I've been trying to address the buzzing caused by the loose brace by pouring some white woodglue via a small hose (a part of one of the lines in a maple tapping kit). It struck me that the brace would probably move back towards the top if I took the tension off the instrument, mimicking the action of the clamp I couldn't install. I decided to use the occasion to take the bridge off, clean it up a bit, file down the "belly" (that may or may not have touchd the top) and drill a series of holes in it.
Evidently me being my distracted self, somewhat rusty in my empirical approaches and having only just finished my morning coffee I forgot to weigh the bridge before drilling it.
Before:
After drilling, tapping, polishing and treating with lemon oil:
I'll have learned for a next time to start with a thinner drill bit, and work from both sides to avoid having to polish away the splintering I got now. Overall I'm not discontent with the result. The guitar may even sound a bit more open, resonate more (with the same caveat emptor that MC5C noted
).
I'll give her a few days to settle (the new brass strings idem) and will then decide what to do with her, not really intent on keep her ATM.