I don't see why this tool works to reduce guitar belly bulge. Who can explain it to me? I know HOW it allegedly works.

You heat two big alumin(i)um blocks, put one on the outside of the bridge and one in the inner bridge plate and clamp them on TIGHT. This softens the hide glue that holds the outer and inner bridge plates. Leave to cool. Take off tool. Bulge is reduced.

Here's a link to the Stew-mac site with it on

http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Tools/Clamps,_support_tools/Thompson_Belly_Reducer.html?actn=100101&xst=3&xsr=20914


But bulge (and collapse in front of the bridge) is caused by the bridge twisting towards the neck. So why does this work?   If you replaced the outer and inner bridge plates, the outer having a slight lump under the middle, and the inner being slightly concave, I could see it pulling the middle of the top (and the whole bridge assembly) towards the back of the guitar - but it seems to do that without the re-shaping.

Baffle-a-Bridge...