Official Luthiers Forum!

I took on two bridge making jobs and realized my drum sander (delta 18-36) wont put the wings on the bridge, now i have to hand
do it or with a dremel or something....anybody got a genius idea for this?

A rasp and some sandpaper?

How 'bout a chisel?

I cut out my bridge outlines with a jeweler's saw, but it's rather slow going and still leaves a rough edge that needs refining, so it would be sort of pointless on a standard belly bridge where you could just clamp it in a vise and chisel from the edge to shape the wings.

Or if you mean thinning down the wings from the face of the bridge, a chisel is good for that too. Followed by a bit of scraping and/or sanding to smooth it out.

Spindle sander w/ makeshift fence? Drillpress with a sanding drum and fence? The end of a belt sander? Safetplaner? Gouge, chisels, rasps, sandpaper? Shoulder plane? Lots of ways to skin that cat.

_________________
Aaron Craig

Bandsaw initial shape then follow with rasps, files, and sandpaper.

Kevin Looker

_________________
I'm not a luthier.
I'm just a guy who builds guitars in his basement.
It's better than playing golf.

Dynamite.
There are few problems that can't be solved by the judicious use of explosives, but shaping a bridge will require finesse.
The other suggestions are probably better...

_________________
A man hears what he wants to hear, and disreguards the rest. Paul Simon

I thin the wings on briidges using the radial-arm-saw and smooth it out with 80 grit on a pipe.

Bob

I guess about the only suggestions that haven't been thrown out there are a sharp rock and a pointy stick ( Todd can help ya out with the pointy stick) But seriously folks.....I do it with a sanding drum in my drillpress with a fence.

_________________
Brian

You never know what you are capable of until you actually try.

https://www.howardguitarsdelaware.com/

A small drop of Chuck Norris will get you there fast.

_________________
http://www.CostaGuitars.com
PMoMC

Micro shape charges?

I'm making classical bridges, where a good amount of the wood can be removed (and saddle slot cut) with some initial passes over the trusty 7-1/4" Diablo. Beyond that, it's rasps to round the wings, Robbie O'Brien's trick of doing the bevel at the wing ends by putting the bridge in a blade sharpening jig and working it like you were sharpening a plane blade, and then scrapers and files to finish up.

_________________
Jim Kirby
kirby@udel.edu

That is brilliant.

Pick your size of PVC pipe and use some adhesive sandpaper after the bandsaw. That helps with the wings and getting them even if you're not the best with the rasp/files.

_________________
John Mayes
http://www.mayesluthier.com

My preferred method is the sanding drum in the drill press with a fence..... after roughing it out on the bandsaw. I have done thousands with a 3" drum, though the 2" drum I have now is more correct for a Martin bridge.
Be sure to feed it against the rotation.
I use the same arrangement to thickness sand saddle and nut blanks, in spite of the fact that I now have a good thickness sander.

_________________
John