Nut Filing for Beginners?

[LowWatt]

I'm comfortable with adjusting and modding everything on my guitars except the frets and the nut. No matter what, I'll always leave my frets to a professional, but I would like to learn how to properly file out a nut. I figure that if I butcher it, the cost is low in getting the nut replaced and the nut can get cut right then anyway.

All my guitars came stock set up for 9s or 10s and I always play 10s-11s (depending on scale length). I want to file things out just slightly to help with some binding issues at the nut.

Is there a good online step by step primer that anyone can point me to?
Any advice?
Where can i get nut files in Toronto?

[fraser]

not sure if anyone in toronto carries nut files, in the past i ended up going to stewmac-
http://www.stewmac.com/
trouble is, theres not really a cheap way to start out and get it right.
heres a full setup-
http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Tools/Special_tools_for:_Nuts_and_saddles/Essential_Nut_Making_Tool_Kit.html
instead of buying something like that, i use a 4" drill press vice, cost $5,
and the shaping files i use whatever small files are handy.
i have a small army of different files ive collected from hardware stores n such.
and a couple of those mini-hacksaws come in real handy- $1 at princess auto.
where you run into trouble is the slotting files-
http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Tools/Special_tools_for:_Nuts_and_saddles/Double-edge_Nut_Files.html
http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Tools/Special_tools_for:_Nuts_and_saddles/Gauged_Nut_Slotting_Files.html
not cheap- my set was lost in a rather messy move lol, and i have been putting off buying a new set- i got a bunch of little needle files, but they arent really great- they work, but its imperfect.
in fact im carving one out of ebony right now, and its taking ages- a real pain.
one way to go would be to buy a few nut slotting files for the smaller gauge sets, then use cheaper needle files for the others.
if you just want to play around and learn, get a little vice, a few small files, a few larger files, a set of feeler gauges and some sandpaper.
if you just want to enlarge a couple of those slots a bit, you can carefully do it with a small needle file, or fine sandpaper wrapped around a feeler gauge-
look at the different tools available at stewmac as well, lots of them can be substituted with cheaper hardware store stuff available locally-
heres a nut making tutorial-
http://www.stewmac.com/nuts
good luck

[Wheeman]

^^^ +1

As for nut material, try looking for some scrap Corian from any place that does countertops. Its cheap/free and works well with a bit of rough work to size it properly.

[fraser]

just finished making one, so i snapped a pic, might help give you ideas, i dunno-
the nut is for a lap slide, so its real big, made from ebony. all the tools used are in the pic, and all were bought at local hardware stores cheaply.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v673/fraserkaro/DSCF0903Small.jpg

[LowWatt]

Thanks for the advice. Great stuff Fraser!

[RavenT]

If you are friendly with you’re local music store then would speak with him and ask him to see with his supplies to see if they can get you a set nut files. I did the same with my local shop and they were able to get me an 8 files set from Ibanez, it took about two weeks for them to come in. Did not have to order on line and have to pay for the exchange rates, shipping and handling. It was $89.00 and a two-week wait. And as for learning nut making I seen this thing on this guys blog http://guitarwise.blogspot.com/2006/11/dan-erlewine-nut-making-step-by-step.html. He also has plans for making a neck refret jig. Hope that this information is helpful. Buy the way use a dust mask when filling bone or use a wet/dry grinder that has a slow speed so you can handle the nut by hand and the no dust the bigger bones with the wet/dry grinder is that no smell of burning bone.

[Diablo]

Just wanted to say I saw some "needle files" at Princess Auto on sale this week for $2.49 (reg. $3.49) that look like they might do the job for something like this.

[james on bass]

You just want to open up the slots a bit? I've done that when I re-strung a 4 string bass BEAD. All I did was remove the strings and run them through the nut a few times to file them open. Of course, that wouldn't work with the unwound B & E strings.

[copperhead]

need nut material ? go buy a beef roast that leg bone in one roast contains enough Bone to make 4 to 5 nuts .that fem-er bone in the roast im forgetting what kind of roast it is but its about 2 and 1/2 " across and the thickness is about 1/2" thick ive made a half dozen nuts from cow bone and many moose bones even though moose is a bit yellower use hydrogen peroxide to bleach it

[LowWatt]

You just want to open up the slots a bit? I've done that when I re-strung a 4 string bass BEAD. All I did was remove the strings and run them through the nut a few times to file them open. Of course, that wouldn't work with the unwound B & E strings.

Yup. That's what I ended up doing. You can even use the plain strings, just rub them up an down the sides like a cheese slicer. Doesn't lok like it makes a difference while you are doing it, but when I restrung, it was perfect with none of the binding I was getting before.

[Groupx]

I bought a spark plug feeler gauge set from Cdn Tire, put it in a vice and cut some notches in it with a dremel. Now I've got a set of files that will do any size string nut . Doesn't look much different that the pro files.

Don't forget to put tape behind the nut to avoid scratches on the finish.

[valriver40]

the feeler gauge home made nut files sounds interesting. i will give it try for my own use. thanks for the info groupx.

[soundhound6]

Not to hijack your thread lowWatt...

Can you use the hard outer part of antlers for the nut or maybe those Tagua
nuts used to replace ivory?I have both at hand...

Jan:food-smiley-004:

[Paul]

Welding tip orifice cleaners are a hand set of wire sized files. Any welding supply store will have them, and likely Homedepot, Lowes or Crappy Tire too.

http://www.uniweld.com/Larger_View/TCa_sm.jpg

[fraser]

Not to hijack your thread lowWatt...

Can you use the hard outer part of antlers for the nut or maybe those Tagua
nuts used to replace ivory?I have both at hand...

Jan:food-smiley-004:

antlers will work- they are bone. dunno about tagua nuts- whats that?
i like to use old cow bone- you find it everywhere, if a dog no longer wants it, its ready for guitar parts.

and yup- i like those welding tip cleaners for making quick adjustments to nut slots.

[Michelle]

I bought a spark plug feeler gauge set from Cdn Tire, put it in a vice and cut some notches in it with a dremel. Now I've got a set of files that will do any size string nut . Doesn't look much different that the pro files.

Don't forget to put tape behind the nut to avoid scratches on the finish.

Now that is smart! Good call! And you can still use them to gap sparkplugs.

[soundhound6]

Jeeze...I just love the resourcefulness shown by the people here.Excellent!
I used to wonder for years ...who made the tools to make all these cool tools?
We should be called "Homo Faber" instead of Homo Sapiens.
"Man the builder" instead of modern man!

Nothing excites me more than people at their creative best,from the fine arts
to the day to day problem solving.Never ceases to amaze me.


Fraser...Tagua nuts are a variety of palm seeds about 1 1/2-2'' in diameter.They're used for small carvings and for doing inlays, as an ivory substitute.I got mine at Windsor plywood for a couple of bucks each.


Jan

[Freddy Gabrsek]

You can get a complete set of nut files from George Heinl & Co. in Toronto. More reasonable price than stew-mac and local too:food-smiley-004:
Freddy

[LowWatt]

You can get a complete set of nut files from George Heinl & Co. in Toronto. More reasonable price than stew-mac and local too:food-smiley-004:
Freddy

Don't know them, where are they? Website?

[Paul]

Don't know them, where are they? Website?

Church Street, between Dundas and Shuter. They are mostly a high end violin/viola/cello/bass store, but they have some other stuff too.

http://www.georgeheinl.com/index.cfm

[LowWatt]

Church Street, between Dundas and Shuter. They are mostly a high end violin/viola/cello/bass store, but they have some other stuff too.

http://www.georgeheinl.com/index.cfm

Wow. Thanks. 5 minute walk from my place. That's perfect.

[Bustard]

Nuts are easy but can at first be a pita, you got a do a few, Take a straight edge from 2nd f to the nut and make sure you just leave a hair above 1st f. Mark the nut to the dpth and then file. I use string off crops glued to a peice of wood the same as what ever string I want to put on. Of course the unwound ones are a bit simpler.

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[Bustard]

Not to hijack your thread lowWatt...

Can you use the hard outer part of antlers for the nut or maybe those Tagua
nuts used to replace ivory?I have both at hand...

Jan:food-smiley-004:


You can use what ever the customer wants or what ever you want...Ive used hard carbon with great success, bone is preferred by many. I have tried glass, zinc, sandstone, for nuts and saddles and they were all difficult to work...the glass was almost impossible but it can be done and is quite ideal. Brass and aluminium are acceptable too. You could use any hard light substance as long as you can work it.
Ive always wanted to try cast iron... its probably great!

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