Safest way to remove a bridge (titebond I'm pretty sure)

[Dave Bagwill]

Good clean work!

[Harold in Tn]

If, when taking off the bridge, the wood underneath is really chewed up, is it possible to rout out the footprint of the bridge and glue in a new piece of spruce to glue the bridge to?

[John Link]

Harold,

I don't know how badly mangled your project top is, but if you want to follow the practice of altering the top the least amount possible, it might be better to mix some wood dust or micro balloons with epoxy, fill with that, then carefully level. You maintain maximum amount of original top that way, while achieving what I think you want to achieve with the inlaid insert: maximum contact between the two pieces of wood. Hot hide glue adheres to anything and is reversible with heat, and has the least tendency of taking any wood with it when the new bridge might need replacing. HHG is probably the best choice for fastening the new bridge, or any bridge, for that matter.

[Tim Benware]

If, when taking off the bridge, the wood underneath is really chewed up, is it possible to rout out the footprint of the bridge and glue in a new piece of spruce to glue the bridge to?

Yes.