Attaching bridge after lacquer finish applied...

Do I need to sand / scrap away the finish under the bridge to get a strong joint, or will Titebond adhere well to a smooth lacquer finish?
If I do need to sand / scrape, do I need to take it down to bare wood, or will a light roughing of the surface be adequate? What tools should I use to avoid scratching / scuffing the rest of the soundboard?
Thanks!
Mika

Scrape it all off, down to the wood! (didn't do this once and the bridge popped off)
Use masking tape to cover the bridge area. Position the bridge and draw a pencil line around it. Then scrape off the finish just inside of the pencil line. I usually use a razor blade or utility knife blade. It only takes 10 min or so
Leave the masking tape in place outside the line incase you slip (done that too)

ksquine said:

Scrape it all off, down to the wood! (didn't do this once and the bridge popped off)
Use masking tape to cover the bridge area. Position the bridge and draw a pencil line around it. Then scrape off the finish just inside of the pencil line. I usually use a razor blade or utility knife blade. It only takes 10 min or so
Leave the masking tape in place outside the line incase you slip (done that too)

Click to expand...

As Punch said to Judy...."That's the way to do it" i once made the mistake of removing the laquer but not the woodstain I though woodstain can't effect glue..."Wrong"...result "bridge catapult" and it tore away large chunks of surrounding laquer so a major refinish job was required

Thanks, guys! I will follow your advise when finish work is done!
Mika

Depending on what kind of finish was applied, there's a possibility that you can glue directly on the finish with CA, but not white glue.

If you haven't finished the instrument yet, my advice is to tape off where the bridge will sit with some painter's tape, then spray. This makes it a lot easier. I normally use the bridge that will be attached to that instrument as the template, lay down some blue tape, then carefully cut along the profile. When you're done, and the finish is cured, use the bridge to cut along the tape lines, peel off, and pau.