Official Luthiers Forum!

Hi.
I am new to the forum and new to guitar repair/maintenance/lutherie.
A little bit about me : I live in the northen part of Norway, I have been playing bass and guitar for around 25 years, and been getting into this whole arena of guitar repair/maintenance and building.
I have made saddles, nuts, done refrets and fret levellings, soldering and pickup replacements and built a bass from a kit.

Now I am getting more into acoustic guitar repair and bridge work.
I got a cheap acoustic guitar that I am fixing up for my daughter, and I need to replace the bridge on it and of course gluing it on. And this is my question :
what clamps should I get?

I have seen the bridge clamps, cam clamps and soundhole clamps on stewmac, and also the bridge clamps and the FOX bridge clamps on the LMI website.
I am currently leaning towards a set of 5" and 7" soundhole clamps from StewMac with the soundhold clamp cauls.

What is your recommendation and experience on this?
Thank you in advance for any replies

Best regards,
Tim

Are there cheaper ways to buy those soundhole clamp? I find them very useful for bridge glueup but at 20 dollars a clamp for what looks like cheap Chinese junk, it's way too expensive.

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Cat-gut strings are made from kitten guts, stretched out to near breaking point and then hardened with grue saliva. As a result these give a feeling of Pain and anguish whenever played, and often end up playing themselves backwards as part of satanic rituals.

Typhoon Guitars
http://www.typhoon-guitars.com

The shop fox version of these clamps go for $12.40 on amazon. They are pretty decent clamps.

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Guitars, guitars and more guitars.

I prefer to use 3 deep throat clamps, and skip the SM bridge clamping caul altoghther. This allows me to use a flexible, kerfed wooden internal caul, which will conform to any soundboard geometry, which suits my building style better. The SM bridge caul depends on a rigid internal caul, or it may distort the bridge and soundboard when clamping pressure is applied. I usually use 3 Ibex clamps, but other deep throat clamps such as Klemensia cam clamps, or regular steel C-clamps will work equally well. One thing to keep in mind if you use very heavy clamps, is to support their weight near the soundhole, for example with a stick that spans the soundboard, or their combined weight may twist bridge/ soundboard towards the soundhole.

Og forresten, velkommen til OLF til ennå en nordmann!

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Rian Gitar og Mandolin

Arnt, this sounds interesting. Any chance of a photo?

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We are all in the gutter but some of us are looking at guitars.

I don't have a one handy, but picture a "normal" internal bridge caul, with cut-outs for the X-braces, and shims that are equally thick as the bridge plate, for the area outside the braces. Then, a series of kerfs across (think kerfed lining), with a 3 mm or so "web" left on the back. The kerfs make it flexible enough to conform to any dome the soundoard has (or doesn't have). It is still rigid enough to act as a clamping caul for the bridge, as long as I use "normal" clamps, that is, not the SM bridge clamping caul.

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Rian Gitar og Mandolin

I use a clamp similar to a Fox Bridge Clamp. Mine is made from birch plywood, but works the same way. I like it because there are no clamps in the way of the glue clean up.

http://www.lmii.com/products/tools-services/clamps-vises/fox-bridge-clamps

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http://www.CostaGuitars.com
PMoMC

Did you make or buy yours, Tony? They look pretty easy to make from scrap aluminium.

Alex

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"Indecision is the key to flexibility" .... Bumper sticker

Arnt, s
Sure glad I read this threat. The kerfed caul sounds like the way to go. I usally make a caul from a piece of wood and some 'friendly plastic' it works OK but you have to redo it for individual guitars. Some times it is not as friendly as I'd like

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Joe Beaver
Maker of Sawdust

I've actually made a number of kerfed cauls for various things but never a bridge caul. Brilliant Arnt!!

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It's not what you don't know that hurts you, it's what you do know that's wrong.

Thank you all for your replies and input on this, I appreciate it

@Arnt Rian - takk skal du ha, hyggelig

best regards
Tim

Another vote for the Shop Fox/Ibex clamps... that is, when I can't use vacuum

If you're in a mood to do it yourself (or can't afford commercial clamps), Matius Wandel has instructions for deep throat clamps that will exert >250 pounds with a 12" reach. You need scrap birch plywood, a section of threaded rod and a couple of nuts.
http://woodgears.ca/clamps/index.html

Thank you for feedback and pictures

Best regards,
Tim

how do you keep the caul in position while you go grab that big cam clamp?

_________________
Cat-gut strings are made from kitten guts, stretched out to near breaking point and then hardened with grue saliva. As a result these give a feeling of Pain and anguish whenever played, and often end up playing themselves backwards as part of satanic rituals.

Typhoon Guitars
http://www.typhoon-guitars.com

Really nice rosette, Todd.

Me too. Made simple one from plywood as well - works great.

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Thank You and Best To All

Well, I did invest in the fox bridge clamps (classical, and steel), and some Bridge C-clamps, and I am now waiting for the shipment. Looking forward to testing them out.
I have a classical guitar that I will test it out on

I did previously get some standard cam-clamps, and they are usable for just about everything it seems - i need to get more of them

Tim