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LarryH
PostPosted: Sat Mar 23, 2013 5:44 pm 
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Just wondering what the preferred methods were? Clean to bare wood then glue? Or route the top and ease the bridge edges and drop it in? Other methods?

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B. Howard
PostPosted: Sat Mar 23, 2013 7:23 pm 
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Scrape and glue. If you ever need to remove a bridge that is routed in the top you will know why. Another reason, Martin is currently routing them in on their guitars and are experiencing finish cracks around the bridges.

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LarryH
PostPosted: Sat Mar 23, 2013 7:57 pm 
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Thanks so much Brian. Appreciate the response.

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bluescreek
PostPosted: Sat Mar 23, 2013 8:30 pm 
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I do use my inlay tool but jut to get through the finish. martin is routing into the top for the bridge by about .020 to .030.

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stan thomison
PostPosted: Sat Mar 23, 2013 9:15 pm 
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Have used inlay tool to take off the finish, but now like Flippo. Lot easier
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LarryH
PostPosted: Sat Mar 23, 2013 11:57 pm 
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Interesting approaches - thanks for the insight.

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Terence Kennedy
PostPosted: Sat Mar 23, 2013 11:58 pm 
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I've been routing off the finish for a long time. Just touch the wood as well and finish up with scraping and a small sanding block. The ledge on the bridge is similar to Todd's, very small. For me it's a good way to go.

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bluescreek
PostPosted: Sun Mar 24, 2013 6:55 am 
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No need to go more than through the finish and sand or scrape into the wood. Find the way that works best for you. I just like the control I have with the inlay tool but before that I used an exacto blade and scraper. Haven't had a bridge pop off yet.

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Terence Kennedy
PostPosted: Sun Mar 24, 2013 7:27 am 
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I'd be interested to know what you guys have found works best for the finish scraping after (or before) routing. I've been using the back of a chisel which is OK but I'm always looking for a better way.

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SteveSmith
PostPosted: Sun Mar 24, 2013 7:55 am 
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I've been routing mine but just through the finish. I've only had to pull one bridge from one of mine but it was not a problem.

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Pat Hawley
PostPosted: Sun Mar 24, 2013 8:37 am 
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Since going to polyester, and following advice that Rick Turner gave on this forum a number of years ago, I've been gluing the bridge right on top of the finish using thick CA. Very clean and I've had no problems thus far.

Pat

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Michaeldc
PostPosted: Sun Mar 24, 2013 9:30 am 
Filippo Morelli wrote:
I locate the bridge, then tape about 1/8" inside, then finish. Remove tape, scrape edge, correspondingly scrape (chamfer) bridge edge. No need to use power tools.

I learned a long time ago that, as one gets closer and closer to finish, using tools with catastrophic potential is risky. Sometimes you can't avoid it, like checkering a gunstock. But this case, easily avoided.

Filippo


I also locate and mask off. Are you removing the masking before leveling and buffing? I'm gonna try leaving it on next time. I'm afraid I'm contaminating the bare wood with buffing compound, so I've been counter masking, sanding, then scraping..

or are you doing French polish?
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LarryH
PostPosted: Sun Mar 24, 2013 10:01 am 
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Another question. Why rabbet or create an 'edge' on the bridge? Is that so the routed/scraped area for the bridge can be slightly smaller than the bridge? Is the routed/scraped area for the bridge indeed slightly smaller than the bridge?

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LarryH
PostPosted: Sun Mar 24, 2013 10:02 am 
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Pat Hawley wrote:
Since going to polyester, and following advice that Rick Turner gave on this forum a number of years ago, I've been gluing the bridge right on top of the finish using thick CA. Very clean and I've had no problems thus far.

Pat


Wow. I'm always amazed at the different approaches and techniques in this craft. Is it hard to deal with any squeeze out with this technique Pat?

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Pat Hawley
PostPosted: Sun Mar 24, 2013 10:49 am 
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I've gotten pretty good at gluing the bridges on with no squeeze out. One of the good things about polyester is that it laughs at acetone so I can use that to clean up any CA squeeze out if necessary. What I have found with this method is that even more care must be taken to sand the bottom of the bridge absolutely flush to the surface of the guitar. Not so much for joint strength but for appearance as you don't have the thickness of the finish (since you are on top of it) to hide any gaps however small they may be.

Pat

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EddieLee
PostPosted: Sun Mar 24, 2013 10:55 am 
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I used John Hall's method. Just though the finish. Worked very well.

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