PTU 7's. Posted October 14, 2007 Report Share Posted October 14, 2007 Hello. I want to know if anyone can say me how to do a bridge made of brass, because i'm doing some projects and the bridges must be custom made. Here are some pics of what i want to achieve: http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n38/elm...593b937bd4f.jpg http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n38/elm...8d6a10dbb17.jpg http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n38/elm...a25e87293d0.jpg Thanks for your help. Frank. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aidlook Posted October 14, 2007 Report Share Posted October 14, 2007 Really depends on what types of tools you have access to. With proper machinery A shape like that wouldn't be very hard to make. The saddles can just be bought, and how to make the base plate really depends on the available tools. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Digideus Posted October 14, 2007 Report Share Posted October 14, 2007 I agree. Brass should be easy to machine, provided you have the machines to do it. If not, just buy one. You *COULD* build individual one piece saddles. It looks much more special! A friend of mine uses graphite saddles with an ebony block he made by hand, so it *IS* possible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PTU 7's. Posted October 14, 2007 Author Report Share Posted October 14, 2007 Yes, i forgot to say that i have the individual saddles. I only have to make the L piece. I want to know what type of tools i need to fold it. To make the holes i use a drill press. I was thinking what to use to fold the brass, one of this http://www.tusherramientas.com.ar/carrito/...a%20barbero.jpg grab the brass piece in there and hit it with a hammer. Any idea? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RGman Posted October 14, 2007 Report Share Posted October 14, 2007 Folding will be difficult without the a sheet metal folder, it will be very difficult to hammer brass in a vice. The L shaped piece could be also be machined with a milling machine out of a block of brass. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aidlook Posted October 14, 2007 Report Share Posted October 14, 2007 Hammer wouldn't be the best option imo... What you linked to is called a vice. Best bet if using a vice would be to get a much larger piece than you need to make it easier to bend and then cut off the excess Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maiden69 Posted October 14, 2007 Report Share Posted October 14, 2007 That piece you show is machined out of a block of brass. Bending the brass that sharp will be difficult because it will tend to break. Get a block of brass and get it machined to your specs, or use a file and a hack saw and do it by hand. Working with brass is very easy compared to steel! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PTU 7's. Posted October 15, 2007 Author Report Share Posted October 15, 2007 Perfect, it's a very good idea to machine the brass. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
black_labb Posted October 15, 2007 Report Share Posted October 15, 2007 alterntively you could have the bottom plate and the back block in separate parts, and hold them together with a screw that goes through both, when you tighten it they would hold together. makes for an extremely easily made bridge assuming sourcing the correct size blocks isnt hard. you could even luperglue them together if you felt it was nessisary. if your looking for a cheap option its much more economical than having a block of brass machined unless you know someone with access to a mill. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RGman Posted October 15, 2007 Report Share Posted October 15, 2007 alterntively you could have the bottom plate and the back block in separate parts, and hold them together with a screw that goes through both, when you tighten it they would hold together. makes for an extremely easily made bridge assuming sourcing the correct size blocks isnt hard. you could even luperglue them together if you felt it was nessisary. if your looking for a cheap option its much more economical than having a block of brass machined unless you know someone with access to a mill. If the two plates were screwed together you would either need a thick block to accommodate some strong bolts, or risk the string tension breaking smaller bolts. In the end it may be cheaper and easier for someone to do 5 minutes of milling. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tonality Posted November 1, 2007 Report Share Posted November 1, 2007 I think milling would be the best option (solid, secure and good transfer of energy). You could try buying an 'end mill' bit and throwing it on your drill press. you don't need high rpm to cut brass. you would also need a milling vice. between the bit and the vice you're looking at around $100. Your chuck has to have NO wobbles for an accurate cut. You might think about also getting a machinist dial indicator. They are good for all sorts of tool calibrations. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RGman Posted November 1, 2007 Report Share Posted November 1, 2007 I think milling would be the best option (solid, secure and good transfer of energy). You could try buying an 'end mill' bit and throwing it on your drill press. you don't need high rpm to cut brass. you would also need a milling vice. between the bit and the vice you're looking at around $100. Your chuck has to have NO wobbles for an accurate cut. You might think about also getting a machinist dial indicator. They are good for all sorts of tool calibrations. That is true, but some drill presses have troubles with any side load. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fookgub Posted November 1, 2007 Report Share Posted November 1, 2007 That is true, but some drill presses have troubles with any side load. Indeed they will. My drill press has problems just using a drum sander. I can say for a fact that it would not take the side load necessary to do even the lightest milling operations. As others have said, this is a very quick and easy milling operation. If you can't get access to a mill yourself, take it to a machine shop. They'll fix you right up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
black_labb Posted November 1, 2007 Report Share Posted November 1, 2007 alterntively you could have the bottom plate and the back block in separate parts, and hold them together with a screw that goes through both, when you tighten it they would hold together. makes for an extremely easily made bridge assuming sourcing the correct size blocks isnt hard. you could even luperglue them together if you felt it was nessisary. if your looking for a cheap option its much more economical than having a block of brass machined unless you know someone with access to a mill. If the two plates were screwed together you would either need a thick block to accommodate some strong bolts, or risk the string tension breaking smaller bolts. In the end it may be cheaper and easier for someone to do 5 minutes of milling. the idae was to screw the 2 pieces to the timber of the body Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PTU 7's. Posted November 2, 2007 Author Report Share Posted November 2, 2007 (edited) I'll go to a friend house that works with different metals. He will help me with this. Another thing that I was thinking it's about the ETS bridge. They look very good and the model are so amazing. Edited November 2, 2007 by PTU 7's. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stringkilla Posted November 2, 2007 Report Share Posted November 2, 2007 Years ago I made my first bridge out of Brass also. I had access to a box pan bender, a sheet metal bending tool. I think any good HVAC shop will have one or you can just solder the two main parts together. Soldering makes a goos strong joint when using flux and silver solder. But again what tools can you get free access to? Just MHO. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WezV Posted January 3, 2008 Report Share Posted January 3, 2008 Hello. I want to know if anyone can say me how to do a bridge made of brass, because i'm doing some projects and the bridges must be custom made. Here are some pics of what i want to achieve: http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n38/elm...593b937bd4f.jpg http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n38/elm...8d6a10dbb17.jpg http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n38/elm...a25e87293d0.jpg Thanks for your help. Frank. hey PTU 7's - where did you get those pics of that bridge from. Its just the kind of thing i am looking for myself at the moment but i am not a metal worker so dont necisarily want to do it myself Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Digideus Posted January 3, 2008 Report Share Posted January 3, 2008 (edited) If you have the saddles, just screw them into a base plate with screws. You will have to plot the position ahead of time, but enough 8 string builders do this with the individual saddles available these days You can just make out the screws holding the saddles on the ebony base plate on this pic. Using a metal plate and metal saddles will be easier to earth if you are using passives. Edited January 3, 2008 by Digideus Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WezV Posted January 3, 2008 Report Share Posted January 3, 2008 thanks digi - i'm a big fan of the blackmachine stuff and i wish i had used that approach on my fanned fret build Problem here is that i am after a very specific looking bridge. It has to resemble a charvel hardtail - so basically like a normal gotoh hardtail but with a thicker back edge, and it needs to be brass, not gold . It cant have the raised side sections that some mighty mite bridges have. the look has to be just right for thsi guy I managed to find such a bridge in black and chrome for a jake e lee whitey replica.. and that took a while. now i need one in brass for another JEL replica (blueburst for any JEL fans) - i could just buy another one of the black and chrome ones and strip it but it cost £64 which is stupid money for a hardtail, let alone one i am just going to strip the baseplate of the bridge in this thread would be pretty damn close so i was wondering where the photos came from and if it was someone i could buy one from Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WezV Posted January 3, 2008 Report Share Posted January 3, 2008 this, or at least a baseplate like this is what i need but in solid brass. So far my only option seem to be buy another of these and strip it down to the brass and polish it up. or make it myself (not something i have much experience with) Yes it looks 95% like a gotoh hardtail, but the baseplate is milled rather than bent and it weighs about 60 grams more than the gotoh and its the closest we could find to the originals ( which i would love to get for the guy at this stage) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Setch Posted January 3, 2008 Report Share Posted January 3, 2008 Wez, I'll have a dig through my brass scraps - if I can find a suitable bit I might be able to machine you a bassplate, providing you don't mind doing the fine surface finishing and polishing (yawn!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WezV Posted January 3, 2008 Report Share Posted January 3, 2008 setch that would be absolutely great if you could. Icould send you the black and chrome bridge i have for measurements if that helps Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dash Posted January 4, 2008 Report Share Posted January 4, 2008 your best bet would be to buy brass angle. i've got some that is about 5mm thick and about 50mm x 50mm. i think i paid about $5 for it. you can get it thicker than 5mm too. you could cut down one side to whatever height you require with a hacksaw and file smooth (or with an angle grinder if you are lazy like me!). if the base plate is too thick, you could recess the body a bit. i find that drilling pilot holes in brass is a bad thing, the drill bit seems to grab in the pilot hole and does not give a good clean hole (at least in my experience, although i don't have a drill press, just a hand drill). when you drill for the countersink, drill that first, then drill through for the screw hole. cheers darren Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Setch Posted January 4, 2008 Report Share Posted January 4, 2008 No scrap which fits the bill to be found - the offer still stands if you want to supply brass stock, or I might try to order some myself for experimenting with... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WezV Posted January 4, 2008 Report Share Posted January 4, 2008 sent you a PM setch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.