyrograph/ woodburner, too!

[J-shroom]

do these picks affect the sound in any way and if so how do they sound

[ZebranoWoodCraft]

My friends tell me they have a warmer sound on acoustic compared to a conventional plastic pick - I don't play guitar but I hope that makes sense to you :)

[Nah yee chern]

nice. gonna make one for my bro