Bridge Clamping...your methods?

uketilyapuke said:

Hope to stick the Bridge on before the weekend, any quick tips for getting it right?

Click to expand...

1. measure the distance from the nut. If you want to compensate, don't forget that. I add 1,5 - 2 mm and then compensate the saddle some more for the C-string. So a scale length of "350 mm" gives me 175 mm from nut to 12th fret and 177 mm from 12th to saddle.
2. place a piece of masking tape at right angles from the centerline, between bridge location and sound hole at the measured distance. If you put the bridge on the top and it sits next to the tape strip, it should now be square and at the right distance. NB the tape mustn't be to sticky. Put it on your forehead or your trouser leg first, then on the uke. Or just buy the expensive blue tape.
3. Now the smart trick. Put a steel ruler along the side of the fretboard and mark a line on the masking tape. Do the same on the other edge. You should have two marks with the centerline in between, and the distance between them is a bit shorter than the length of your bridge.
4. carefully place the bridge in the right place, eyeing the pencil marks. This is easy.
5. place strips of masking tape at the ends of the bridge, and a strip at the end block side. The bridge can't move now, the tape forms a nice and snug little cradle for it.
6. Optional, but recommended. Remove the saddle and drill two small holes (1 mm) in the saddle slot straight down through the soundboard and patch. prepare two L-shaped pieces of steel wire (1mm diameter). I make them so the long ends stick out the ends of the saddle slot, but the short end shouldn't go down beneath the bridge patch - a c-clamp will always hit it in the uke and push it up.
7. Smear glue. Carefully fit the bridge between tape strips and make sure the steel wire hits the holes. If you use c-clamps (and I hope you do), fit one at the time and slowly increase pressure. There should be some glue squeeze out.
8. After 5 minutes carefully remove the tape and let that remove the glue. Remove the last glue with a piece of wood and lastly a damp piece of cloth.
9. Drink beer. Eat cheese.

Sven

With C-clamps from metmusic.com (called f-hole clamps):




With some masking tape showing, and my old home made clamp:




And with another clamp, and tape (I love my pics!)

1. measure the distance from the nut. If you want to compensate, don't forget that. I add 1,5 - 2 mm and then compensate the saddle some more for the C-string. So a scale length of "350 mm" gives me 175 mm from nut to 12th fret and 177 mm from 12th to saddle.2. place a piece of masking tape at right angles from the centerline, between bridge location and sound hole at the measured distance. If you put the bridge on the top and it sits next to the tape strip, it should now be square and at the right distance. NB the tape mustn't be to sticky. Put it on your forehead or your trouser leg first, then on the uke. Or just buy the expensive blue tape.3. Now the smart trick. Put a steel ruler along the side of the fretboard and mark a line on the masking tape. Do the same on the other edge. You should have two marks with the centerline in between, and the distance between them is a bit shorter than the length of your bridge.4. carefully place the bridge in the right place, eyeing the pencil marks. This is easy.5. place strips of masking tape at the ends of the bridge, and a strip at the end block side. The bridge can't move now, the tape forms a nice and snug little cradle for it.6. Optional, but recommended. Remove the saddle and drill two small holes (1 mm) in the saddle slot straight down through the soundboard and patch. prepare two L-shaped pieces of steel wire (1mm diameter). I make them so the long ends stick out the ends of the saddle slot, but the short end shouldn't go down beneath the bridge patch - a c-clamp will always hit it in the uke and push it up.7. Smear glue. Carefully fit the bridge between tape strips and make sure the steel wire hits the holes. If you use c-clamps (and I hope you do), fit one at the time and slowly increase pressure. There should be some glue squeeze out.8. After 5 minutes carefully remove the tape and let that remove the glue. Remove the last glue with a piece of wood and lastly a damp piece of cloth.9. Drink beer. Eat cheese.SvenWith C-clamps from metmusic.com (called f-hole clamps):With some masking tape showing, and my old home made clamp:And with another clamp, and tape (I love my pics!)