fernandraynaud - 6-14-2012 at 07:15 PM
I wish (I was going to say "need" but reconsidered), anyway I wish to plug the string holes on a Syrian oud to redrill the bridge, for more precise
positions and for the strings to sit a little lower. I'm looking for the best way to fill them.
Not a hard epoxy. I'm looking for a substance that could be treated as part of the original bridge, for instance drilling through or across a filled
hole, etc. The bridge is a lightweight but rather hard light-colored wood, as often used on bridges, it could be pear wood, but I don't know pear from
apples. I'd rather not e.g. mix wood sawings with hide glue, as I have no wood powder to use (unless I deeply reshape the bridge ;-).
Also I'm looking for a source of some thick hard wood veneer for the fingerboard. Ebony or rosewood would be nice. The typical commercial veneers at
0.5 mm (0.020") are too thin, would require more than one layer. The readily available 1/8" planks are a bit too thick. Anybody have a good source?
p.s. Has anybody tried Dov Schmidt's oud pegs? He offers some in either 7-9mm or 8-10mm at $15-$20 a dozen.
Brian Prunka - 6-14-2012 at 07:21 PM
Good toothpicks can be used to fill old bridge holes.
I don't think any veneer is going to be suitable for a fingerboard; you need a decent piece of wood so you can plane it properly.
fernandraynaud - 6-14-2012 at 09:40 PM
Thanks, Brian, toothpicks sound feasible if I can find the right "gauges" or drill out the holes a little.
As to the fingerboard: and what if the existing fingerboard is nice and flat, and I just want to raise it a bit by gluing on some veneer? I've seen a
number of ouds in which the fingerboard surface is a harder wood, glued onto the neck and far too thin to have been planed. You don't think I can
find, say, a 1 mm veneer I could use this way?
Brian Prunka - 6-15-2012 at 04:25 AM
It's possible, I suppose, but my suspicion is that even if the existing fingerboard is very even, the process of adding the veneer will add a slight
amount of unevenness. I've seen fingerboards planed down very thin, especially over time (if you plane a fingerboard every 3-5 years, you can easily
get down to a very thin board).
As for the toothpicks, it's better to shave them down to fit your bridge holes than to enlarge the holes. You don't want to remove any extra wood
from the bridge.
Dr. Oud - 6-26-2012 at 08:57 PM
I don't understand your plan for the veneer on the fingerboard, but I would not bother with it. The veneer will soon wear a hole through and need to
be replaced anyway. There are 2 viable options: remove and replace the fingerboard with a solid piece of appropriate thickness to restore the action;
or glue an extended fingerboard of the top of the existing one, at least 3mm (1/8 in) thick (my preferred suggestion). Use a flat sanding block longer
than the fingerboard to flatten it rather than a plane.