Grinding the saddle

[Henning]

Hi, when grinding the saddle, i had to grip the saddle so hard that my index finger tip got numb and i've now lost the feeling ability in the tip of it.
Sorry, but could not find where to post.

[Fathand]

Gentle wiggling of the finger may return circulation?

Were you belt sanding the bottom? You can use 2 sided tape or a drop of glue to hold a saddle to a piece of scrap wood to make it easier to hold next time. Or put in a vise if filing the top.

[Tuch]

Originally Posted by Henning

Hi, when grinding the saddle, i had to grip the saddle so hard that my index finger tip got numb and i've now lost the feeling ability in the tip of it.
Sorry, but could not find where to post.

Next time do this:
Sheet of W & D paper Tape corners down-Sheet MUST be flat!
Place a Wood block or similar[FACES must be 90 degrees...] on paper.
Score a line on saddle face to show LOWER DEPTH.
Place saddle UP against the BLOCK face[The FENCE] now Sand it to the line.
As you near the line REVERSE the saddle accordingly & Sand with less pressure downward applied.
STOP at line.JOB done.

[Henning]

I was holding it between my thumb and index finger, pressing hard against the file that I usually use. I had to press harder than expected. I don´t seem to get a flat surface with paper. The file gives a very good flat surface. Next time I will follow your advice. Thanks!

regards

[Tuch]

Originally Posted by Henning

I was holding it between my thumb and index finger, pressing hard against the file that I usually use. I had to press harder than expected. I don´t seem to get a flat surface with paper. The file gives a very good flat surface. Next time I will follow your advice. Thanks!

regards

Use a sheet of glass/ceramic floor tile.Tape W &D paper at corners=Keeps flat & Static.{aper must be perfectly flat etc 100%
The WOOD BLOCK or similar[FENCE] is the key to attaining a flat base.
Lighten off the pressure as you near the line & reverse the saddle [Keeps the sanding & erasure of material consistent!]

[Rudy4]

Originally Posted by Henning

Hi, when grinding the saddle, i had to grip the saddle so hard that my index finger tip got numb and i've now lost the feeling ability in the tip of it.
Sorry, but could not find where to post.

If you happen to have a little cheap 6" disk sander then you can do all the saddle and nut shaping easily and prevent all that nerve damage.

[difalkner]

I use one of these Vise Grip knock-offs from HF and it holds saddles and nuts just fine - https://www.harborfreight.com/8-in-s...amp-56589.html

[RoscoeGumar]

Originally Posted by Henning

Hi, when grinding the saddle, i had to grip the saddle so hard that my index finger tip got numb and i've now lost the feeling ability in the tip of it.
Sorry, but could not find where to post.

Dang. I can't imagine gripping a saddle that hard. If you need to grip and press that hard, I don't think you have the right tool for the job, even if you have decent amount of material to remove.

As a woodworker, I use my cast iron table saw top as my flat surface to put sandpaper on. Although I don't any more, you can use spray adhesive to apply sandpaper to glass. For sharpening, I used to have a relatively big sheet of glass with a number of different grits of sand paper stuck to it (Google scary sharp).

If you're not confident with holding the saddle at 90 degrees to the paper/surface and not rocking it, you could probably make a quick jig by just taking a small block of wood and cutting an appropriately wide slot in it (this assumes you have some tools though).

I usually use wet/dry sandpaper, either from the Home Depot or one of the auto parts stores, which tend to stock some very fine papers (it's easier to sand more off than put some back). I'm pretty cautious, being new to guitar, so, I lowered the action a bit by sanding the saddle each time I changed strings until I got to the point where I was happy with the action.

[steam284np]

I use a dremel to hog off most material when replacing nut or saddle then finish by hand using a steel ruler as guide to sand straight and flat. Different strokes for different folks lol

[srick]

I use double sided tape for so many operations like this. You can use it for temporary clamping (no clamp necessary), creating sanding blocks of all shapes and sizes, making tiny spot sanders (place a small square on plexiglas), and of course, temporarily affixing saddles to a larger block of wood. I got this stuff I us from Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/LLP-Woodworki.../dp/B07L6BS2KX and it is one of those supplies that I cannot live without.

It’s one of those supplies that seems to always solve a myriad of problems.

[Fathand]

Originally Posted by srick

I use double sided tape for so many operations like this. You can use it for temporary clamping (no clamp necessary), creating sanding blocks of all shapes and sizes, making tiny spot sanders (place a small square on plexiglas), and of course, temporarily affixing saddles to a larger block of wood. I got this stuff I us from Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/LLP-Woodworki.../dp/B07L6BS2KX and it is one of those supplies that I cannot live without.

It’s one of those supplies that seems to always solve a myriad of problems.

I like this one

https://www.amazon.com/Scotch-Tape-C...s%2C437&sr=8-3

[difalkner]

Originally Posted by srick

I use double sided tape for so many operations like this. You can use it for temporary clamping (no clamp necessary), creating sanding blocks of all shapes and sizes, making tiny spot sanders (place a small square on plexiglas), and of course, temporarily affixing saddles to a larger block of wood. I got this stuff I us from Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/LLP-Woodworki.../dp/B07L6BS2KX and it is one of those supplies that I cannot live without.

It’s one of those supplies that seems to always solve a myriad of problems.

I have several rolls of that tape in 1/2" width and it works great on the CNC, for holding things like saddles/nuts, and just in general around the shop whenever I need something to hold two pieces together. This stuff holds like crazy!

The carpet tape I've seen is too thick and cushiony for cutting something that needs to be precise.

[kizz]

I make a line and put the saddle in a table vice and rough file the bottom. I take the last 0.5 mm by hand on a piece of sandpaper, it saves a lot of hand pain. And as srick mentions, double-sided tape is good when you have to file the saddle horizontally.