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hello all,

let me draw out this question. i had some issuses with a build, first i ended up dropping the guitar just after finishing rubing it out the damage was pretty bad . this guitar was one of two i was building for the sonic sitka project. this happened just before the newport show. because it was part of the project i decided to do a quick fix just to get it to the show. i just sold the guitar . the bridge began to come loose so i removed it and re fitted it and for the first time felt real good about the fit. it was also the first time i glued a bridge with hide glue. now because it was sold i really was not satisfied with my top fix. i went back and fixed it right(so i think) i did some refinishing on the top. i just started wet sanding the top (with the bridge glued on) and began to wonder if the water from sandig would create an issuse with the glue joint on the bridge?

thanks
brent

Hi Brent - Great to hear you sold that guitar!! Good for you. That was a pretty nice fix for a pretty awesome break, as I recall.

So you're refinishing the top, while leaving the bridge on? I ask because I just undertook a similar project on a guitar that I was not satisfied with - pits in the rosette, and burn through around the soundhole. I needed to remove the bridge, sand the top, refinish, buff, and I'm about to reglue the bridge. Without taking the bridge off I'd be afraid of witness lines, etc.

As for the hide glue reacting to the water from the wetsanding, I can't answer very confidently, but I'll tell you that taking the bridge off after gluing it with hide glue required lots of steam, and a heated spatula. Hide glue is tough stuff. I would be careful though, of water wicking under the bridge - if your talking about a lot of water, it seems to me it could conceivably discolor the spruce by saturating it at the joint with the bridge.

I'm also curious to hear the advice of others with more experience in this area...

Bump

Depending on your finish, you could wet sand with something other than water maybe (DNA, mineral spirits, naptha,...)?

Cheers,
Dave F.

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Cambrian Guitars

"There goes Mister Tic-Tac out the back with some bric-brac from the knick-knack rack"

I don't think that wetsanding would affect the bridge/top joint, but if you're worried, maybe dry sand with Micro Mesh 1500 up to 12000.

David Wren http://www.wrenguitarworks.com

I haven't tried this experiment myself, but everything I read states that HHF needs moisture and heat to release. Heat alone and moisture alone won't do it. Glue something together, let it dry for a few days then dip it in cold water and see how much it takes to break it.

I expect the report on my desk first thing Monday morning!

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