Bridge Pin Height Regulation, was: More, More (was Re:Thar She Blows!)

[Ron Nossaman]

>Arrrggggg! I have done that same technique on an old bridge as part of 
>refurbishing the bridge. I'd be afraid to do that on a new bridge. I 
>suspect there is always some resonable concern regarding how much epoxy is 
>absorbed into the wood and out of the void between pin and wood before the 
>epoxy hardens. My plan is to swab the hole with unthickened West System 
>epoxy and drive the pin into a normal tight hole.
>
>Terry Farrell
>
>
> >
> > I have yet to notch and drill a brand new bridge, but I have tried various
> > approaches to replacing bridge pins and after all is said and done, 
> I've come
> > to the conclusion that pounding the pins in is not a positive to begin 
> with. I
> > use a pin size that is just slim enough that I can insert it with my 
> fingers,
> > and I fill the hole first with thin epoxy so that when the pin goes in it
> > squezzes the glue up and around the pin hole opening forming a collar 
> which I
> > clean off.
> >
> > RicB


I suppose it depends on what you think you want. If you think you want the 
pin bottomed in the hole, you can't use epoxy unless you arrange an escape 
route for the excess that will prevent the pin from bottoming - or blowing 
out somewhere else from hydraulic pressure as you drive it to full depth. 
That's going to be either an oversize hole, or drive it dry. If you think 
it isn't necessary for the pin to bottom in the hole, the epoxy can escape 
into the excess depth of the hole without making the hole oversize or 
blowing out elsewhere, or you can drive it dry. the one thing you can't do 
with an oversize hole is drive it dry, bottomed or not, and expect it to be 
functional.

So it seems to me that the first thing you need to decide is if you want 
the pin bottomed in the hole or not.

Ron N