shimmy

So heres a pic of the new and old bridge.....the old one is the top and new is bottom...

as you can see the bridge willl be held down by 2 small bolts..

The finish is reasonably thick so Im guessing the only way is going to be to cut it out exactly the same as the new bridge....would the best way to do this be to temporarily correctly position the bridge in exact spot using the bolts to hold it down then trace around it? and cut that line out?

Or just cut directly around the bridge while its mounted?

Thanks alot

Shimmy

The raising you're referring too is a very natural occurance...It happens to most accoustic guitars over time....Its from the soundboard being pulled by the string tension..

You should be able to clamp the sides of the bridge flat and that will hold the middle down on its own

The knife I used was just the thinnest putty knife I could find....I heated it over a candle

Worked like a charm......

It appears as tho it was hide glue....it had a yellowish color and was fairly brittle...from what I can see, its the original bridge from when the guitar was new.....(takamine)..

I would love to hear this option ... The new bridge is about 1/4 inch bigger at the wings and a millimeter or so at the back.....

Im just waiting for the camera batteries to charge and Ill take a pic

Thanks

Shimmy

PS sorry I downsized the pic right down but it still kept coming up large??

I couldnt find any rules on posting pics....

Please let me know if this is too big

Thanks

Shimmy

Ok so....

The hot knife worked really well...its really slipped through like a hot knife thru butter

Umm the new replacement bridge is a bit bigger than the old one....expecially at the ends its a fair bit thicker..

This is a good thing since it'll cover up the footprint of the old one nicely but do I have to cut the finish away to match the new bridge before I glue it?

Im guessing I need to align the new bridge, trace around it and cut the finish away..

One other thing, Ive uploaded a pic of the bridge footprint..I was hoping someone could tell me if it needs to be fillled before gluing..

This pic is directly after the bridge has been taken off...no sanding etc.....

Thanks alot

Shimmy

thanks alot rich....

Ill let you know how i go

Cheers

Shimmy

Yea they look great and I'd buy one in a second if they were available in australia....

Its so much harder to get things here

What do you think about using a hot knife or spatula?

Thanks again for your help...

Hmm....yea chunks could certainly cause issues

One of the heating irons Stew Mac sells for heating bridges is just a piece of metal with a wooden handle that you first heat on a hotplate before heating the bridge....

Would something like this work? If I was to get the right kind of metal to hold the heat, pre heat it and then use it to heat the bridge? I guess that way I could get something of a safe size.....

Thanks alot

Shimmy

Hi,

Jst after some different tips and opinions on removing a bridge on an accoustic guitar.....I know heat is favorable method, but the finish on this guitar is very weak and I wanted to try and stay away from anything that might cause it damage....

Thanks alot

shimmy

sorry unclej when i first saw your post all i could see was the quote....

I see so thing to do would be to cut my mold in half perfectly then?

and then join it back up again when im ready to join the sides..

I see....It seems as tho my bender might just be the right heat then..

Another thing that Im wondering and didnt think about it till the last minute is..

Ive made a mold out of mdf ( its just the perfect shape of th uke jjigsawed out of 3 pieces of thick mdf and glued together.)...Are you suppposed to cut the side to the perfect length before bending? or cut it after you have bent it, but before you clamp it in the mold?

I have seen one guy make 2 molds one for each side so that the excess can hang out of the mold...But then I have seen plenty of people just clamp the sides within a complete mold..I just never see what they do before they do that

:S

Hi all

Im about to attempt to bend the sides for my uke that Im building. I have prepared a mold. I have read quite a few mixed opinions on preparing the wood to be bent. Some people say soak it for an hour, some say 5 mins and some say dont soak it at all but just mist it down.

I will be using the bending pipe. I know it will be different for every timber also. The timber Im using is approx 1.8 mm australian blackwood (black acacia)..

Thanks

Shimmy

Well I have done a few tests and it seems to be a pretty good temp...at the hotest part of the pipe, the water bounces off, further toward the end the water just steams

Im hoping I can find a happy medium part of the pipe that works well...

haha yea...

I went very cheap as well....Ended up going to a car exhaust place and getting an off cut....I picked up what used to be a freezer deffroster back in the 80's by the looks of it but its just a element shaped long and skinny.... fits perfectly in the pipe and heats it really well..

Im about to try it out tomorrow and Im terrified.....

Any last minute tips anyone? what not to do;s?

Cheers

Shimmy

Hmmm.....I wouldnt think you could get a perfect hole for the pickup to sit in but cutting or using anything circular....A friend of mine has a dobro just like my old mans only it has a pickup in the neck position...

I guess it was molded like that in the factory

Hi,

My old man has a dobro that he wants a P-90 mounted in the neck position. I was just wondering if metal cutting pieces for a router are very easy to come by. Has anyone had experience routing steel before? Is it harder than routing wood?

Anyhelp would be very appreciated..

Thanks alot

Shimmy

How was he to know what scale length the guitar was?

Instead wasting time slamming him someone could have just answered the question simply -

"the distance between the nut and the saddle on the bridge is the scale length". "the distance between the nut and the 12th fret should be exactly half that scale length."

He can figure out the complicated side of it later compensation and what not.

Hi,

Ive searched the net and havent been able to find the correct width of the fretboard for a concert scale (mine will be 15 inch) uke. (the nut and and the width at the body)...

Any help would be very appreciated...

Thanks alot

Shimmy

I believe the standard scales are:

Soprano - 13.5 inch

Concert - 14.75 inch

Tenor - 17 inch

Baritone - 20 inch

Correct me if Im wrong please

Shimmy

Great..yea Ive just moved it into my workroom....Might leave it for a week or so befoere working with it..

Thanks again fellas...

Shimmy

thanks heaps for the help everyone....Im afraid im not quite sure of the term 'sticker it'? :S....

Hi,

I got the timber for my new uke that im making but the top is slightly warped...)its 2 pieces as Im going to bookmatch the join)......I was wondering..is there anyway to straighten these? Mabye wet them and lie them inbetween to flat objects with wieghts? Or will the bracing hold it flat? its about 2mm at the moment...

Any help would be great

Thanks

Shimmy

I think the bending machine is the go

Ill give it a shot..my timber should be here in a few days

Thanks for your help..Ill keep you posted on how I go..

Thanks

Unreal...

Im definately sold on the bending machine....so whats the technical term for the metal to use for the top? thickness and what not?

Thanks alot for taking the time to help me out Rich..I appreciate it....

That jig page is great too..Ill read up on those...

Shimmy