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I just finished my first three bridges and now I have a basic question. How do you go about and what do you use for polishing bridges?

I use a 6" buff in my drill press, and load it with SM coarse Menzerna.

pretty much the same here but I do it on my full buffer and do coarse and Med.

A related question: Why just polish as opposed to applying a finish?

Rosewood, ebony and most hard hard wood will polish up very nice with no finish of any kind.

[QUOTE=SStallings] A related question: Why just polish as opposed to applying a finish?[/QUOTE]

There's nothing wrong with applying a finish, but it just hasn't been done on most quality guitars for a very long time, so people tend to shy away from highly shiney bridges. CarltonM38779.6119907407

I can make a Ebony shine like a gem with good sanding, and coarse and medium compound. I think the deal with no finish is it is just not needed. The woods use for bridges and fretboards are so stable that finish is not required to protect the bridge or fretboard from the enviroment.

I sanded mine to 600 grit (220, 320, 400, 600), then hit it with some steel wool (0000 grade, oilless, very fine stuff) and buffed the heck out of it with a T-shirt. Looks polished enough to me:

[QUOTE=SStallings] A related question: Why just polish as opposed to applying a finish?[/QUOTE]

With constant play and string changes, a finish is susceptible to thinning, scratching and chipping from the affects of players sweat, careless bridge pin removal and replacement and the strings themselves in this area. Polished hardwood is much more durable and less likely to be marred by any of these events.

Cheers

Kim

Hey Kim, cool signature ya got there, sounds like beer o'clock is around the corner eh?

I keep lots of clocks around, there all set to different times of the day, that way it's always beer o'clock and I'm never really late Serge

Cheers

Kim

Just like Alan Jackson sings! it's five o'clock somewhere!