Old Hamilton studio bridge cracks

harvey harvey@greenwood.net
Wed, 08 Sep 1999 23:58:25 -0400


Dan, I confess I don't know what a "wedge" crack is. However, if
bridges/caps are out of the question, I've always used epoxy for repair.
The most recent was on a grand, the separation following the rear bridge
pin line , effecting 2/3 octave, and running off the end of the bridge. The
strings didn't buzz, but they didn't tune/sound too good either!

For that repair, I used Thermoset 1-0-something (the thinner stuff) from
McCalls, trickery involving everything from heat to dental picks to tape &
putty dams (end of bridge) to persuade the epoxy where I wanted it to go.
There was also some clever clamping involved due to tight quarters, and
finally, some good luck. After cleanup, installing pins and dressing out
the repair, I couldn't find the original fault line. I wish all of 'em
turned out that well.

At 08:22 PM 9/8/99 +0000, you wrote:
>I'm not picking on anybody, but I've run across four Hamilton studios
>dating back a couple of decades or so with wedge cracks throughout the
>long bridge, and buzzing strings. None of the four had Dampp-Chaser
>systems when I first saw them, although I installed a system in one of
>the three, which was in a church.
[cut]



Jim Harvey, RPT
Greenwood, SC
harvey@greenwood.net
________________________
 -- someone who's been in the field too long.



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