Bridge repair - Hawaiian lap steel

[Daniel P]

A huge thanks to Ken both for his well though out jigs, and for hosting this great forum for us. I've had this hawaiian lap steel for a number of years, only stringing it up occasionally as its had a bridge separation issue. The back of the bridge had been lifting, and while it seemed stable under strong tension, it lacked sustain, and I never felt confident it would hold - so it was left for years unstrung.

Successful progress on my KMG Kit started me thinking that this is a repair well within reach, and given that this guitar is not particularly collectable, it was worth a try.

First step was to make a thermal mask for around the bridge - simple cardboard wrapped with aluminum foil on each side would work to protect the finish from heat. Gentle heating with a heat gun, followed by a few light taps on the end of my curved 16mm Two Cherries chisel and bridge popped right off.

[Daniel P]

Using a razor blade I scraped the wood clean under the bridge and on the sound board.

[Daniel P]

Ken's SS Bridge Clamp worked perfectly for this repair. http://www.kennethmichaelguitars.com/bridgeclamp.html

I had the help of some smaller hands to place the bolts up through the outer two string holes by reaching in through the sound hole. This is the opposite of method suggested in Ken's instructions - but with good reason.
This acoustic lap steel has a very shallow body, and I had the help of a six year old to place the bolts. I knew he could easily align the bolts from inside, allowing me to thread the wing-nuts on from the top. In a more full bodied instrument the bolts could be placed from the top, and wing nuts threaded in from inside. Either way allows easy application of controlled clamping pressure and precise alignment.

Titebond glue was brushed on both the sound board and under side of the bridge before clamping the Bridge Clamp down with wing nuts. The outside edges of the SS Bridge Clamp have bolts for applying downward pressure on the wings of the bridge - be sure to use wood shims under the bolts to avoid marring a finished bridge.

Quick cleanup of the glue squeeze out with q tips and warm water, and it was set to cure. Titebond suggests a clamp time of 30 minutes, but I left it overnight.

[Daniel P]

I strung it up last night - with the bridge properly seated and secure, this acoustic lap steel has the volume and sustain I always wished it had.

Thanks to Ken for giving us new guys the confidence to tackle a project like this.

[Dave Bagwill]

Good work Dan! Glad it came out okay for you. What are you going to tackle next?