Can I glue my saddle/bridge down?

Sounds like you have resin w glue. If it is then I can vouch for its claim when it is used properly. Sticks like the proverbial poop to a blanket.

If you prepare the surfaces properly and get a good flat clean joint, then glue and clamp it up tightly for a few hours until it dries then I see no reason why it shouldn't work.

The question I find myself asking is, how the heck did you bridge become detached to start with?
 
:stop: If this is a first or you are not absolutely sure what you're doing I would stick to good old wood glue (titebond or the likes) or hide glue (also available "ready mixed" from titebond). If you miss the mark with your bridge (Murphy's law) and you've used some super-strong, harder-than-calculus adhesive then you probably won't be able to fix it yourself, and your friendly luthier may not be able to do much either.
 
I hope you're asking about gluing the bridge down.....If you glue the saddle with that stuff you're talking about you would likely never be able to remove the saddle again if you ever wanted to make saddle adjustments. If your saddle is loose, put in a shim to hold it in place or have a new saddle made (or make one yourself if you are so inclined). If you are talking about your bridge, erich and shiftysquirrel have some sound advice. I'd personally stick with Titebond, hide glue, or LMI's instrument makers glue because if you ever needed to replace the bridge for some reason you could heat the bridge and remove it rather easily. Not sure if you could do that with the adhesive you're talking about. Just my 2 cents worth. :)
 
If you're going to use hide glue, don't use the liquid stuff in the bottle from the hardware store. Learn how to mix up real hot hide glue which is still the best adhesive for attaching the bridge to the top; it takes high temperatures better than either Titebond or the LMI glue which would by my second choice.

Go to www.frets.com and learn everything you can about hot hide glue and regluing bridges before you do this.

If you screw this up, it will cost you twice as much or more to have it fixed correctly by a luthier.
 
The Bridge(Brown) is Holding the Saddle(White). The Saddle should not be glued down. The strings hold it in the slot.
180U-415_bridge.jpg
 
:agree:

jerickson, Rick and aviezero have it covered.

Assuming it is the bridge you're referring to, Titebond red/I/original or LMI are fine. Hide glue is great (best) but has to be prepared and used correctly. A beginner at instrument DIY would find Titebond less daunting and easier to locate in stores.

As Rick said, don't use the liquid hide glue. It is especially unsuitable for joints that are subject to high stresses. It has a reputation for creeping and failing.

A good joint likes to have two flat surfaces that meet cleanly without old glue residue, dust, grease etc. Spread the glue thinly and evenly then clamp the bridge firmly in place. Getting the position spot-on is vital if you don't want to screw up the intonation of your instrument.

The longer you can leave a glued joint to set and cure before subjecting it to tension the better the chance of it being a good, stable long-term fix.
 
(Liquid hide glue) has a reputation for creeping and failing.

Have you actually ever used Titebond liquid hide glue to attach the bridge on a ukulele?
If so are you sure you did it right?
If so did the joint fail under normal conditions?

I have done so numerous times and not one of the bridges has ever failed.

I don't mean to question the expert advice given here, just wanted to point out that it is contradictory to my own experience and observations.
 
Top Bottom