Sorry to hear about your problem Wes, what a bummer
Hesh your signature is most ironic 
Cheers Kim
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| Bridge Cracking...HELP! http://www-.luthiersforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=10102&t=5449 |
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| Author: | Wes McMillian [ Sat Mar 04, 2006 11:09 am ] |
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Here I am all excited putting strings on my #1, when I hear that sickening sound. Sho' nuff, my bridge is trying to crack into the wings. Is there any hope for a fix or do I just replace it? I find it hard to see a fix since there's not really a way to open it up to get any glue in or clamp it once you do. And any idea what happened here? I'm basically using a rosewood Martin style belly bridge with a drop in/through saddle along the lines of what Mario does. The saddle slot measures .180" deep at the low E, more like .160" at the high E. The saddle was a good snug snap in fit. There's plenty of meat in front of the saddle - it's basically a copy of the bridge from Stew Mac's herringbone plan. Thoughts? Suggestions? Anything? Man I'm dying to get this thing strung up! |
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| Author: | Kim [ Sat Mar 04, 2006 12:04 pm ] |
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Sorry to hear about your problem Wes, what a bummer Hesh your signature is most ironic
Cheers Kim |
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| Author: | Don Williams [ Sat Mar 04, 2006 1:00 pm ] |
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Bummer...but you should just replace it as Hesh said. It's tough to fix a bridge, and they are cheap enough to replace. |
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| Author: | Mario [ Sat Mar 04, 2006 1:07 pm ] |
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Ouch! No, no way to fix it if it is indeed cracked. It happens. It's happened to me 3 times so far, twice on initial string-up. The two that cracked on string-up I possibly traced to the fact that one was tossed hard to the floor when buffing(though it looked fine) and the other was when I tried to rough-cut the wings with a dado cutter instead of sanding them in. Or it could have been the wood itself that had a hidden check or crack. Happens to all of us. But no matter, you need to make another. Instead of risking your finish, since you won't save this bridge, make a simple plywood form to go over it, then use a router to carefully route off nearly all of the bridge. When all you have left is a 1/32" thick "bridge", warm this and peel it off. Clean as clean gets. Take small, 1/16" cuts with the router, and take your time. In 5 minutes, you'll be done and ready for the new bridge. |
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| Author: | Wes McMillian [ Sat Mar 04, 2006 1:09 pm ] |
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Got to thinking a little more about this. True, it's not THAT big a thing to make another bridge - after all, I had to make this one. BUT, what about gluing the saddle in? I mean, a regular through saddle is glued in. Wouldn't lose anything by trying, right? If I CA it, the saddle will be bonded in the back side of the slot and can't lean forward. I could go ahead and wick in a little thin CA along the crack, glue the saddle in, clamp it front to back... Any reason why this wouldn't work? If it doesn't, then I can pull the bridge. What do y'all think? |
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| Author: | Mario [ Sat Mar 04, 2006 1:50 pm ] |
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If the guitar is for you, go for it. Nothing to lose(except it may break at the most unfortunate moment a few years from now <bg>). It's your call...] It'll certainly hold up a few weeks to at least give you your guitar to play while you whittle up a new bridge. Shoot, you can take the opportunity to change something to see if you like the change or not. Make some lemonade from this lemon! That's the spirit. |
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| Author: | Kim [ Sat Mar 04, 2006 2:49 pm ] |
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Don't go do'in that Hesh, your signature is one of the best on all the forums 
Cheers Kim |
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| Author: | Don Williams [ Sat Mar 04, 2006 11:56 pm ] |
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Mario's suggestion of routing down most of the bridge is brilliant. It can be tough going getting a bridge to heat up enough to soften the glue under it, but without all that thickness it will be a simple operation. Good one Mario! That's one worth writing down... |
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| Author: | Colin S [ Sun Mar 05, 2006 12:07 am ] |
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[QUOTE=Don Williams] Mario's suggestion of routing down most of the bridge is brilliant. It can be tough going getting a bridge to heat up enough to soften the glue under it, but without all that thickness it will be a simple operation. Good one Mario! That's one worth writing down...[/QUOTE] Yes Don, sometimes, just sometimes he shows a spark of genius. Colin |
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| Author: | Wes McMillian [ Sun Mar 05, 2006 4:13 am ] |
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Well, I glued the crack up and glued the saddle in. So far, so good! Man, this thing is sounding good already! I can see my main guitar becoming my backup real quick! Thanks for everybody's input. I'm thinking I will go ahead and make another bridge for it. This one had a couple of flaws anyhow. Or I may not look back. The new bridge may just go on #2.
BTW, cool idea about routing the bridge down, Mario. I've never hear that one. I just figgered I'd have to heat the whole thing to take it off. And, being my first, my luck is I probably would've screwed it up. I'm finishing up the setup work. I'll try to have pictures within the week. |
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| Author: | Serge Poirier [ Sun Mar 05, 2006 4:48 am ] |
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Good on ya Wes, i'm glad everything worked out fine and can't wait to see it in color! |
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| Author: | TonyKarol [ Tue Mar 07, 2006 8:02 am ] |
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Oddly enough a couple years back I had to remove a bridge that didnt need to be saved - I did the very thing Mario suggested - taped down a couple rails along side the bridge a routed the bridge down to about 1/16 - then with a heated up aluminum chunk had the rest off clean in a minute or two. Way easy. must be something in the northern ontario water Mario - I grew up in Sudbury (actually so did Anthony Z). |
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