Cedar Top Bridge Re-Glue

[Lee Brown]

This Cedar Top Seagull came to the bench with the bridge already off and quite a hump where it once sat. The guitar was left in the trunk for a few days in a NC summer. The hump has come down quite a bit and I'm now seeking advice. You can see in the pics where the wood is missing on the top and is still attached to the bridge. The bridge plate, braces, and top all seem to be in good shape, except where the top wood is missing, and some small top cracks in the bridge location from when the bridge lifted. With the bridge sitting in the correct spot and the front edge flat against the top the hump causes the back edge of the bridge to still sit just proud of 2/32 above the top.

What is the best way to go about this repair?

I will answer any questions you may have that will help in this repair.

Thank you.

[john r toothman]

it looks to me that all you need to do is place a plywood plate inside and outside the affected area and clamp it together with at least two deep c clamps and leave it set for a few days checking periodically if you can snug the clamps. maybe keep a humidifier on close by. when it flattens out your bridge should go back on the same way it came off . titebond with a couple of dowells in the pin holes to keep things in alignment clampgood and let set for another day. go easy at first with the clampsa little at a time....careful good luck jrt

[Pierre-Antoine Roiron]

You'll find a lot of informations to complete John's answer on Frank Ford's website.

[Lee Brown]

I am feeling quite comfortable trying to repair with Johns suggestion, however if you could give me some specific direction regarding Frank's site I'd appreciate it. I have done some research there but found many different types of bridge repair/re-glues. Do you have any specific one I should look at?

Thanks

[Ron Frazier]

I don't have any luck in just clamping the bridge down to flatten. I sand the bridge flat first and then re-glue.

Ron

[Matt Haugen]

With that size of a gap, it seems that the wood left on the bridge is not fitting properly into the areas that it tore away from. I had an issue like this once, so I heated the bridge and was able to remove the wood without damaging it, then I glued the missing wood back down to the sound board. The bridge should fit snugly once that issue is taken care of.

[Lee Brown]

What is the best way to heat the bridge? I see the heat blankets but am wondering if there is another way.

Thanks

[Matt Haugen]

In this situation an iron would be fine, just be careful not to burn the wood. Put the bridge on an old iron and heat in short intervals. You can mist the wood you want to remove with a sprayer, or dab it with a damp cloth. When you feel the heat has penetrated the thickness of the bridge use a razor blade or a thin pallette knife and work the two pieces of wood apart.