Tool for adjusting saddle radius and height

[Jamie Roadman]

Hello All,

I have created a tool that quickly and accurately adjusts the height of an acoustic guitar saddle.  I have been using it in my shop for several years and thought I would share it in hopes of getting a little feedback.

It uses a fence on a disc sander in conjunction with radius templates and a pair of dial indicators to dial in the height. 

It can also be used to copy a saddle or create a new saddle that is taller by a desired amount.

I have a video on YouTube describing its use.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1wtXmIXFfVA&t=24s

I'd be very interested to hear your thoughts,

Jamie Roadman

[Frank Ford]

Well, I'm impressed - that fixture adds a level of precision I can't avoid admiring as I've gotten into machining in recent years! 

[Jamie Roadman]

Thanks, Frank! The idea came to me while working with sine bars.  I find it very useful and a time saver.  I’m interested in finding out if this approach appeals to anyone else in the community.  I realize it is a bit unconventional and wouldn’t work in every shop.

Like you, I got into machining after working on instruments for quite a while.  I had already learned a great deal from your instrument repair articles and as I started getting into machining I discovered your machining articles.  Thank you for sharing your knowledge with us!

Jamie

[Thomas James]

I like this. Saves time. Nice work Jamie. I will keep in mind as I work. Cheers, Tom

[Mark McLean]

Yep, that looks like a very nicely conceived and executed bit of kit.  I am a very low volume hobbyist guitar maker so I am not ever going to do enough saddle making to justify such a thing.  But I do still admire the idea, and the nice precision machining.  Nice invention!

Mark

[Jamie Roadman]

Thanks for checking it out, Thomas!

[Ned Knepp]

This is very cool and I love the engineering but like Mark, I would use it a couple of times a year. For a shop that does a lot of setups, I could see this as a real time saver/money maker.

[Jamie Roadman]

Thanks Mark and Ned for checking it out and for the positive feedback.  I appreciate you taking the time.  It really is best suited for a shop that does a lot of setup work.