R. True

I'd love to leave them for a week or more without touching the saddle or nut, just to let the tension settle in, but usually it's only a day or two and then it's getter done.

I wouldn't use threaded inserts, just drill and tap the mold, just drill down 1/2-1" and you'd be fine. you won't pull out the all thread by the force needed to clamp down the top.

How bout these ones very inexpensive.

I've never used pipette's though so I don't know if these are up to snuff.

Just do a search on ebay, there are tons of multiple (100-500) packs available for good prices.

Hi Rich, yup it's me Rod. I don't know how I've never found this forum before someone posted a link to it on the OLF. Great looking site and group of folks

Good luck sanding your 0.090" thick bridgeplate to a 25' radius. Just the slightest pressure from your finger tips will bend the plate and it won't sand out perfect. There will always be a gap of some sort, somewhere in the bridge plate to push down against the top plate.

Also, when clamping down the bridge plate, no one has mentioned using a clamping caul over top of it. If using the go-bars alone you get point loads only where the go-bars are (the bridge plate is to thin to distribute the load any real amount) so having a clamping caul of 3/4" MDF or plywood will distribute the load of the go-bars alot more through the bridge plate. Also if you go through the trouble of sanding the radius into the bridge plate, you better do it on the clamping caul too.

You can get an inexpensive fret saw from Home Depot or other hardware stores. Get your self a stanley double sided flush cut saw like this, cost is low as you can see. It cuts a slot which is 0.023" and works great as a fret saw. Here's what I did with my Stanley saw. I cut it in half than I made a hardwood handle and epoxied it in (makes it more ridgid). I made 4 fretboards with it before I went to the tablesaw and a powered system.