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Bridge blanks
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Author:  banjopicks [ Thu Jun 06, 2024 6:38 am ]
Post subject:  Bridge blanks

I made a bunch of bridge Blanks this morning. From left to right, the first one is unknown wood. The next 3 are Brazilian rosewood and the last 4 are macassar ebony. Next I'll shape them and store them for future guitars.

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Author:  bcombs510 [ Thu Jun 06, 2024 6:49 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Bridge blanks

Is the mystery wood padauk?

Good goin!


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Author:  banjopicks [ Thu Jun 06, 2024 7:35 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Bridge blanks

bcombs510 wrote:
Is the mystery wood padauk?

Good goin!


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That's my guess as well. It has a nice ring to it.

Author:  banjopicks [ Thu Jun 06, 2024 11:15 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Bridge blanks

After posting this pic on FB, friends and family think I'm some kind of genius. It's amazing laughing6-hehe

Author:  bcombs510 [ Thu Jun 06, 2024 12:41 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Bridge blanks

When I used to rock climb I had completed many 5.12+ rated routes. At one point in time that was world class. In my time it was intermediate class. However, to the other 99.9% of the world who had no idea about rock climbing I was spiderman. :D

Just remember you’re always somebody’s hero.


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Author:  banjopicks [ Sun Jun 09, 2024 6:59 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Bridge blanks

Made some bridge making jigs yesterday. I'm waiting for a bottom bearing router bit now. The robo sander in the drill press is too slow.

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Author:  banjopicks [ Wed Jun 12, 2024 7:56 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Bridge blanks

My practice bridge blank. Good enough to use one day. I used a cheap router bit for the wings and it worked great.

I noticed the holes are not in line perfectly. I have the stewmac template but it must have moved while making the punch marks. Somehow, I didn't catch it. I'm going to make a drill guide for it

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I need to do a little more work on this jig to get the whole thing in one shot by moving the clamp/clamps.

Author:  Pmaj7 [ Wed Jun 12, 2024 1:40 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Bridge blanks

Do you cut both wings with the same direction bit?

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Author:  banjopicks [ Wed Jun 12, 2024 2:16 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Bridge blanks

Pmaj7 wrote:
Do you cut both wings with the same direction bit?

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I flipped it end for end.

Author:  Terence Kennedy [ Wed Jun 12, 2024 6:04 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Bridge blanks

Another way to cut the wings is with a belt sander jig like the one pictured here to thicknesses a headstock. That’s what I eventually gravitated to.

ImageIMG_3860 by Terence Kennedy, on Flickr

Author:  CarlD [ Wed Jun 12, 2024 9:01 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Bridge blanks

Yep. That's what I use.

Author:  SteveSmith [ Thu Jun 13, 2024 5:00 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Bridge blanks

+1

Author:  Colin North [ Thu Jun 13, 2024 5:31 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Bridge blanks

Yup. pretty much what I do.

Author:  banjopicks [ Thu Jun 13, 2024 5:42 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Bridge blanks

The router works perfect fir the bridge but I'd like to use my belt sander for the back of the peghead as Terrance shows. I can't tell how you adjust that thing from the photo. Could you please explain?

Author:  guitarjtb [ Thu Jun 13, 2024 8:21 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Bridge blanks

banjopicks wrote:
The router works perfect fir the bridge but I'd like to use my belt sander for the back of the peghead as Terrance shows. I can't tell how you adjust that thing from the photo. Could you please explain?

That is not my jig, but this is how I do it on a similar belt sander jig.
Slide either the jig or the sander for rough adjustment, and use .019" veneer shims, on the bed of the jig, for finer adjustments. I also keep a few plastic dealer car tags around, to use as a little thicker shim. They are usually about .030" thick and free at your local car dealer. You can cut them to shape with scissors .
Cardboard, from cereal boxes, also works great as shims.

Author:  Terence Kennedy [ Thu Jun 13, 2024 9:21 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Bridge blanks

My jig is on a hinge and adjustment is via a 1/2” threaded rod. I’ll take pictures when I get home. One thing I did was sand a second board flat with the jig and attach it to the movable board to insure everything was co-planar. You can see it in the picture.

Author:  banjopicks [ Thu Jun 13, 2024 9:32 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Bridge blanks

Terence Kennedy wrote:
One thing I did was sand a second board flat with the jig and attach it to the movable board to insure everything was co-planar. You can see it in the picture.


I like that!! Thanks

Author:  Terence Kennedy [ Thu Jun 13, 2024 11:29 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Bridge blanks

Here's a picture of my rig. 1/2" threaded rod that fits into a pivoting support for the adjustable hinged sanding support. I put wing nuts on to lock it in position but rarely use them to lock it. It stays put quite well at the adjusted setting when sanding.

ImageIMG_9325 by Terence Kennedy, on Flickr

ImageIMG_9328 by Terence Kennedy, on Flickr

Author:  SteveSmith [ Fri Jun 14, 2024 2:22 pm ]
Post subject:  Bridge blanks

Another take on an adjustable table for a belt sander. Structure looks a bit odd because it started out on a 4" x 36" sander before being moved to this 6" x 48" sander. Higher quality turnbuckle for adjustment has no slop, provides small increments and does not need to be locked.

Image
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Author:  Woodie G [ Sat Jun 15, 2024 7:42 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Bridge blanks

We used something similar to Mr. Smith's 6 x 48 inch belt sander jig for tapering head stocks as seen on some older Gibson and Epiphone instruments, and there are a few things of note for use with bridge wings:

- The radius cut will be the outside radius of the abrasive riding on the idler roller, so likely greater than the 1" seen on Martin and some other brands
of guitars

- There is a slight crown on the idler roller necessary for tracking control, so for something like a peg head, this can generate a noticeably thinner center than edges (0.010"-0.015" on the Rockwell unit at Greenridge) which required a bit of cleanup by working the peg head across the table width. For bridge wings, I doubt this would be noticeable over the ~1" width. The heavier the backing and newer the belt, the less stretch and variation from the centerline radius, so a good excuse to change the belt for a fresh one.

-Another advantage of the 6" x 48" belt sander is that a few fine tip marker lines on the bed of the jig is all that is needed to keep the work square to the idler roller. This ease of keeping things square is in contrast to a drill press drum sanding jig or oscillating spindle sander, where an edge reference surface must be used, making pre-shaping of the bridge planview inadvisable on all but rectangular bridges.

For work that requires a smaller radius, a sanding drum in a drill press or (much better) an oscillating spindle sander allows choice of wing radius at the cost of altering the order of build for the bridge (planview trim AFTER bridge wing tapering and top profile radius). The sanding drum method works, but any run-out in the drum makes for slow going and scraper rework after rough milling. Also, most drill presses are really not intended to take lateral loads at the end of something like a sanding drum, while a spindle sander is designed for that use case.

Author:  banjopicks [ Tue Jun 18, 2024 7:42 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Bridge blanks

I'm now making a hole jig out of maple. It's a bear to get these holes right in wood, I think metal would be easier but I don't have any. I'm considering adding metal pipe into this block, the holes look good.

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