how hard/expensive it is to make and fit a nut?

axisus

I'm trying to do as much as possible on my first guitar build, but I'm wondering if trying to make a nut from scratch is a step too far? For one thing I assume that you need specialist tools which are probably expensive (and may only ever get one more outing!), but also it looks like it would be a tricky thing to get right.

Should I dive in or just buy a decent nut for relatively little money?

sweepy

It's excellent practice, building your own nuts, handy too, especially if you prefer different spacing etc

Jalapeno

With guidance from somebody who's done it before, and the tools - piece of cake.

Bone can be a stinky process, graphite is really messy (and I wouldn't want to breath any of that dust in !)

I was all geared up last 2 times to do it all again - first one - neck came with a fitted graphite nut, second - the blank fitted a trreat and all I had to do was file the slots.

Bound to be a StewMac viseo on how to do it.

TTony

I'd start with one that's roughly the right size, with the slots initially cut.

You'll still need to do some work on it - possibly shaving a bit off for the correct size and probably working on the slots as part of the set-up.

Sassafras

Even if you get a pre slotted nut you might still have to fettle it to get a good set up.

As a minimum I would buy a .10 nut file for the top E slot. You can use it to start off the other slots and use wet&dry to open the slots up. Some people use X-Acto saws to cut slots although I don't think I've ever tried this.

octatonic

The problem with nuts is you can go too far and then you have ruined blank.

You can sometimes built it back up with a mixture of baking soda and super glue but not always.

I have a set of nut slot saws and files- they all get used.

The Stew Mac nut vice is worth having, although you can build some wooden jaws for your existing vice as well- they need to have high sloped shoulders.

Out of all the specialist tools this is the most useful, I think:

http://www.stewmac.com/Luthier_Tools/Types_of_Tools/Straightedges/String_Spacing_Rule.html

Megii

I've managed to do it on several occasions, and compared to some of the things you've done/shown on this forum, I'm very unskilled. So if I can do it... I just buy bone blanks e.g. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Bone-Block-Nut-Guitar-Parts-Carving-60-x-7-x-9-mm-/381093925546?hash=item58baf7d2aa . Main thing I think you need to do a good job is some means of sanding the sides, and especially the base, absolutely flat. A lot of files aren't actually flat enough for this, though a file can be useful for shaping the top and sides of the nut. But is it tricky? I don't know, I'd say it's really just a case of taking one's time and being careful. A set of good nut files is a necessity I think, so I guess bear the cost of that in mind when deciding which way to go.

Jalapeno

Wis'd

WezV

I have made my own from from oversized bone stock for years.  I do occasionally use and fit other types but 9 times out of 10 i just start from scratch 

The only difficult part on making a nut is slotting, and you still need to do this on  a pre-cut one anyway.   so nut files will always be the best investment in tools

String spacing is an issue and you can focus on  whether it should be even or proportional string spacing - or just use one of those rulers (which i do use now), or just eye ball it which also works well as most people can spot when the string spacing is not what it should be.

Other than that you are just shaping a piece of bone to a specific shape, and thats pretty easy to do - but a bit smelly. 

if you are buying  sized blanks mistakes do become expensive very quickly, but it comes down to how you want to spend your money

 

1) buy all the tools and 1 blank  and have a better chance of doing it perfect 1st time.   expensive but you will get a good nut within 2 or 3 attempts

2) make do with simpler tools but invest in a few more blanks.  cheaper and you may still get a good nut within 3 attempts but possibly a couple more than that

 

whatever you do, practice on scrap.   And if you want cheap sources you can get corian samples and offcuts fairly easily.  you can process yoru own bone blanks, but it is more involved

streethawk

axisus said:

I'm trying to do as much as possible on my first guitar build, but I'm wondering if trying to make a nut from scratch is a step too far? For one thing I assume that you need specialist tools which are probably expensive (and may only ever get one more outing!), but also it looks like it would be a tricky thing to get right.

Should I dive in or just buy a decent nut for relatively little money?

It's a bit of a dear do for one or two nuts.

But you did say you first build. 

axisus

streethawk said:

axisus said:

I'm trying to do as much as possible on my first guitar build, but I'm wondering if trying to make a nut from scratch is a step too far? For one thing I assume that you need specialist tools which are probably expensive (and may only ever get one more outing!), but also it looks like it would be a tricky thing to get right.

Should I dive in or just buy a decent nut for relatively little money?

It's a bit of a dear do for one or two nuts.

But you did say you first build. 

Sadly I'm very limited on GAS funds from now on, so current guitar and one more is probably all I will ever stretch to. 

ICBM

You can get perfectly good results with some modified hacksaw blades and small needle files, you don't need professional nut files for a one-off.

Start with a plain junior hacksaw blade, snap it in half, hammer it flat on an anvil-type surface to remove the 'set' out of the teeth, then draw it backwards through folded wet'n'dry paper to round the edges. Depending on how hard you hammer it and hold much you take off the corners you can create different sizes - bearing in mind you don't actually want to make the grooves too tight a fit on the strings.

These do need a bit more care to use than proper files, and it takes longer, but it will work if you're basically handy with small tools - which I assume you are if you're building a guitar at all.

You can often find cheap miniature needle files in about the right widths too.