nut file

[jkes01]

If you plan on making a few nuts, get the StewMac files. I started with 3 files and could do any nut. Later I added 2 more to fill in between the 3 I already have. Makes the finished product so much more accurate and smooth. Money well spent IMO.

If you just want to deepen slots a little, fine sand paper folded in half and wound guitar strings will burnish and deepen a slot a little. May take longer, but it will work. Will make it a little harder to accidentally "blow the nut" by cutting too deep.

The Mitchell abrasive cord is a other option that works well.

 

[LtDave32]

need to take down string height at the nut and was wondering if anyone uses other tools other than the stewmac ones?

If I were doing this regularly i'd invest in the stew-macs files ( cost prohibitive for us overseas) but i'm only doing this once in a while.

I've read feeler gauges, old strings and cleaning tips for welders could do the job. Has anyone had expereince with any of these ?

Feeler gauges will not give you a uniform round surface on the bottom of the slot. Several people here have mentioned the welding cleaner tips from first had experience. That sounds like your best bet.

I use both nut slotting files and a welder tip cleaner set. Here's the problem with the tip cleaner set; it is great to have a nice, smooth "U" shaped slot. But those damn tip cleaner sets have an inch and a half of wire, and only 2/3 of even that is serrated. They get bent and bunched up, and it's hard to get a good grip on them. In short, they are quite difficult to work with.

There are nut slotting files (in the SM catalog, I believe) that offer a proper "U" notch for the bottom of the slot. They are more expensive however.

 

[LtDave32]

i bought a set of long 5" welder tip cleaners which should be make the file easier to handle. I coudnt imagine using it to cut a nut from blank with these but for fine tuning they look the deal.
I'll practise on a bit of scrap plastic before I take on my giutar.

Aha! That sounds like a much better item to work with than what I described.

No, you'll be there all day and then some trying to slot a blank with those. Great for cleaning up or widening an existing slot though..

 

[Ole'Lefty]

In the modern world, the genuine nut file is one of the necessities for great setups. I have a full set of the gauged ones from S-Mc plus duplicates I save for saddles. You can much more easily "fake" most every other precision tool you need. I believe that a correctly cut nut is the start of a good playing guitar, so it is the worst place to improvise.

I used to loan these by mail but had too many unfortunate events regarding return and condition on return. Usually the condition was someone who said nut use, but went after saddles too and harshly. One full bridge of saddles uses half the life of each file- it is very hard to get them "unloaded" after they get filled with brass swarf and don't work crisply for nuts thereafter. Thus, my duplicates.

One does not need the full set, but $75 or so to work on a couple thousand dollar guitar does not seem relatively unreasonable. Do a few nuts for pals and charge them and make your investment back.

I am now diagnosed with a disease of the brain which can kill me any night without warning. Given that I have several guitars of very high quality in process, I will be returning to my shop to get them done before ignorant heirs "wonder what to do with all this wood and these guitar parts and all of these tools?" Might as well have some guitars completed to make the decisions easier for them.

So, invest in good nut files and do it right! If it is your first time (likely it is, because of the question) buy a spare nut, preferably one with the starter cuts in case you ruin the present nut-easy to do. Keep the starting point of the relief in your neck in mind- there is a crucial relationship there.

 

[Open_Book]

I am now diagnosed with a disease of the brain which can kill me any night without warning. Given that I have several guitars of very high quality in process, I will be returning to my shop to get them done before ignorant heirs "wonder what to do with all this wood and these guitar parts and all of these tools?" Might as well have some guitars completed to make the decisions easier for them.

Sorry to hear that OL. All the best.

 

[Frogfur]

Clock maker's files are helpfull.

 

[emoney]

@Mike/Ole Lefty....damn....

 

[duke1098]

One does not need the full set, but $75 or so to work on a couple thousand dollar guitar does not seem relatively unreasonable. Do a few nuts for pals and charge them and make your investment back.

Given I play with 10-46 and 9-42's, I only work with bone, nylon and tusq, what two or three file sizes would you recommend?

Each SMac file will cost $36aus plus postage. so $90 for a couple of files. A fair amount for broke musos. if I can limit to two maybe the buds can all chip in.

 

[warprider]

I say go the torch tip cleaner route. You'll see why you'll want files, as I did. I cut a nut I'm proud of with those torch files, but it was painstakingly slow.

Like someone mentioned, it's a nut. You can find inexpensive plastics, or bone to use, but you'll never know until the trial/failure is approached. That's how we learn & it's foolish to think you'll be good right away. You'll be doing touch ups for days/weeks.

Good luck & enjoy the learning experience. I do.

 

[jkes01]

Given I play with 10-46 and 9-42's, I only work with bone, nylon and tusq, what two or three file sizes would you recommend?

Each SMac file will cost $36aus plus postage. so $90 for a couple of files. A fair amount for broke musos. if I can limit to two maybe the buds can all chip in.

I started with .010, .024, and .042 and could do any nut with those. Later I sprung for 2 more to fill in the 3 I already had. You could get 2, the .010 and .024.

The .010 file will cut a slot suitable for a .09 string as well as the thicker plain string gauges. The .024 file will cover the rest for your wound gauges.

 

[Ole'Lefty]

.010;.024;.042 is a good minimum range- you wiggle (sorry for the high-tech there) them for the in-betweens. Don't "overdo" the ramping down toward the peghead-it is a subtle slope and primarily to give the strings a crisp take-off point. The other reason is to help build winds toward the bottom of the post so that the string makes firm contact with the nut and only truly "rings" from the take-off point up the neck.

 

[duke1098]

.010;.024;.042 is a good minimum range- you wiggle (sorry for the high-tech there) them for the in-betweens. Don't "overdo" the ramping down toward the peghead-it is a subtle slope and primarily to give the strings a crisp take-off point. The other reason is to help build winds toward the bottom of the post so that the string makes firm contact with the nut and only truly "rings" from the take-off point up the neck.

A few good points that I never thought of before. such as ramping down the cut to the bottom of the tuning post.
I've played with the welder torch files and got my desired string height. It took a bit of time but thats not a bad thing for the inexperienced like me. It helps me going slow and not taking off too much too soon.

I'll step up to the files in due course and will be keeping an eye on ebay for some good kit.

thanks for the infos.

Look after yourself brother.