Hey all...
I made this simple jig this week to make my first bridge. Basically it sets the router up to do a slot at the right angle in a bridge blank. It worked for me, made from scrap material. First I start with a bridge blank, and then drill the pin holes using my template (which was copied from a Martin Style bridge). The template has a slot in it, but that was actually unnecessary. Then I bolt the bridge blank into my slotting jig at the low and high E string holes. That holds the blank down. Then I run the router back and forth, using a plunge router to take a deeper cut every pass until I'm at the depth I want. At the end I have a bridge blank that has a routed slot and holes drilled for the pins. I shaped my bridge by hand after that.
Tj
Saddle Slotting Jig
Saddle Slotting Jig
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- Base of the jig without the rails attached. It's just a right angle with two holes drilled for the E-strings. Ignore the other holes, the wood was just scrap material.
- BridgeSlottingJig-1.JPG (57.02 KiB) Viewed 1470 times
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- Backside of the jig - it's elevated with feet so I can bolt down the bridge blank. I use wing-nuts on the back side of the jig.
- BridgeSlottingJig-2.JPG (54.63 KiB) Viewed 1470 times
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- A shot of the rails that the router base slides on.
- BridgeSlottingJig-3.JPG (74.26 KiB) Viewed 1470 times
Re: Saddle Slotting Jig
Continued...
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- A side shot of what the rails look like. The stops are holding the two rails together...they stop the router at the right places on either side of the routed slot.
- BridgeSlottingJig-4.JPG (39.89 KiB) Viewed 1469 times
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- The template I use to drill the holes in the bridge blank
- BridgeSlottingJig-5.JPG (48.97 KiB) Viewed 1469 times
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- The assembled jig
- BridgeSlottingJig-6.JPG (79.69 KiB) Viewed 1469 times
Re: Saddle Slotting Jig
And finally...
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- The router against the closest stop.
- BridgeSlottingJig-7.JPG (82.66 KiB) Viewed 1469 times
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- The router up against the far stop
- BridgeSlottingJig-8.JPG (85.04 KiB) Viewed 1469 times
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Tim Benware
- Posts: 1489
- Joined: Thu Dec 22, 2011 1:22 pm
- Location: Asheboro, NC
Re: Saddle Slotting Jig
Nice. Can it be adjusted for different types of bridges?
I've "Ben-Had" again!
Tim Benware
Creedmoor, NC
Tim Benware
Creedmoor, NC
Re: Saddle Slotting Jig
Mine really doesn't have any adjustment as you see it. But I'm sure you could rig it up with some knobs to loosen it, change angles, etc... I guess you could drill new holes to position at different angles...
Normally I wind up making a simple jig like this for one or two applications, and then see how I can make it more generalized and adaptable. So I can see re-making the jig in a guitar or two to have more flexibility. But so far it's working!
Normally I wind up making a simple jig like this for one or two applications, and then see how I can make it more generalized and adaptable. So I can see re-making the jig in a guitar or two to have more flexibility. But so far it's working!
Re: Saddle Slotting Jig
Here it is in operation
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- Routing the slot...
- BridgeFabrication-1.JPG (93.63 KiB) Viewed 1458 times
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- the bridge blank in the jig post-routing
- BridgeFabrication-2.JPG (82.29 KiB) Viewed 1458 times
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- The final product from the jig
- BridgeFabrication-3.JPG (54.04 KiB) Viewed 1458 times
Re: Saddle Slotting Jig
The finished bridge...
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- FinishedBridge.JPG (67.19 KiB) Viewed 1432 times