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Some spider castings will have one or two legs that are quite
high. Gently tap the outer edge of the offending leg. The
“web” of the spider must be supported when you tap. You
can easily break off a leg, so don’t overdo it. Better to move
the leg just a little bit, and finish getting the fit you need by
sanding
(44)
.
When all the spider legs rest on a flat surface, install the sad-
dle. The saddle blank is supplied oversize for custom fitting.
Sand it on either the kerfing sanding board used earlier, or on
one of the new sanding blocks used for the spider’s legs.
Sand off any harsh marks, check the thickness often with
calipers, and leave the saddle perhaps .001" or .002" thicker
than the slot in the spider, so it will be a press-fit.
When the saddle blank fits the slot, cut the saddle in half and
use a clamp to squeeze the two pieces into the slot, with a
caul to protect the delicate spider casting at the rear. Leave a
gap between the two saddle halves that’s just wide enough
to let you see the screw hole in the bottom of the saddle slot
(45)
.
Set the cone into the soundwell with the ink mark facing for-
ward, and rest the spider on the cone. Lightly install the
screw between the saddle halves, and tighten it into the
cone until it’s just snug. From this snug point, turn the screw
one more full turn.
Installing the saddle
44.
Gently tap the outer edge of the offending leg. The “web” of
the spider must be supported when you tap.
45.
Between the two saddle pieces, leave a gap that’s just wide
enough to show the screw hole in the bottom of the saddle slot.
For lap-steel playing, the final string height at the nut will be
approximately 3/8" from the bottom of the strings to the fin-
gerboard. The strings should be level on their top surfaces for
using the steel bar while playing, so the clearances under the
strings will vary as the string diameters vary. Place the nut in
the nut slot (the overhang on each side is OK right now),
measure 1/32" above the final 3/8" distance from the fret-
board (for nut slot depth), and mark that line (3/8" + 1/32" =
13/32") in pencil across the top of the nut. Remove the nut
and file off the excess material down to the pencil mark.
Gently round the back side of the nut so the string approach-
es the front edge of the nut gradually — following this
slightly round angle — and has its final contact, or “take off,”
point at the very front edge of the nut.
Installing the nut
