Epoxy Repair to bridge top

[Erwinspiano@aol.com]

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               List
              I know we've discussed epoxy bridge repair and Since I'm 
currently in the middle of the first I've done of this in a while I'm hoping 
you all will interject your own protocols so I can get it right if I mis-step 
on this one a bit.
   The situation thus far is I've replaced the top two treble bridge caps 
with new tight maple ones A Mason AA .Yes I found some in an old upright 
pinblock. The lower portions arte in relatively good shape. A few hairline 
cracks  and a little bridge pin wiggle at the top but no seroius 
degredadtion. 
      I wanted to install new pins to get rid of the grooves at the that pin 
terminus and also tighten up the pin fit in the cap.  In case it's escaped 
any of you as it has me the  bridge pins  no. 6, 7, & are not really the size 
stated in the catalogue but tend to run  1 thou. smaller. A size 6 supposed 
to be .076 is really .075 and so on. Really quite annoying when trying to 
just snug up the pin fit in the wood if you know what I mean.
    Any way now I know I'm going to need to have enough epoxy in the holes to 
ream and fit more so than if the pins were correct size.
  Using the west systems epoxy and slow hardener ( thanks Terry and Keith R) 
I poured a small bit in a plastic squeeze bottle and inserted the needle into 
the holes working it around with the needle as I went and topping off each 
hole with a final drop. Previous to this I had renotched, planned down the 
cap to remove all the string marks and dag. Underneath is a beautiful 
,tightly 1/4 sawn cap. 
    I decided to finish the cap in a natural epoxy finnish which I've not 
done before.
   So while the epoxy was setting up in the holes I brushed on the rest of 
the epoxy into the notches and bridge top. No Problems yet.
    Today I found the appearance to be too glossy for my liking so I knocked 
off the nibs and dust with 800 grit paper then used 4 /0 steel wool to 
satinize it then repolished it with a paper towel. It looks fabuolous.  The 
notches I just steel wooled.Considering the epoxy must be harder than the 
wood should lend to itself to better energy transmission, increased longevity 
and beauty.
    Next will come fittin the pins which I'd appreciate any feed back on the 
results of this for you.
  I was planning to ream the holes with the apropriate size bit and drive in 
a new pin. The reason I've avoided this process in the past has been because 
of the untidy out come of sticky epoxy ever where a s I'm pushing bridge pins 
into it and having it come gushing out everywhere and trying to clean it up.
         Dale Erwin

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