[CAUT] Bridge pin removal

[Tim Coates]

Fred,

Heat works well.  Along with heat, make a nail puller by running a 
large bastard file through the jaws of a large front cutter wire 
cutter.  A nail puller is essentially a large front cutting wire 
cutters that won't cut.  After laying a cabinet scraper on the strings 
to make a platform for leverage, use the nail puller to remove the pin. 
   Pulling a little at a time and resetting the puller lower on the pin 
prevents damaging the hole.  If you do damage the hole just dowel and 
redrill.

Or, just grunt it out with vise grips.

Worn bridge pins can cause zings.  That's why I wait until at least the 
fourth chip tune to do the final leveling of bridge pins.

Tim Coates


On Dec 13, 2006, at 7:41 PM, Fred Sturm wrote:

> Hi all,
>     I wonder if anyone has some good advice for removing stubborn 
> bridge
> pins. Beyond grabbing them with vice grips, grunting and cursing <g>. 
> I'm
> thinking heat, but don't want to cause too much damage to the hole. 
> Would
> one heat with a soldering iron, say, 15 seconds (of course depending on
> temperature of iron), then let the pin cool before pulling? That's 
> what I am
> planning, but thought I'd see if anyone had a better plan.
>     BTW, my reason for removing solidly attached pins is to replace 
> with
> new, due to zinging sounds. I found one loose enough to pull, and it 
> had the
> definite common wear profile, with a sharp feel to the finger. Meaning 
> a
> nice bit of metal shaving sitting there. I pulled a few unisons of 
> strings,
> dressed the capo, and restrung, and the zings had reduced but not
> disappeared. So I'm hoping bridge pins will be the magic cure.
> Regards,
> Fred Sturm
> University of New Mexico
>
>