Official Luthiers Forum!

Seeing that level of mastery is humbling (in a good way, that is).

Thanks for the posts, David!

Pat

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formerly known around here as burbank
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http://www.patfosterguitars.com

David, thanks so much for posting this!

Did you leave the bottom of the bridge flat, i.e. not shaped to match the belly of the soundboard?

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Todd Rose
Ithaca, NY

https://www.dreamingrosesecobnb.com/todds-art-music

https://www.facebook.com/ToddRoseGuitars/

Thanks Todd. Though I didn't get in to showing it, I do curve the bottom of the bridge to fit the top best as possible.

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Eschew obfuscation, espouse elucidation.

wow, talk about every day being a school day - felt like a phd in one day today!!
fantastic oppotunity for the likes of me to learn, I really appreciate you sharing all this stuff David.

How i would love to read an encyclopedia of repairs by you....eh!?...eh!!?

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www.theguitarrepairworkshop.com

David...Very nice tutorial! Thanks for posting...looking forward to your next installment.

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JJ
Napa, CA
http://www.DonohueGuitars.com

Sometime I'd like to see how you route that little ledge around the bottom edge of the bridge. It seems like it would be a bit tricky with the bottom of the bridge not being flat.

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Todd Rose
Ithaca, NY

https://www.dreamingrosesecobnb.com/todds-art-music

https://www.facebook.com/ToddRoseGuitars/

This is about the only thing I use a Dremel for anymore. I radiused a rosewood cap for the base and keep this setup as a dedicated ledge router, clamp the dremel in a vise and treat it like a mini router table. The curve is exaggerated to fit the most extreme radius, so an average bridge can wobble on the center and you do have to make sure it's held firmly against the base right over the cutter. It's set up so that it can't cut too deep though, only too shallow, so I usually just go around 2 or 3 times to clean it all up and make it even.

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Eschew obfuscation, espouse elucidation.

Thanks very much for that David.

I will look forward to any future instalments.

Cheers

Bob

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Bob Connor
Geelong, Australia

Cool, David. Thanks!

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Todd Rose
Ithaca, NY

https://www.dreamingrosesecobnb.com/todds-art-music

https://www.facebook.com/ToddRoseGuitars/

I almost missed my bus this morning because I was caught up reading your post.

Like everyone else, I would love to read more when ever you have something you want to share.

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Aoibeann

David, one more question about the dremel set up, if you don't mind. Did you fabricate the brass guide from scratch yourself, or is that an existing guide (modified, perhaps)?

Thanks again.

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Todd Rose
Ithaca, NY

https://www.dreamingrosesecobnb.com/todds-art-music

https://www.facebook.com/ToddRoseGuitars/

If one doesn't like power tools, I guess the bridge ledge can be made simply by clamping a scraper to the bottom of the bridge then cut the ledge with a sharp 2mm chisel. I just tried it and it goes well if the chisel is well sharpened and you take it light and slow.

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Build log

Awesome thread.
I love how you removed the bridge plate. A friend just brought by his Yamaha 12 string for me to look at.
The back set of holes are only half on the bridge plate. The original bridge plate was way too small.

I am going to PM you about your setup
Thanks
Andy

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Andy Z.
http://www.lazydogguitars.com

Fantastic post David. You really know your stuff, I could listen to you all day talk about these old guitars. I really like your dedication to the overall look and authenticity towards the whole instrument and really trying to make it look like what a luthier back in '42 would have done.

Thanks for the great post!

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-Rob Eckert
Ann Arbor, Michigan

Another vote for totally awesome.

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Mike

"The Dude abides. I don't know about you but I take comfort in that. It's good knowin' he's out there. The Dude. Takin' 'er easy for all us sinners. Shoosh." The Stranger

Very great job and thanks for sharing!

I'm really interseted in getting my hands on some of those heating cartriges you use. Where did you get those?

Thanks again!

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Alain Moisan
Former full time builder of Acoustics, Classicals and Flamencos.
(Now building just for fun!)

Thanks again folks.

Todd, no I didn't make the brass guide myself. It's an old StewMac guide fro binding slots (not sure if they still make it) and a StewMac Dremel base. The one before this was much simpler - a cheap laminate trimmer screwed to a piece of plywood and mounted on four legs. For the guide I just used a chunk of wood with a notch cut out, and basically a rod anchored in it come down over the cutter as guide. For adjustments, I just cut the two clearance holes on the guide block a bit oversized, and would loosen, reposition, and tighten to set the cutting width. Same radius cut in the top on that, but it also had a spring-loaded guard/guide to hold it down directly on the cutter - didn't really work that well, so I dropped that feature on this one.

Alain, I don't recall where I originally got the heat cartridges - probably on ebay or at a flea market. They're cheap and easy to find at about any industrial supply warehouse - Grainger, McMaster Carr, those sorts of shops. They come in about every shape, size and power. They're certainly a handy thing to have around.

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Eschew obfuscation, espouse elucidation.

Thanks, David.

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Todd Rose
Ithaca, NY

https://www.dreamingrosesecobnb.com/todds-art-music

https://www.facebook.com/ToddRoseGuitars/

Thanks for the info David. I'll look them up for sure!

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Alain Moisan
Former full time builder of Acoustics, Classicals and Flamencos.
(Now building just for fun!)

Thanks, David. I have one of those old Stew-Mac Dremel so-called binding edge router thingys I got in a package deal kicking around in a junk drawer somewhere. Finally a good use for it!

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Wes McMillian
Santo, TX
http://www.wesmcmillian.com