..how to withdraw bridgepost bushings...??

[fanlee]

Hi.

I am finishing an SG look alike with Ubeaut hard shellac tinted with feast watson proof spirit dye.

This is after the string up to locate the bridge posts. I was informed by a StewMac tech suppoter that a number of manufacturers install the bushings & mask them during finishing. This is what I've done.

However I am having problems arond the posts and am thinking of taking them out & re-inserting them after finishing.

Does anyone know a good safe method for withdrawing them?

StewMac offer a gizmo but I can't see from the pictures how it works and the answer to a question I sent wasn't clear.

TIA.

[kiwigeo]

Fanlee,

Im an acoustic builder so havent had experience with your problem. If you get no answers in here than try a post on the Original Luthiers Forum http://www.luthiersforum.com/forum/default.asp

Cheers and good luck

Martin

[kiwigeo]

Fanlee,

Ive had a look at the Stewmac bushing/knob puller. If they say it will pull out bushings then you can be fairly sure it will do the job. Stewmac stuff generally good and they dont feed you the brown stuff.

How badly do you need to pull those bushings? Youre looking at $US34.95 plus postage to get the tool. How many times are you going to use it?

If you dont mind damaging the bushings then you might find other cheaper ways of extracting same. If you want to re fit the same bushings then the Stewmac tool might be the way to go.

[old_picker]

Some pics and a bit more detail on what "problems around the posts" means exactly would be helpfull. I would disagree a little with kiwigeo about stewmac stuff as I have found some things not real brilliant like the templates, dremel router base etc.

Some manufactures proabably do do it as the stewmac tech support suggest but they are set up with cnc routers and a completely mechanised way of cutting these holes in a thousand bodies a day. Not one of them would be hand measured and drilled the way we build an instrument. Besides if a guitar doesnt measure up to standard it is discarded. We dont have that luxury with a handbuilt piece

I always string up before spraying any finish just to make sure so I dont have to work on it with a fragile new soft coat of lacquer. Besides it's easier to disguise plug ups and other stuffups etc under a few coats of stained lacquer.

[kiwigeo]

Agree with you on the Stewmac router base...its ok for some jobs but in some situations I find mine flexes too much for my liking. The Dremel is underwpoered for some tasks as well, Ive gone back to a full size router for most jobs. That said, Ive generally been happy with the other stuff I get from Stewmac. Ditto for LMI.

Good advice on stringing up before finishing an electric. A bit hard with acoustics as some of us glue on the bridge after doing the finish.

Cheers Martin

[old_picker]

The router base is a good idea in theory but as you say the dremel just doesn't have the grunt and the the base wanders. I bought router base for binding channels, and to cut a channel for double thickness 1/4" deep binding takes quite a few passes. Every pass multiplies the possiblity of a stuff up. A table router with rabbett bit is the only way to do it unless it's an archtop.

I am puzzled however how one could cut a binding channel in a headstock ala LP style.

While we are on Stewmac I bought a set of templates which I found were wildly oversized.

[kiwigeo]

A table router with rabbett bit is the only way to do it unless it's an archtop.

I am puzzled however how one could cut a binding channel in a headstock ala LP style.

While we are on Stewmac I bought a set of templates which I found were wildly oversized.

A major issue with routing binding channels is dealing with the router base running on an arched top. This applies to acoustics as well as arch tops..... I build my steel strings with a 15' radius arch in the upper bout. In Jim William's book theres a plan for a router jig that has two bearings that run against the side of the guitar. I used this jig when building my first guitar and I have to say as crude as it is this jig produces good results.

I have the Stewmac mortise and tenon templates but dont use them alot preferring to cut my M and T joints by hand. Im a bit of a low techer and have lots of jigs I dont use alot, preferring to do things by hand. My fancy sidebender has seen little use since it got built...sides get done on the old fashioned pipe.

[fanlee]

I have posted a picture of the 'Setchell Carve top' Router jig in the Jigs forum. ( I didn't know this one was up)

I believe it can be used for binding channels though I used a slightly undersized ball bearing on a flush trim bit to do them on the guitar in the picture there.

Also the Stew Mac oversized templates cost me heaps of time trying to make them useful. I went back to the three pieces of wood clamped to the neck method.

Actually I found a description of a bushing extractor on MIMF but it's on a computer at work.

"Howard Klepper - 04:02am Mar 7, 2003
A puller for LP tailpiece bushings is a simple block of wood with a hole drilled in it just bigger than the bushing, and a washer with an inside diameter a little smaller than the collar on the tailpiece post, but bigger than the diameter of the screw section of the post. Screw in the tailpiece post through this washer and block, and it will pull the bushing. An offset screwdriver is good for the extra leverage needed. A similar puller can be made for the bridge bushing, using the height adjustment thumbscrew as the collar."

I guess I answered my own question...sorry, but it mught be helpful to others.

.

[JupiterCreek]

Some of the most useful tools in my shed are spoons. If you've ever tried to get a tight volume or tone knob to lift off the shaft you'll know what a bugger of a job it can be. I discovered that I could use spoons for a lot of these "pulling/lifting" operations. I've managed to pilfer teaspoons, desert spoons and soup spoons from our kitchen, plus a couple of tablespoons from my Mum's kitchen drawer.

Now once upon a time I was making a Les Paul Junior copy and decided to see how tight the fit the posts for the wraparound tailpiece were in the holes I'd drilled. They fitted quite snugly, but were almost impossible to remove. A nice wide fairly thick scrap of wood to spread the weight on the guitar face, a mudguard washer under the post screw, two tablespoons, and by working the spoons "around the clock" I got the posts out with very minimal distortion of the holes. When I sprayed the guitar I let a bit of finish run into the holes and that took up the slack so when I finally pressed the posts back in everything was sweet!

I guess you could use pushbike tyre levers, but spoons are free... until you get caught by your wife or mother!

[Iain]

I guess you could use pushbike tyre levers
Repco make a plastic variety which could be kinder to the surface.

[kiwigeo]

Fanlee,

Still waiting to see exactly what the problem was with your bushings. Would be useful for others who strike the same problem as you.

Cheers Martin

[kiwigeo]

Also the Stew Mac oversized templates cost me heaps of time trying to make them useful. I went back to the three pieces of wood clamped to the neck method.



, Are you talking about the Stewmac dovetail/ M and T neck templates? Im currently fiddling with mine and once Ive got things sorted Ill put up some pics and notes for others using these templates.

[JupiterCreek]

The Stewmac templates for Fender neckpockets are way oversized. Stewmac says this is to allow for the variations in heel sizes and the fix is to wrap tape around the bearing. If you look at a few Strat clones you'll see that some heels (Profile for example) are about 2mm narrower than others. Of course it doesn't make any difference to the sound but it looks dodgy. My method was to make my own template from a scrap piece of merbau decking.

[fanlee]

Fanlee,

Still waiting to see exactly what the problem was with your bushings. Would be useful for others who strike the same problem as you.

Cheers Martin

Sorry guys. The problem was getting the shellac to go on smoothly round the posts and also later trying to gently sand the resulting 'ripples'.

However I will probably strip the body & start again because of other problems with the finish (posted in the finishing forum).

We've been away fopr the weekend and I haven't unpacked the camera yet.

.