Removing Bridges

[BSimon1234]

Someone advised:

>Remove the screws, drill out the dowels, and hit the bridge with a rubber
mallet.  It should pop off.>>

The person seeking advice, with good intentions,  wrote back:

<<I think I will obtain some acetic acid, build a dam around the bridge, pour
the acid on and let it sit awhile to soften the glue first.>>

My opinion ------  the first advice was right. By trying to soften the glue
line you will add water to the glue and it will toughen up and defeat
shattering the crystalized glue line. One method or the other will work, but
don't use them together. 

I would also not use a rubber mallet, though in most cases it might work fine.
Use a regular hammer to get the highest "G" forces impacting on the glue line.
Light hits with a regular hammer, starting on the loose end, should work as
well or better than greater hits with energy absorbing rubber hammers. 

Since you might want to save the bridge, try another idea first. Clamp a big
Vise Grips pliers, or something similar,  vertically on the end of the bridge
where the failure starts. Then gently wiggle it, or torque it, back and forth,
increasingly  using more power and travel. You might be able to unzip the
whole bridge that way.  ---This method works very well on removing old sharps
when they are clamped in a vise.

Just remembered one time I was removing an apron type bass bridge that was
truly stuck well. To get the impact forces in the fight direction, namely to
pop it off rather than sideways,  I drilled a 1/8" hole through the soundboard
at one end of the bridge under the apron, put a punch through onto the apron
right next to the attached bridge and gave it a small hit. It come off easily.
Go for the weakest point.

Bill Simon
Phoenix