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How I make my bridges part I
http://w-ww.luthiersforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=10102&t=1520		 Page 1 of 2
Author:  LanceK [ Wed Mar 30, 2005 11:53 am ]
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For anyone interested
Here is a little step by step how I make my bridges.

First I select the materials.
Pictured below is an Ebony blank, one Brazilian Rosewood, one Snakewood, Honduras Rosewood and a Mexican Cocobolo blank.




Here I'm thicknessing them to all the same thickness using my performax sander. Lots of passes, a little at a time.



Now they get shaped on my router table using a jig John How made for me. But first I trace the bridge out line on them and rough cut the shape on the ban saw, leaving about 1/8" to trim off on the router table. More than that and it gets a little dicy..







Here I have the bridge blank held firmly in another jig used for routing the saddle slot (More on that later. After drilling the holes for the pins I use a step bit to counter sink and chamfer the pin holes.





Here they all been shaped to there final size. Part II I'll profile the top using my Luthiers Friend & Robosander. And route the saddle slot.




Again, for anyone interested, I hope this helps LanceK38442.2904398148
Author:  Josh H [ Wed Mar 30, 2005 12:21 pm ]
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I really need to make me one of those router jigs. It woul sure save time. Thanks Lance, that way helpful.

Josh
Author:  Ron Priest [ Wed Mar 30, 2005 12:23 pm ]
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Thanks Lance. Hey how do you like using snakewood for a bridge? It looks very nice. Would you then use snakewood for bindings and headstock material? Look forward to seeing the rest of the tutorial. Have a good evening.
Author:  Josh H [ Wed Mar 30, 2005 12:41 pm ]
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I was going to comment on that nice looking snakewood as well. I have a blank ready to go for a guitar I am building for my sister. It has snakewood bridge, binding, and Waverly tuners with the SW buttons.

Where did you get the SW Lance? I'm always on the lookout for more suppliers. I bought my blank from LMI and they are the only ones I have found who sell SW bridge blanks. Also does anyone know where to get SW fingerboard blanks? I have seen de Jonge use a lot of SW on his guitars and I really like the fingerboards.

Josh
Author:  Brock Poling [ Wed Mar 30, 2005 1:07 pm ]
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You can regularly find them from an ebay seller.... I think he goes by the moniker "thewoodjunkie"... but I am not 100% certain of that.

They are usually $20, or $22. I just found him. The blanks are nice. Expensive... but nice.
Author:  Darin Spayd [ Wed Mar 30, 2005 1:42 pm ]
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Do you keep the grain straight, or do you skew it a bit?
Author:  Steve Kinnaird [ Wed Mar 30, 2005 2:02 pm ]
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Lance, you make it look easy! That Cocobolo surely came to life after sanding. Thanks for the peek.

SK
Author:  LanceK [ Wed Mar 30, 2005 9:44 pm ]
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Steve- you bet it did! Truth is, I needed to make (one) bridge for a current guitar, but I couldn't resist making a batch of them using the wood you sent. It was a virtual buffet of smells With the Brazilian winning by a nose over the Honduran Rosewood (Very nutty. I figure a nice selection of bridge woods will make a creative looking picture for my website.
Author:  LanceK [ Wed Mar 30, 2005 10:01 pm ]
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Ron - yes I plan to use snakewood for the bindings and headstock (Maybe). Ill keep ya posted .. Thanks
Author:  johno [ Wed Mar 30, 2005 10:23 pm ]
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Here is a tutorial I made up a while back:

http://www.osthoffguitars.com/shop/howto/bridges/bridges.htm l

I do a few things a little differently but not much. Hope this one is helpful.

JO
Author:  Brock Poling [ Wed Mar 30, 2005 11:57 pm ]
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That is a good tutorial Lance / John.

Lance... one question for you. When you are drilling your holes do you have a registration pin under that jig? Have you mechanized your hole placement?
Author:  Colby Horton [ Thu Mar 31, 2005 12:13 am ]
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Thanks for posting that Lance. It’s very helpful. I’ll be watching for part II.
Author:  LanceK [ Thu Mar 31, 2005 12:19 am ]
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Yes - go here and see John How's How to in the jigs section, I forgot all about this...

John Hows HOW TO
Author:  Terry Stowell [ Thu Mar 31, 2005 2:15 am ]
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Nice treatice Lance,

I am working up the same routine, just haven't settled on a final bridge design. I like yours and it's what I envisioned doing. I had my brother make up a modified version of a Taylor bridge and a modified Olson headstock on Autocad, but wasn't completely satisfied with it. I like the gentle curve on the ends of the bridge feet. How did you design it? Any computer aid? Any problem with somone using that design?
Author:  LanceK [ Thu Mar 31, 2005 2:17 am ]
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John How helped be design it for me.. I pointed him to a few that I liked and he went from there ..
Author:  Josh H [ Thu Mar 31, 2005 2:31 am ]
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Terry

Just a word of caution. I have heard of Taylor going after other builders using bridge designs that are close to theirs. Even small shop operations like some of the guys on here. I'd make sure that your design was not to close to theirs.

Josh
Author:  Terry Stowell [ Thu Mar 31, 2005 2:50 am ]
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Yes, that's why I don't want to use it. AS far as the "Olsonesque" headstock, ditto, but I will probably send a prototype to him and ask his thoughts if it winds up being that similar. I certainly want to find my own quazi "permanent" design without copying others. Thanks
Author:  Brock Poling [ Thu Mar 31, 2005 3:00 am ]
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I think we are all in that boat to some degree. However, I find that even amongst the big boys there is a lot of "borrowing" of design. Just look at Olson's Bridges, or Kevin Ryan's peg head. A lot of guitars through history have had very similar looks.

I don't think there is anything especially wrong with inspiration coming from others (provided you are not blatently copying it or trying to fool anyone into thinking your guitar is the production model).

But I would be cautious.... The big boys (Gibson, Fender, PRS, etc.) are having a turf war high above our heads with regard to intellectual property and we could end up collateral damage if we get in their way.
Author:  LanceK [ Thu Mar 31, 2005 3:09 am ]
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If you think about it, regarding a bridge, it's what, 1.5 X 4" - it has 6 holes that hold 6 pins, and a slot that will hold a saddle of some type. That don't leave much real estate for designing something -SO- different that its not at least - something- like everyone else's.
I know there is a war going on about this stuff, but its just ludicrous, its like trying to trade mark a tuner hole!
"Um you cant drill your tuner holes there because thats were I put mine!"
Author:  Brock Poling [ Thu Mar 31, 2005 4:26 am ]
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I agree... it is crazy.
Author:  John Kinnaird [ Thu Mar 31, 2005 5:12 am ]
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That is very cool Lance. I am inspired to do that. I always cut my bridge slot first, when the blank is "in the square". I bought that small Grizzley milling machine and just use it pretty much for bridge slots. Overkill for sure but the milling vice likes parallel surfaces to clamp to.

I really like that step drill idea and will go to the hardware store today to get one. Excellent!
Author:  LanceK [ Thu Mar 31, 2005 5:23 am ]
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Thanks John, ya I actually stumbled on that

The drill was about 20 bucks IIFC - I bought it to install a end pin jack.

My jig that John made me has an angled block that holds the bridge blank at the proper angel for the saddle slot.
Pretty sweet jig i think.

John Hows good at coming up with them ideas ..
Author:  Dickey [ Thu Mar 31, 2005 5:37 am ]
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Yeah Lance. I have that tool too and now I know what to do with it the rest of the time. I'm tooling up for bridges soon and have a prototype in the drawer.

You and John got it going on there buddy.... nice.

Also, John O. chimed in with his setup which is really really nice. Funny, it can take as long to build a webpage to show folks as it does to make four bridges...

My only problem is no milling machine. Maybe the old drill press'll do? We'll see.Dickey38442.6301736111
Author:  LanceK [ Thu Mar 31, 2005 5:39 am ]
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John does have a nice milling machine, but you can acomplish the same thing (saddle slot) with the John How jig and a lam trimmer.
Author:  John How [ Thu Mar 31, 2005 7:36 am ]
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Glad to see your getting some use out of that thing Lance. I use a counter sink bit to chamfer my pin holes but it all does the same thing only different. I have resized my bridge so had to make a new shaper jig. I still need to come up with something cool to handle the vertical profile, I usually do it freehand on the drum sander.
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