Removing and Reattching the Bridge for Paint?

[sjaguar13]

I posted a topic in the finish section about painting an acoustic. It seems as though I do need to remove the bridge from all the stuff I found in Google. How would I go about getting the bridge off, then reattaching it?

http://projectguitar.ibforums.com/index.php?showtopic=11240 <-thread in the finishing section.

[Southpa]

What kind of guitar are we working on here? Is the bridge attached by other means than just glue? When I say "other" I mean nuts n' bolts. The usual sign is inlay dots on either side of the saddle covering machine screw heads. Feel around inside for screws w/ nuts. If there are dots covering screw heads then you have to pry them up to get the screws out after undoing the nuts.

You still have to deal with glue. It has to be done very carefully. Cut around the base of the bridge with a very sharp thin bladed knife, x-acto works best. Keep the blade as parallel as possible to the joint, you don't want to cut into the top. Then gently pry around all the edges being careful not to take any wood with the bridge. A wood chisel works very well. If you hear any cracking work at it from another angle. You can also try to get some heat to the glue, but thats not easy. I found a site that mentions "silicon rubber heaters" but have not researched them further. Otherwise, they have good info for what you need to do.

http://hoffmanguitars.com/Restor3.htm

Edited September 25, 2004 by Southpa

[sjaguar13]

I don't feel any screws are see any inlays. It's an Epiphone guitar.

After I get it off, how do I get it back on? Use the pins to make sure it's straight, squirt some TiteBond, and then clamp? It seems like the bridge is under a lot of tension. I don't want the bridge flying off when I play.

[Southpa]

You don't want to finish (ie. coat w/ varnish, laquer or whatever) the area where the bridge sits. Just sand it back when you sand the whole top and make sure the matching face of the bridge is sanded smooth and will mate up well with the top. Once you have the top sanded reposition the bridge exactly where it was before and draw a faint pencil line around the perimeter. Tape over the area where the bridge will sit, only slightly smaller (1/16" to 1/8" all around is OK), you want the finish to run ever so slightly under the bridge. This will give you wood on wood contact and you can lightly feather the edge of the finish down after removing the tape. But DON'T sand outside the pencil line. That is the outer perimeter of the bridge and will be noticeable.

There are various ways you can clamp the bridge back on. Special long jawed clamps can be bought at places like Stewart MacDonald (Stewmac fer short) but they can be costly, especially if this is the only acoustic you will be working on this year.

Measure how much clamping distance you need and then look around at your local hardware store for a "C" or "G" type clamp that might give you the reach. I know, once again you might not need the clamp for anything else but they are much cheaper than specialty clamps. Otherwise, borrow one.

Clamping must be done with even pressure distributed throughout the surface of the bridge. The surface of the bridge is pretty uneven so you will have to figure it out. You can use different sized blocks of wood positioned here and there, making sure they wind up at the same height, then place a larger piece of wood over those then clamp. Also, make sure you have some padding between blocks and bridge to prevent leaving any marks behind. You also want even pressure from underneath, bridge plate isn't enough, so make another block for the bridge plate and clamp. It can get pretty frustrating with all those pieces moving around, and you will wish you had 3 hands, . You don't have to torque the clamp all the way, just firmly until you see glue squirt out from all sides, nice 'n snug. Wipe off excess glue with a damp cloth.

The only other option is to cut a piece of 2X4 that approximates the depth of your guitar, insert it inside, just under the bridge plate and wedge it in with shims. It has to be pretty exact, ie. snug fit, you don't want the top bulging up or dishing down when fitting the bridge. The top must be perfectly flat. Check with a straight edge and/or test fit your bridge looking for gaps or pinch points (high spots). If its a good solid fit then glue and install the bridge, some padding and then a "heavyish" well balanced weight on top of that making sure it won't shift and cause your bridge to slide around. I would only consider this as a last resort, try real hard to dig up some clamps first.

Edited September 26, 2004 by Southpa

[sjaguar13]

Would it be better to just leave the bridge on, tape around it, and then paint? I shouldn't paint under it anyway, what's the advantage to removing it?

[Southpa]

It all depends on how much of a perfectionist you are. Leaving the bridge on will force you to sand across the grain when stripping. This will leave noticeable scratch marks fore and aft of the bridge. But sure, its up to you. You could tape off the bridge and use, maybe the end of a ruler w/ sandpaper wrapped around it then sand with the grain up to the bridge. But curves will be hard to negotiate and you just won't be able to reach the corners 100%.