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Thread: How do I remove a superglued bridge?

  1. #1
    Registered User belbein's Avatar
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    Default How do I remove a superglued bridge?

    All right, this is a little bit of a story. But to get to the punch line first: I need to remove a mandolin bridge that was superglued down. How do I remove it?

    The story is that mid-way through my Saga build, I decided that I need to know more about the guts of mandolins, as well as finishing & refinishing. The way I learn best is to completely fail. So, not wanting to fail on my Saga, or on my "practice" mandolin or on my "nice mandolin," I figured I'd buy a piece of junk and tear it apart. Imagine my surprise when the nice young guy I bought my guineau pig from--being a guitar player--had superglued the bridge down. It made sense to him, being a guitar player (though why superglue???). And it will certainly provide me a challenge.

    But ... any ideas? (By the way, this is not a mandolin where I have to save the finish, but as I said, it's practice, so I want to try. Thanks in advance for educating me.

  2. #2
    I may be old but I'm ugly billhay4's Avatar
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    Default Re: How do I remove a superglued bridge?

    There is a solvent for superglue. I'd try that.
    Bill

  3. #3

    Default Re: How do I remove a superglued bridge?

    Acetone is the main ingredient in superglue remover. If you don't care about the finish, I'd give one or the other a try. If you are lucky it might not harm the finish.

  4. #4
    Ursus Mandolinus Fretbear's Avatar
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    Default Re: How do I remove a superglued bridge?

    Tape off the top around the bridge and then try gently rocking a capped razor blade in all around the bridge base to break the bond.
    If that doesn't work and it is a flat-top, you could sacrifice the bridge base by planing it entirely away with a block plane.
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    Registered User sunburst's Avatar
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    Default Re: How do I remove a superglued bridge?

    If the finish is a "modern" polysomething finish, there is a chance that a solvent will remove the bridge without removing the finish, but if the finish is lacquer, the solvents are pretty much interchangeable and the finish will be gone before the bridge is. Even if it is a polymiracle finish, it may take hours for the solvent to dissolve the superglue between the bridge and the top.
    I'd lay a wooden drift against the bridge base and give it a sharp rap with a mallet. That will either sheer the superglue, pop the finish off of the top, or leave the bridge still there, in which case you didn't hit it hard enough.

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    Moderator MikeEdgerton's Avatar
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    Default Re: How do I remove a superglued bridge?

    Quote Originally Posted by sunburst View Post
    ...I'd lay a wooden drift against the bridge base and give it a sharp rap with a mallet. That will either sheer the superglue, pop the finish off of the top, or leave the bridge still there, in which case you didn't hit it hard enough.
    Amen.

    Also, try a bigger hammer.

  7. #7

    Default Re: How do I remove a superglued bridge?

    I am not a builder ! but i thought heat would help ?

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    Moderator MikeEdgerton's Avatar
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    Default Re: How do I remove a superglued bridge?

    Quote Originally Posted by rico mando View Post
    I am not a builder ! but i thought heat would help ?
    It sure would, your hands would be warm while you beat on it with a hammer but it would have no effect on the superglue.

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    Registered User Rodney Riley's Avatar
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    Default Re: How do I remove a superglued bridge?

    Yep, use my old standby. "Don't force it.... use a bigger hammer."

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    Registered User belbein's Avatar
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    Default Re: How do I remove a superglued bridge?

    Thanks, folks. I'll give it a try.

    I'll report back. I know you're all going to be interested in how badly I #&($ it up.

  11. #11
    Registered User Leroy's Avatar
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    Default Re: How do I remove a superglued bridge?

    I wanted to reuse a fretboard I had TiteBond glued to a mahogany neck. I removed it by clamping a silicon heat pad to the FB and heating it to about 320 degrees. The lacquer finish blistered and things were beginning to smoke a little, but I was able to pry it off using a knife blade. When everything cooled down, I noticed that the MOP dots,which I had CA glued in, had loosened and some had almost fallen out. The heat had liquified the CA glue and then it returned to it's cured state after cooling. After cleaning up the FB back I reheated the whole thing with the heat pad and pressed the dots back to their original finished positions. This showed me that you can liquify cured CA glue with heat (at least 2 times) and it will re-harden to a cured state. Hope this helps.
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  12. #12
    Registered User belbein's Avatar
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    Default Re: How do I remove a superglued bridge?

    Leroy: It does help. I wondered about using heat. I may try it. The only question I have now is ... what's a "silicon heat pad"? (Hot damn, more things to buy!)

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    Moderator MikeEdgerton's Avatar
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    Default Re: How do I remove a superglued bridge?

    OK, let's get logical. Even iron softens up with enough heat. If you plan on heating it up until the finish blisters and the wood gets scorched, yeah it will soften the CA. Why not speed up the process a little and use a torch? Why waste the money on the blanket? The idea is to minimize the damage. Try giving it a whack first. It might simply pop off with no damage to the finish other than the damage caused by the glue in the first place.

    Hide glue and titebond will soften up before the finish melts. Superglue won't.

  14. #14
    Registered User belbein's Avatar
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    Default Re: How do I remove a superglued bridge?

    Good point, Mike. So what I'm going to do is: (1) try slight taps with a small hammer, then (2) try big taps with a bigger hammer, then (3) try really big bangs with a sledgehammer, and then (4) burn whatever is left. I think that covers everyone's advice. :-)

    Seriously, I do appreciate the multiple opinions. I knew this was art, not science, and that to some extent it's taking a lot of information into account and then making an educated guess. And then not making the same mistake the next time. This will all be one of those lessons of experience that we all love so much ... when they happen to someone else.

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    Moderator MikeEdgerton's Avatar
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    Default Re: How do I remove a superglued bridge?

    I only wish we could all watch

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    Registered User jim simpson's Avatar
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    Default Re: How do I remove a superglued bridge?

    This thread is very timely. I just finished setting up an old generic (Supertone?) flat top mandolin for a bandmate. It was missing a nut plus it needed a lot of other things attended to. I discovered that the bridge on this one had been glued to the top. I tried a number of good raps on it but it showed no signed of loosening. I checked the intonation and fortunately it's close enough to leave alone. I did lower the action on the bridge by sanding down and reslotting. I guess I could have planed off the existing bridge and started over had the intonation not been off. I just can't imagine gluing down a floating bridge.
    Old Hometown, Cabin Fever String Band

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    Registered User Ivan Kelsall's Avatar
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    Default Re: How do I remove a superglued bridge?

    From MikeE - "I only wish we could all watch". Yes,life's been dull since they abolished public hangings !.
    While to op.says it's not 'necessary' to save the finish,i'd try inserting a scalpel blade under one end of the bridge,to see if i could get some space underneath it to get a bit of solvent in & start the 'rot'. Either that, or to slowly 'chisel' away at the glue with the blade.If all else failed,i'd go for the 'hammer solution',
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  18. #18
    but that's just me Bertram Henze's Avatar
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    Default Re: How do I remove a superglued bridge?

    Quote Originally Posted by belbein View Post
    ... had superglued the bridge down. It made sense to him, being a guitar player ...
    the world is better off without bad ideas, good ideas are better off without the world

  19. #19

    Default Re: How do I remove a superglued bridge?

    [QUOTE=MikeEdgerton;1048479]...Try giving it a whack .....

    Maybe a few 'Love taps' on either side before letting the whacking commence .

  20. #20
    Market Man Barry Wilson's Avatar
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    Default Re: How do I remove a superglued bridge?

    Then take the hammer and wack the guitar player for gluing the bridge on.

  21. #21
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    Default Re: How do I remove a superglued bridge?

    Maybe this doesn't need to be said because you already know but....Don't hit the bridge directly with the hammer. Put a block of wood against it and hit the block.

  22. #22
    Market Man Barry Wilson's Avatar
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    Default Re: How do I remove a superglued bridge?

    Heat does release super glue but it has to be about 300 degrees, though acetone or nail polish remover would be my first choice.

  23. #23
    Registered User 8ch(pl)'s Avatar
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    Default Re: How do I remove a superglued bridge?

    The finish itself may inhibit the adhesion of the Glue. You could warm it

  24. #24
    Registered User 8ch(pl)'s Avatar
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    Default Re: How do I remove a superglued bridge?

    The finish itself may inhibit the adhesion of the Glue. You could warm it a bit with a hair dryer first, don't know what that will do but may help. Then use the Wackometer and hope for the best.

    Sorry about the double post.

  25. #25

    Default Re: How do I remove a superglued bridge?

    I would hold an iron to the top of the bridge for a while .

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