Being a firm believer in the saying waste not want not is what brought this device into being many years ago. It started life as a vintage engraving machine, given to me thirty-five or so years ago, and it was operated on the lines of a pantograph.
I have adapted it as a dedicated bridge slotting machine. It has too many varied adjustments and functions to show in a photo display so I will list most of them here first. It has ten points of adjustment, but not all are needed for the slotting operation. Some of the features are:
A router table with a fence and adjustable stops. The table can also be raised and lowered.
A vice that can hold a bridge blank of any size in place before being wound into position under the routing table. It can also hold a complete guitar with the bridge in place for re-slotting during repairs etc.
The whole vice assembly that holds the bridge or guitar can also be wound up and down under the table, in so doing governing the depth of the slot.
Once under the table, the vice/bridge assembly can be rotated clockwise left or right, this angles the bridge blank for setting the desired compensation. The router tracks straight while the bridge blank sits clamped firmly in place at an angle under the table.
It’s not the sort of thing one would have unless you come across one of these old machines, I just love using this old well-engineered machine and giving it a new lease of life.
There’s also Diversion Therapy in its creation.
The first photo shows the original machine.
The last photos show the whole guitar setup. I have a smaller jig that mounts on a guitar top, but I found that a bit iffy on some guitars.
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