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PostPosted: Sun Oct 23, 2005 3:01 am 
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Mahogany
Mahogany

Joined: Sat Sep 03, 2005 10:33 am
Posts: 40
Location: United States
Terry,

I have a similar problem to deal with and am looking foward to the
answers of more experienced colleagues!

Greg


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Sun Oct 23, 2005 3:38 am 
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Brazilian Rosewood
Brazilian Rosewood
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Joined: Mon Dec 27, 2004 9:42 pm
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Location: Buffalo, NY
First name: Robert
Last Name: Cefalu
City: Buffalo
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Zip/Postal Code: 14217
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How about plugging the holes with dowel then scribing to the masking tape with a sharp exacto blade and routing out the inside of the bridge area with your dremel or laminate trimmer to a uniform depth. Then fill in with a piece of thin spruce. You can make a slightly oversized new bridge to cover the old outline.Bobc38648.5274421296

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PostPosted: Sun Oct 23, 2005 8:18 am 
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Koa
Koa

Joined: Thu Feb 17, 2005 3:38 pm
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Location: United States
    I can make you the bridge.   $45
Blues Creek Guitars


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Sun Oct 23, 2005 10:35 am 
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Mahogany
Mahogany

Joined: Thu Apr 14, 2005 5:33 am
Posts: 89
Location: United States
I'm not sure what year this instrument is, but I'm guessing it was made in the mid sixties and probably did not originally have a wooden bridge. Gibson used plastic bolt-on briges for 5 or 6 years during this period. Whoever replaced it did the person orderinging the work a big favor for the tone of the instrument, but may have neglected other damage. Damage to the bridgeplate and top (almost inevitable with the plastic bridge) may have contributed to the cracking bridge. Check the bridgeplate carefully; it may need replacement.

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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Mon Oct 24, 2005 12:15 am 
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Cocobolo
Cocobolo

Joined: Thu Jul 28, 2005 5:52 am
Posts: 334
Location: United States
My only concern with routing out the bridge area is that, while you wind
up with a nice flat top to glue the new bridge to, you have an inherently
weak stress point around the perimeter of the bridge, especially the
leading and trailing edges. I'm not sure how to eliminate that, but I would
think that using either epoxy or Gorilla glue for glueing the patch might
give better strength where the end grain of the patch meets the end grain
of the old top, strengthening this weak point. Just my thoughts, for
whatever they're worth.
Craig


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Mon Oct 24, 2005 11:56 pm 
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Brazilian Rosewood
Brazilian Rosewood

Joined: Mon Feb 21, 2005 6:16 am
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First name: michael
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i think you would have better strength to your glue bond using epoxy to glue on the bridge. it will fill the gaps readilly and maintains strength well


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PostPosted: Tue Oct 25, 2005 12:07 am 
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Brazilian Rosewood
Brazilian Rosewood

Joined: Sat Jan 08, 2005 1:26 am
Posts: 2556
Location: United States
I agree with Michael on this fix. Yes routing the area would give a nice flat are to glue to but I'd be concerned with the fact that you decreased the structural integrety of that area. Cover the holes on the inside with masking tape. Make sure they're sealed very well. Float in a liberal amount of thickened epoxy (west systems 3 will work best here) and clamp the bridge on. Leave the tape on until you've cleaned up the squeeze out. Epoxy will float into the voids and fill them better than wood will.
Terken: I'd be pretty skepticle of the strength of wood filler. Unless you are using the good epoxy based stuff in which case, why not just glue it on with epoxy?


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