Bridge caps

[jolly roger]

Hi Andrew,

>1) I have noticed a large amount of variation regarding the string contact 
>area on the top of bridges.  I am not one to slavishly repeat a
manufacture's 
>or a factory worker's poor design or poor execution. So I have often
wondered 
>but never found an answer; what is, if the is any, the optimal amount of 
>contact surface?

In a perfect world, it would be ideal to have the string flat and even to
the bridge cap. But in reality I think that is dreamland. Board design,
humidity changes, and other factors cause htis to change, daily.
With a new board, the ball park elevation of the plate at the back scale is
about .100" plus the height of the duplex bars. this varies up to about
.120" in the centre of the scale.
Ideally a string should pass over the bridge on the same plane as the
speaking length.
Ron would give you a better in de[th explaination, I'm sure.

>
>2) A corollary would be should this contact surface be centered on the cap?  
>I have seen them all over the place with various degrees of splitting in all 
>cases.
>
>3) Do we really need to grind off the tops of the pins for anything other 
>than an even appearance?  Those buggers get sharp, I know, I have the scare
>to prove it.

I use the Long pointed pins, and use heat shrink sleeving on the drill bit,
as a depth gauge. Get the yellow variety, you can see what you are doing
better.
This way, I can get the pins uniform. The pins I have been getting from
Pianophile, they are uniform in length, but I have had some problems from
other suppliers. So check the pins for length.
I like the cosmetics of the domed pin tops

Scared like you, but healing. <G> Ouch that hurts.

Roger
>
>Thanks 
>
>Andrew Remillard
>