Removing bridge caps

[David Love]

I have filled the old holes with shoe pegs, I have also filled them with
epoxy mixed with a filleting blend or wood flour.  At the Reno convention I
saw somebody with a nice jig for a router that straddled either side of the
bridge.  You could then slide it along the board and it would take down the
bridge top uniformly.  You would have to do something different at the top
of the treble where the reflector gets in the way or at the bottom of the
tenor bridge if there is a transition bridge with a connecting body.  So, I
have usually planed by hand or electric planer, chiseled, scraped, sanded,
whatever it took to get it flat.  It's a bit labor intensive and it's one
of those jobs that benefits from doing it all the time--which I don't.. 
So, I'm always looking for labor saving alternatives the produce better
results.  

David Love
davidlovepianos@earthlink.net


> [Original Message]
> From: Isaac sur Noos <oleg-i@noos.fr>
> To: <davidlovepianos@earthlink.net>; Pianotech <pianotech@ptg.org>
> Date: 7/20/2003 3:29:16 PM
> Subject: RE: Removing bridge caps
>
> Hi David,
> I never hear of a problem routing in the bridge,
> in fact taking off 20 mm more than the cap down to the bottom of the
> pin's holes, may be a more secure solution for the strenght of the new
> pins.
> If not the holes may be plugged with wooden nails as used by the shoe
> makers, may be round hard wooden plugs should work, but using a higher
> cap is probably better .
>
> What do you think ?
>
> Nowadays that is the best procedure (new cap) to obtain a good front
> bearing on any old board.
>
> Greetings
>
> Isaac OLEG
>
> Entretien et reparation de pianos.
>
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> > -----Message d'origine-----
> > De : pianotech-bounces@ptg.org
> > [mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org]De la
> > part de David Love
> > Envoye : dimanche 20 juillet 2003 23:17
> > A : Pianotech
> > Objet : Removing bridge caps
> >
> >
> > What are the best ways people have found to remove an old bridge cap
> > (attached to the board) when one wants to preserve the
> > maximum amount of
> > bridge root, i.e., separating the body from the cap at the
> > joint.  I have
> > planed them down in the past.  I recall seeing a jig to
> > hold a router bit
> > that straddled the bridge as well which I have not used
> > (and don't recall
> > the exact design).  But I have never tried to take the cap
> > off at the old
> > joint.  Can this be done effectively by, say, planing down
> > near the joint
> > and steaming it to loosen what is probably hide glue
> > (1923).  Or might this
> > potentially compromise the vertical laminations of the root?
> >
> >
> > David Love
> > davidlovepianos@earthlink.net
> >
> >
> >
> > _______________________________________________
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> >