First nut!

[swarfrat]

Ok - if you're gonna do this - yes you need files. You also need one of the fancy nut jigs. But don't get the Stew-Mac one - it doesn't do thickness. I found a $55 jig on ebay that is essentially the same thing but it also does thickness sanding. The thickness sanding adjustment is rather fiddly but it's pretty quick. And trust me - you want the thickness sanding jig because you're gonna mess up a bunch of nuts. Also - I suggest occasionally making marks on the wheels with a sharpie. It makes it much easier to tell when the wheels are spinning.

Here's my first one. It was super hard cutting the slots in the right spot using the "mark either side of the string and saw in the middle" method. I will at least print a template next time.  I didn't round the corners yet because I didn't want to bother until I got the slots right. And them hosco files go FAST. REAL FAST. (Hence the squaring/thickness jig.)

 

[rauchman]

Ok - if you're gonna do this - yes you need files. You also need one of the fancy nut jigs. But don't get the Stew-Mac one - it doesn't do thickness. I found a $55 jig on ebay that is essentially the same thing but it also does thickness sanding. The thickness sanding adjustment is rather fiddly but it's pretty quick. And trust me - you want the thickness sanding jig because you're gonna mess up a bunch of nuts. Also - I suggest occasionally making marks on the wheels with a sharpie. It makes it much easier to tell when the wheels are spinning.

Here's my first one. It was super hard cutting the slots in the right spot using the "mark either side of the string and saw in the middle" method. I will at least print a template next time.  I didn't round the corners yet because I didn't want to bother until I got the slots right. And them hosco files go FAST. REAL FAST. (Hence the squaring/thickness jig.)

Would have a link for this?

 

[swarfrat]

https://www.etsy.com/listing/511420025/guitar-setup-nut-and-saddle-blank?ga_order=most_relevant&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_search_query=guitar+nut+thickness&ref=sr_gallery-1-1&organic_search_click=1&frs=1

 

[jay4321]

I've carved probably 30 nuts without any kind of clamp or jig at all. Always sort of eyeballed the Stewmac vice but other than their measuring rule just a handful of things make it happen:

1) Maybe 15 good-to-excellent files ranging from .010 to .125 which covers all my guitars and basses, either exact or acceptably close to the string gauges in 3 guitar string sets and 2 types for bass

2) Bone blanks - I'm not above a preslotted or Tusq (not Tusq XL) sometimes, but usually only on typical 1 11/16 trem guitars and when I'm feeling lazy.

3) Handheld belt sander. Not the ideal tool for the job and requires a little coordination and care, but for now it works. You can somewhat saw or I guess sand if you hate your life, but I just have one nearby

4) Leveling beam or quartz countertop or anything level to sand flat bottom of nut

4b) rare occasion - I have some pots and pans various sizes if I need to radius the bottom of a nut

5) Sandpaper, polishing papers or whatever you want to use

6) tiny bit of wood glue

That's it. I highly prefer a digital caliper handy but it's not essential. Stewmac's spacing rule also nice but with a good eye you can set them by hand if you are careful. Finally, maybe ideally, using an existing nut as a string guide make things super easy. flat gauges are nice to have handy also

If you don't have good eyesight, and/or can't keep things perpendicular to the surface you're sanding on, you'll need a couple more things but eh. Honestly it's more about the challenge and having a box of blanks handy than being worthwhile, the non-XL Tusqs and preslotted/prefit jobs usually do just fine.

 

[swarfrat]

I tried to eyeball from the previous nut and you can see my spacing got a bit off - the G is way close to the edge.  I think I screwed this one up when I was trying to center the saw in between the markings from the strings. It's the old 'which side of the road am I on' parallax issue. (Put your right leg down the middle - no matter how big a truck you're driving), Anyhow I got it wrong this time.

I've got a bag of unslotted blanks. I might try another when I get my fretless board sanding done.

 

[jay4321]

What I'd recommend, partly just for the experience, is to rough cut the nut and sight in the strings purely by eye. Tweak them around carefully, mark them off. Start with a .010 saw centerline and work up

The hardest part for me is has always been getting a pencil mark just where I actually want it

 

[ragamuffin]

Ahh, I remember my first nut...  :laughing7:

Sorry, had to.

 

[bagman67]

Ahh, I remember my first nut...  :laughing7:

Sorry, had to.

They're like potato chips.  You can't have just one.

 

[swarfrat]

Ok fess up time. That's actually the second one I got thickness sanded. I boogered the first one (which I sanded to thickness with just my fingers and sandpaper) before slotting it.

The jig is well worth it

 

[BroccoliRob]

Ahh, I remember my first nut...  :laughing7:

Sorry, had to.

 

[swarfrat]

Looks like them files are gonna get some more use...

I went to "pop" the nut out of my new fretless neck for finishing. I did slather finish over it but decided sanding would be easier without it - so I carefully scored it multiple times. Then tapped. It wouldn't budge. I kept tapping. It broke in half at the D string slot. I was expecting "one or two drops" of glue but it was in there good. Even after both sides were broken out I still had stuff glued to the bottom. And .... !@$#% it broke off a 1/2 pinky nail size chunk of ebony behind the nut. Both chips were located and glued back into place without appearing obvious.

 

[swarfrat]

Broke down and bought a set of hosco double edged but files. I need a better way to rough it in than sand paper though. Whew that's a chore. I just had like about four axes in need of nuts. Two basses and two guitars.

Is there a file tooth that's the equivalent of a sureform rasp for bone?

 

[Cagey]

I use gauged saws like these...

They run from .010" to .030" wide in 5 steps. Once I've marked where I want the slots, I use these to get them started, then I use nut files to finish them off. I just use the size closest to what I want that doesn't exceed the width I need, laying them down a bit to make wider slots if I need to, but usually relying on the files to get the widths and bottom profile right

They're pull-cut saws, so they don't tend to wander at startup. Note: be very careful with these things. You can cut a slot too deep very easily.

 

[Fumblefinger]

String spacing ruler. This way you get the different spacing correct from one side to the other.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/String-Spacing-Rule-Guitar-Luthier-Tool/332815651247?hash=item4d7d5bd1af:g:WPQAAOSwzIZbpfhH

 

[swarfrat]

So far I've not bought the string spacing rule. I kept saying "why do I need that, I'll just print a template." But after trying to figure out why my printer is apparently about 5% off when it claims to be full scale... I think i'll get the template.

I did finally find my fretting saw (saw type, not that I use it for that).

 

[Cagey]

This little jig lets you cut guided and properly spaced slots, among other things. It takes a bit of cogitating to figure out how to use it, but you can make flawless nuts with it. Have to make a lotta them to justify it's price, but that's up to you.

 

[swarfrat]

My neighbor just water jet some wheel spacers for a 110cc kids atv. (I converted the worn out cable drum brakes he couldn't work to hydraulic disc brakes).  I'll have to study that and ponder. I'm sure I have some scrap laying around.

 

[swarfrat]

I'll pass on the convoluted jig (or attempting to make one). I did however order a nut string spacing ruler. And another 10 blanks. I figure 1) I have enough nuts to cut across projects that I ought to be decent enough at it soon, and 2) if I went and got them all done professionally at once I'd be spending several hundred bucks.  And that's not counting the ones I'd just like to experiment with.

 

[swarfrat]

I just wanted to reiterate a couple tips I've seen scattered around but I somehow missed:

1) Do not cut it to width until after your slotting is done. It's super easy to adjust your edge to edge spacing if you don't.
2) The files won't cut but so deep, and it's not as deep as you might think looking at the V-edge. The deeper you go, the more material you're cutting on the sides and progress slows.

I still haven't gotten to removing excess material on top, but I'm thinking I should have roughed it down to maybe 0.050" of the desired depth before slotting. However, even I'm going to end up tossing this nut (See #1) I plan to keep going as if I were going to keep it, just to avoid making the mistakes I'm fixing to make on what I hope is the final nut.

 

[swarfrat]

Okay, I think I reached the point of the mistake: I'd you try to dig too far with just files, they can wander.

Starting attempt #3. Man, I wish these things were a little closer to 0.125 to begin with. I know you need to have enough to fit, but .140 to .115 is a lot of sanding.