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Make a steel string guitar bridge with hand tools?
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Author:  timbass [ Tue Aug 13, 2013 6:05 am ]
Post subject:  Make a steel string guitar bridge with hand tools?
Hi.
I am looking for some resources, or tutorials/walkthroughs on how to make and shape a steel string guitar bridge with hand tools.
I have seen the Dan Erlewine bridge DVD's and seen how to make these with a bandsaw, which I do not have access to yet.

I am trying to learn more on using handtools like planes, rasps, scrapes, spokeshaves and chisels (and also how to best sharpen them), and thought it would be fun to make a guitar bridge from scratch using only hand tools. Slotting the bridge and drilling holes can be done with a router/dremel and drill, but the actual shaping of the bridge to be done without the use of electrical tools

I have bought some rosewood bridge blanks to practice on, and learned that rosewood is quite hard wood :-)

Any inputs and/or links?
I tried Googling this topic, but found little information.


Best regards
Tim
Norway
Author:  PeterF [ Tue Aug 13, 2013 6:36 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Make a steel string guitar bridge with hand tools?
Fret saw or coping saw to cut it roughly to shape, then chisel the rest. Finish it off with sandpaper and contoured sanding blocks. That's pretty much how I did my first two.
Author:  klooker [ Tue Aug 13, 2013 7:13 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Make a steel string guitar bridge with hand tools?
Coping saw, rasp, file, sandpaper with round sanding block - plastic plumbing pipe or wooden dowel rod.

Kevin Looker
Author:  Arnt Rian [ Tue Aug 13, 2013 8:20 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Make a steel string guitar bridge with hand tools?
It is quite difficult to cut the saddle slot and drill the pin holes accurately without some sort of machine and/or jig, but shaping the bridge with assorted hand tools from there is relatively straight forward. Frank Ford has an excellent tutorial on shaping a pyramid style bridge with mostly hand tools over on his Frets page, he probably has something on making belly style ones too.
Author:  Link Van Cleave [ Tue Aug 13, 2013 9:54 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Make a steel string guitar bridge with hand tools?
Practice on Maple, save the Rosewood for later.
L.
Author:  Nick Royle [ Tue Aug 13, 2013 9:59 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Make a steel string guitar bridge with hand tools?
I cut the saddle slot on my first by drilling a series of holes along a scored line and then joining them with a chisel.
Author:  Barry Daniels [ Tue Aug 13, 2013 10:27 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Make a steel string guitar bridge with hand tools?
Nick Royle wrote:
I cut the saddle slot on my first by drilling a series of holes along a scored line and then joining them with a chisel.


How clean of a slot did that make? A saw kerf would possibly be a lot cleaner.
Author:  Nick Royle [ Tue Aug 13, 2013 10:39 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Make a steel string guitar bridge with hand tools?
Very clean. No gaps, tight saddle fit with no wobble. The bridge design called for an enclosed saddle so I didn't want to use a saw.
Obviously, the drill bit was slightly undersized, and, once I'd joined the holes with the chisel, I worked with a tiny file and popsicle sticks with sandpaper till it was totally straight, before finally fitting the saddle to it.

Actually, I took a small chip out with the router on my last one, so I got a "better" result first time.

I'm not saying it is the best way to do it, not at all, just sharing.
Author:  timbass [ Wed Aug 14, 2013 2:43 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Make a steel string guitar bridge with hand tools?
Thank you all for your replies.

@Arnt Rian: Like stated in my question, the saddle slots and pin holes would be done with power tools, like router/dremel and drill. The rest is to be done by hand. It might be that my question was unclear about this.

I looked into the article from Frank Ford, and found it to be a good reading. Thank you :-)

This was the article: http://www.frets.com/FretsPages/Luthier ... ridge.html

I also found these:
http://www.frets.com/FretsPages/Luthier ... ridge.html
http://www.frets.com/FretsPages/Luthier ... blank.html

Although not directly done with hand tools, I found them to be a good reading, and just sharing them here for anyone else that might be interested.

Best regards,
Tim
Author:  Tai Fu [ Wed Aug 14, 2013 3:09 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Make a steel string guitar bridge with hand tools?
If you got a good handsaw you can try through cut saddles to make good saddle slot without a router... but a trim router isn't so expensive...

I made bridges all the time with hand tools, at least for the carving portions. You can coping saw everything to shape and then have at it with various chisels, files, or what have you. I make pyramid bridges by hand simply for the fact that I need the control... Read Fret.com on how he makes an ivory bridge completely by hand...
Author:  Michael.N. [ Wed Aug 14, 2013 5:56 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Make a steel string guitar bridge with hand tools?
You could plug the ends of the saddle slot if you don't want a through saddle. If you use off cuts from the bridge material it will be pretty hard to see.
You can also laminate two cheap back saws together to cut for the saddle slot. Usually it requires a veneer glued between the two saw plates. it works well and is a pretty quick method.
Author:  Mike Lindstrom [ Wed Aug 14, 2013 6:50 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Make a steel string guitar bridge with hand tools?
timbass wrote:
I am trying to learn more on using handtools like planes, rasps, scrapes, spokeshaves and chisels (and also how to best sharpen them),


The better you get at sharpening, the better everything else will go.
Author:  rtpipkin [ Wed Aug 14, 2013 8:34 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Make a steel string guitar bridge with hand tools?
How about defining the ends with a brace or egg beater drill and tiny bit, then excavating with a router plane?
Author:  dylan [ Thu Aug 15, 2013 12:10 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Make a steel string guitar bridge with hand tools?
Yeah, I use a miniature router plane to excavate my bridge slot. Comes in handy for excavating the rosette as well.
Author:  TimAllen [ Thu Aug 15, 2013 1:10 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Make a steel string guitar bridge with hand tools?
+1 on everything will go better with sharp hand tools.

If you rely too much on sandpaper and don't carefully check the shape as you go, the final product may look like it was squished into shape out of dough. DAMHIKT.

One other thing: when making bridges I use walnut as practice/jig-test wood. Walnut scraps are easy to find, and if you make a nice walnut bridge you might use it. Walnut bridges can sound really good.
Author:  timbass [ Fri Aug 16, 2013 4:43 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Make a steel string guitar bridge with hand tools?
I really enjoy asking questions in these forums, I get so many good answers, and also additional input that I had not really considered.
I really apprieciate that you take the time to provide answers to a newbie trying to learn more about guitar repair and building

(BTW: when do you go from newbie, to the next level? :-), I have been getting into this whole arena of guitar repair and building for around 18 months, and been a player for 25 years)

I have realised more that sharp tools are essential. I have learned how to sharpen chisels and scrapers and planes, I now need to get better at it.
Also, I bought some books in basic woodworking, which helped alot. Also, I am trying to make my first guitar neck, just to learn some techniques.

As for practice wood, since I live in a small town (18000+) i Northern Norway, Walnut is not easy to come by. But thank you for the tips :-)
However - spruce, oak and pine are easy to get. Although spruce and pine are soft, they do serve their purpose for practicing techniques on. And also quite cheap :-)

As for the router plane, I did not even know about that tool, but I will check it out more :-)

Once again, thank you.
Best regards,
Tim
Author:  Tai Fu [ Fri Aug 16, 2013 4:46 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Make a steel string guitar bridge with hand tools?
Have you tried birch? Some great guitars are made from birch and it's fairly hard. Otherwise maple shouldn't be hard to get either.
Author:  timbass [ Fri Aug 16, 2013 5:12 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Make a steel string guitar bridge with hand tools?
Thank you, Tai Fu. I will check it out. Should be ok to get a hold of.

best regards,
Tim
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