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I am fixing a kid's guitar for a friend.

It needs the bridge reglued and a new nut. It is only a 3/4 size guitar and the sound hole is too small for me to get my hand in. I am kind of scratching my head about how to easily make a bridge caul (since I can't easily see or feel the bracing and bridge patch... and how to get it in there?

I am sure this is not a challenge for you repair guys, but I mostly focus on building... so this is new ground for me.

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

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Brock Poling
Columbus, Ohio
http://www.polingguitars.com

The cawl I use for clamping the bridge plate to my top on the gobar deck is just a piece of plywood shaped similar to the pridge plate but slightly smaller. It has kerfs cut from front to back allowing it to conform to the radius of the top. You could attach this to your clamp with tape or whatever means and insert that thru the sound hole. Once the first clamp is in you could then insert another clamp to each side of the center clamp. It may take a couple tries to get the right size if you can't get your hand in. Use a mirror lying on the back inside of the guitar to make sure of the fit or shape.

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Tickle your guitar daily, and it'll tickle you back.

Brock- you want to borrow my vac clamp? Ill send it down ifya do.

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Lance@LuthiersForum.com

Vacuum seems to be the easiest. Or you could try making a mold using Stew Mac's Crazy Plastic. You heat it up and manipulate as you like. when it dries it is rock hard. So you could make a mockup from an existing guitar/pattern...some thing loose fitting. Slip it in place ( you could even make a handle attached just by shaping one) and clamp it up. I think Lances solution sounds the easiest as you won't need to put your hand inside at all. Also if you need to sand any part inside remember Erlewine's magnet trick...they sell some really strong magnets. attach some sand paper to one and sand away by moving the other. Works like a charm!

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Dave Bland

remember...

"If it doesn't play in tune...it's just pretty wood"

Thanks. The vac sounds like my quickest bet.

Thanks for the offer Lance. I have been meaning to make one of these up anyway. I have all the parts. I will just bang one out -- it is a good excuse to build it.

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Brock Poling
Columbus, Ohio
http://www.polingguitars.com

there ya go! want some close up pics of mine or do you have it all figured out?

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Lance@LuthiersForum.com

Close up pics are always helpful. :-)

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Brock Poling
Columbus, Ohio
http://www.polingguitars.com

You could put a light in side and some tracing paper in top, turn down the room lights and trace the shadows of the braces and bridge plate. then make your cutouts for the braces on your caul deeper than the braces. Kind of a Frank Ford-isem MichaelP38461.7078587963

Michael, that's what I just did to repair a soprano uke. Then, like John, I super glued the caul to the first clamp. Easy.

Before you do that though, you may want to tap around the top to hear if there are any loose braces -- a fairly common problem on older kids' guitars.

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D..