That's exactly how I'd do it. The guards are soft soldered. Note that the guard strip adjacent to that guard foot is also soft soldered.

 

yes....
focus the heat on the guard foot and they pop off within a few seconds...
good luck...
cheers,philip

Note that the guard strip adjacent to that guard foot is also soft soldered.

 

3) reround and level the tone hole

I discovered a youtube video that shows how to round the tonehole:

look at 4:12. Now, i need to find a tapered Mandrel.....

 

You can make a mandrel from a round chair or table leg. Just cut it off to have it short enough to not hit the opposite side of the bow.

 

thank you, Bruce! I'm gonna find an old chair and see what I can make happen.