Gluing a New Bridge Plate on the Epiphone Acoustic Guitar Using Hide Glue

Finally ready for The Moment of Truth. I have like 60 seconds to put the hide glue on the plate, put the plate in place, and then clamp it.

I did a few dry runs to sort out the clamps.  A couple of the pixtures are actually from the dry runs, since I didn't want to stop and grab the camera during The Real Thing.

One thing we know about hide glue is that it begins to set (gel) at around 90 degrees F.  The glue is at about 145 degrees in the pot, and it cools quickly.  If you can keep the parts warm, it will help slow the cooling.

So I decided to heat up the top of the guitar, the inside, and the plate itself with a heat gun prior to gluing it in place.

Next, ve apply ze glue, ja?

One hand on the camera, one hand on the glue brush.

Forgot to mention.  At the beginning, I had taken the glue out of the refrigerator and heated it back up in the hot pot.

I used a disposable brush from Stew-Mac (where else) to brush the glue on.

This is the guitar-top view of the operation.

Put the bridge plate into position, and used an X-Acto knife stabbed into the maple to hold the plate in place until I could reach under and grab it with my other hand.

So far, so good.

Then I put the center clamp onto the plate.  On the top of the guitar I had a piece of plexiglass and a wood caul.

I didn't use a caul underneath - the clamps are cork-faced and I think they're ok.  Next time, I do think I'll use a hunk of wood as a caul underneath too just to get a bit more pressure on the plate.

After the center clamp was on, two more clamps on the outsides.

Total time?  One minute, ten seconds.

Crazy mirror picture of inside.  It's hard to get a camera down in there, but you can see the clamps on the plate.

I think it will turn out ok.  If not, it will be a lot easier to get off than the original bridge plate.