Acoustic Guitars

[kwakatak]

I don't know how to send private messages but I just wanted to tell you that I got the package today Freeman. I'm trying to figure out how to employ it though. It looks like I have to have the bridge glued to the top of the guitar in order for the Stewmac jig to be functional as it was intended. I may have to break out my little plywood jig and see if I can use that to hold the blank steady.

In the meantime I ordered some small pearloid dots for my fingerboard. I've opted to use the same dots as the side markers just like on my Larrivee. I don't have the drive to do fancy stuff and like the look on my Larrivee anyway. Then I'm off to Rockler as soon as I'm able to pick up some epoxy to glue down the fingerboard. In the meantime, I chose to use a cabinet scraper to smooth the top a bit. I've heard others use finer grades of sandpaper in succession but I'm not a fan of all the dust. The scraper isdull but cedar is soft and a careful touch seems to be having an effect.

So in summary, I'm going to glue the fretboard to the neck (not the extension though) and use it to figure out how thick my bridge blank needs to be. Then I'll draw all the necessary lines on the blank and set to routing the slot and drilling the pin holes. I have me a nice new drill thanks to Santa and a passable jig in lieu of an actual drill press.

[Freeman_Keller]

Glad it got there.  You are right, it was designed for routing the bridge after gluing on the top (think Martin repairs) but I jury rigged a way to hold my bridge blank on the workbench while routing.   Here is a recreation - note that this was a weissenborn bridge so there is no compensation

[IMG]http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f387/Freeman_Keller/Weissenborn/IMG_1082.jpg[/IMG]

I simply clamped some 1/2 MDF to the workbench on each side (youy could use flathead screws through the MDF into another piece of MDF or plywood.   I put a shim under the bridge blank so that it stands a little proud.   It might be a good idea to put a piece of double sticky tape or a couple little drops of white glue to help hold the bridge blank down - you can pop that loose when you are done.

My suggestion is to fart around a little with some scrap, see if its going to work, if not send it all back.   I would recommend experimenting with the larger bits - the 1/8 is slightly fragile and might be kind of dull.

Also, my PM is **bleep** right now and I've created a new me so if you need to get ahold of me use freemanDOTkellerAThotmailDOTcom

[Freeman_Keller]

Thats interesting.   Just embedding the photo string doesn't seem to embed the picture like it used to.   Also, looks like fart is ok to the net nanny while the acronym for fouled up beyond all recognition is not

[kwakatak · Accepted solution]

Thanks again, Freeman. I'll be sure to practice on some quarter inch thick SPF and make a cradle of birch ply. First a question about the bit size though: my plans call for an eighth of an inch wide slot. you mentioned using a 3/32" bit. Are you referring to the diameter of the shank or the cutting end itself?

[kwakatak]

Okay this new forum is just confusing. I clicked something I hope I didn't close the darn thread, but I had another thought after I hit post:

My additional question is can I ship the bridge like I did the first time around before doing the slot or should I do the slot and the pin holes first?

[Freeman_Keller]

---

kwakatak wrote:
Thanks again, Freeman. I'll be sure to practice on some quarter inch thick SPF and make a cradle of birch ply. First a question about the bit size though: my plans call for an eighth of an inch wide slot. you mentioned using a 3/32" bit. Are you referring to the diameter of the shank or the cutting end itself?

---

There were several PM's about this but they must have gotten all lost.   The normal Martin slot is 3/32 and that is what most blanks will be.   Somewhere in my mess of tools I have a 3/32 dremel bit but couldn't find it.   Some people use 1/8 inch (4/32) for their saddles - there are some advantages including wider bone to do your compensation.   I did find a 1/8 inch bit and a couple of even larger ones (use them for experimenting but not the actual saddle).   If you do use 1/8 you might have to hunt a little more for saddle blanks, but I know that you can find them.  btw - that bit is kind of old and doesn't look very good - it will probably make one saddle just fine but go very slowly.

All of these bits from 3/32 up have a 3/32 shank and this takes a special collet which is included.   Unscrew yours, put the inner piece in and use the large outer piece for any of those bits

Last thing is to experiment with the way the down cut feature of that router base works.  You will need to fiddle a bit with the thumb screws to get the depth correct.   Again, experiment with scrap.

[Freeman_Keller]

---

kwakatak wrote:

My additional question is can I ship the bridge like I did the first time around before doing the slot or should I do the slot and the pin holes first?

---

The only way that I can see to make that jig work is to either use it as SM intended and route the slot after you have glued the bridge on the guitar.    If you are doing that I would lay out the line where you want it to be on the blank, drill the pin holes, then shape the bridge itself.   Glue it on, double check that the line is where you expect it to be, then route the slot.   I think SM intended this for fixing the "out of place" saddle slot on old Martins - you would fill the slot then route a new one with the bridge on the guitar.

I have only used it once for a new bridge and that was for the second Weissenborn (I had problems with the first so I bought the jig).    I clamped the rectangular hunk of rosewood to my bench as in the photo, routed the slot, then layed out and drilled the pin holes before ever starting to shape the bridge itself.   It is much easier to clamp a rectangular piece of wood - both for routing and in the drill press.   I actually routed several - the one in the picture was a reject.  I mostly used my belt sander to shape the bridge itself.   Once it was glued on I drilled the pin holes thru the top using the ones in the bridge as a guide, countersunk the holes, reamed and  slotted them.   For some reason I didn't take many pictures of the process, here is all I have (new forums image posting feature is currently not working)

http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f387/Freeman_Keller/Weissenborn/IMG_0554.jpg

I'll be absolutely honest, all of my other builds have used store bought bridges.   One potential problem with this is that pin holes may not be the spacing you want, but it is possible to buy them shaped but not drilled.   Anyway, play with this, if it doesn't work you might have to come up with plan B

[Freeman_Keller]

I found a link to a build by Kathy Matsushita (another weissie) that shows building the bridge.   This is almost exactly how I did mine.  Difference, of course, is that the saddle will be angled

http://home.comcast.net/~kathymatsushita/retirement/htmlpages/weiss15.html

[guitarist21]

Kwak, I'm not sure what you hit that made you think you closed the thread, but here in the mobile environment when you read your original post it has a little bar on the bottom which reads "Solved! See solution."

[kwakatak]

 As you can see I took the jig I had made and sort of took bits and pieces of birch ply that were scraps from my mold and am trying to make something to hold the blank in place. I'm not quite there yet and haven't been able to play with the Dremel yet.

[Freeman_Keller]

Posting the photo link inside the [img] thingies no longer seems to work (which is how Photobucket wants to do it).   You need to take only the link and use the little picture icon.   Interestingly it seems like my old threads with pictures posted the old way still work.

I tried pasting that link into my URL box but it only takes me to Photobucket - not the picture.    Situation normal, all screwed up....

[carguy]

---

Freeman_Keller wrote:

Posting the photo link inside the [img] thingies no longer seems to work (which is how Photobucket wants to do it).   You need to take only the link and use the little picture icon.   Interestingly it seems like my old threads with pictures posted the old way still work.

I tried pasting that link into my URL box but it only takes me to Photobucket - not the picture.    Situation normal, all screwed up....

---

FWIW, I just posted some pics and I was able to do it from my desktop directly into the post, using the photo icon on the tool bar. I thought I would have to upload them via Photobucket with a URL, but evidently you can now do it directly from your computer. 

[kwakatak]

There's actually two options: "from a website" or "from my computer" but it doesn't look like a drop down menu. This interface is just not that good.

[kwakatak]

I bought a 3/32" downcut bit off Amazon and have been practicing on a piece of scrap. I can't quite get a hang of Stewmac's ajustable router/dremel base though. Every cut I make is 1/8" because the Dremel loosens the components and the angle doesn't stay true. I'm practicing with it more and more but I think I'm going to have to settle for a 1/8" thick saddle as per my plans, not Martin's standard.

I also need to shape and inlay my fretboard. I have some epoxy ready to mix up and use to glue it to the neck. I just need to fashion a couple of pins to keep the fretboard from slipping out of alignment while the epoxy dries.

[guitarist21]

---

kwakatak wrote:

I also need to shape and inlay my fretboard. I have some epoxy ready to mix up and use to glue it to the neck. I just need to fashion a couple of pins to keep the fretboard from slipping out of alignment while the epoxy dries.

---

What are you doing for inlays, K?

[kwakatak]

Just real small pearloid dots - just like on my Larrivee. It's something I could always come back to anyway.

[Freeman_Keller]

I'm sorry it isn't working - I had to futz around a lot to clamp my blank (and frankly I've only used it twice so I don't have a lot of experience with it).   That slot needs to be very precise - as you know the saddle needs to fit snuggly.   Have you talked to Tim about it?   Possibly a bit of double sticky tap to hold it to your work bench.

For pearl dots I've had good luck with just drilling holes with a brad point bit - a drill press is very handy.   You can do it before or after you radius the board - if you do it after let the dots stand a little proud on the sides and sand them to the radius of the board.

[kwakatak]

Hi, Freeman! I sent you a PM to your old account. I read elsewhere that you couldn't get in and started the new account. I can't recall what I'd written so let me sum up:

Question: does the stewmac stand have a plunge capability? It doesn't appear to so I've been setting it to the maximum depth and cutting in little pilot holes at an angle. FWIW the resulting slot is clean and level at the base but like I said before, it's approximately 1/8" wide. I haven't had much problem with my scrap pieces chattering around so much. I hold the base with two hands and plant a finger on the piece i'm cutting into. I'm considering on fashioning a screw/wasger clamp though.

[Freeman_Keller]

Yeah, my old account is in Never Never Land right now.    The router base does not plunge - what I did was set it up with the bit just above the work piece, make all the adjustments and go back and forth with the motor turned off.  I did drill pilot holes in each end and lowered the bit with the motor off until it fit the holes.   I made several very shallow cuts, turning the knurled knobs a couple of turns to lower it each time (turn the motor off).

The system isn't perfect but without a milling machine I don't know what else to do.  

[knockwood]

---

Freeman_Keller wrote:

Yeah, my old account is in Never Never Land right now.    The router base does not plunge - what I did was set it up with the bit just above the work piece, make all the adjustments and go back and forth with the motor turned off.  I did drill pilot holes in each end and lowered the bit with the motor off until it fit the holes.   I made several very shallow cuts, turning the knurled knobs a couple of turns to lower it each time (turn the motor off).

The system isn't perfect but without a milling machine I don't know what else to do.  

---

FK, I'm wondering what your overall take is on the SM Precision Router Base. Every time I use it, I end up suspecting I was dropped on my head - several times - in my early days because I have an unbelievable bastard of a time adjusting it to the depth I want. I find it to be an utterly necessary, indispensable tool - I really have no idea how on earth I'd live without it. But the simple matter of adjusting it up/down/deeper/shallower and at the same setting the bottom of the base on a flat plane drives me insane every single time. I can never tell whether I'm actually making precisely the opposite adjustment that I mean to...

Is it just me? I find myself wishing they'd reinvent the thing a little to make it easier/more intuitive.

Rick has mentioned some similar frustration with the PRB, but I think he's just being nice - the bastard.