Hi all!
I'm primarily a woodwind and brass repair tech, but I've been learning more orchestral string repairs recently to be able to set up my own inventory and help local schools with repairs. My most recent adventure is fitting a new bridge to a double bass. The sandpaper with jig method works well for violins, but I know that's not really the best way on basses, so I've been trying to do it with carbon transfer paper and a knife. I tried the lipstick method as well, but it didn't seem to transfer well. So far, I've found that using the knife as a scraper is working best, but is pretty slow. Any videos or resources I should look into would be greatly appreciated but here's some issues I'm running into:
- Trying to carve material with a knife, chisel, or plane seems to just gouge it or take off too much material. This is almost certainly due to my technique, so any tips are appreciated.
- The instrument I'm working on is very worn and ragged, so the area that the feet sit isn't smooth or uniform. Is it possible/acceptable to smooth out this area or add/remove some of the finish to get it smoother?
- For bridges with adjusters, I've read that it's better to get a solid bridge, fit it, then cut it and install adjusters. And for bridges with built in adjusters, to glue the two parts together, fit as normal, then cut it again and reinstall adjusters. Is that still the way to do it, or is there another good method? I initially tried fitting the feet by themselves, but it didn't go very well once I put it together with the rest of the bridge, since the angle of the feet changed.
- I've seen some mention of taping the carbon paper to the top, so it doesn't move when putting the bridge on it. What type of tape should be used? I tried painter's tape but it removed some of the finish, so I'm guessing there's a better type to use.
Hopefully these aren't silly questions! If I'm better off just doing a lot of trial-and-error, let me know and I'll shut up and start tinkering! Just hoping to learn it the right way, or get some ideas on more efficient methods. Thanks!
I'm primarily a woodwind and brass repair tech, but I've been learning more orchestral string repairs recently to be able to set up my own inventory and help local schools with repairs. My most recent adventure is fitting a new bridge to a double bass. The sandpaper with jig method works well for violins, but I know that's not really the best way on basses, so I've been trying to do it with carbon transfer paper and a knife. I tried the lipstick method as well, but it didn't seem to transfer well. So far, I've found that using the knife as a scraper is working best, but is pretty slow. Any videos or resources I should look into would be greatly appreciated but here's some issues I'm running into:
- Trying to carve material with a knife, chisel, or plane seems to just gouge it or take off too much material. This is almost certainly due to my technique, so any tips are appreciated.
- The instrument I'm working on is very worn and ragged, so the area that the feet sit isn't smooth or uniform. Is it possible/acceptable to smooth out this area or add/remove some of the finish to get it smoother?
- For bridges with adjusters, I've read that it's better to get a solid bridge, fit it, then cut it and install adjusters. And for bridges with built in adjusters, to glue the two parts together, fit as normal, then cut it again and reinstall adjusters. Is that still the way to do it, or is there another good method? I initially tried fitting the feet by themselves, but it didn't go very well once I put it together with the rest of the bridge, since the angle of the feet changed.
- I've seen some mention of taping the carbon paper to the top, so it doesn't move when putting the bridge on it. What type of tape should be used? I tried painter's tape but it removed some of the finish, so I'm guessing there's a better type to use.
Hopefully these aren't silly questions! If I'm better off just doing a lot of trial-and-error, let me know and I'll shut up and start tinkering! Just hoping to learn it the right way, or get some ideas on more efficient methods. Thanks!
