# Nut Files



## Milothicus

I have a couple of electric guitars that may need new nuts.

having a new nut cut can cost $80-$90, and the tools will probably cost less than that, so i'm thinking of cutting my own. i'll be buying a couple of extra blanks, for sure...

anyone know how much i really need to spend to get a reasonable set of nut files? is there anywhere in canada to get them?


----------



## fetellier

I have built 2 guitars and replaced the nut on a couple and so far only used Welder tip cleaners. 6 or 7 dollars at Canadian tire, I cut the depth of the string slot with a Zona brand hobby saw and then widen with the cleaners. They come with lots of sizes in the set. That said I am planning to buy files before I do the nut on my 3rd guitar build. The best prices I have seen is at http://www.warmoth.com/supplies/supplies.cfm?fuseaction=files, we need to order by phone as the web site will not take non USA orders.

Fred Tellier


----------



## gtrguy

GONE


----------



## Lowtones

I bought mine from Stewmac. They work very well.


----------



## fraser

i liked the stew mac ones too. all commercially available sets are expensive- if your only doing a few nuts, the welder tip cleaners fetellier mentioned work well. you may need to crazy glue the smaller gauges to a popsicle stick or something to get it to cut right. also pick up any needle file sets you see at the hardware store, those come in handy if used appropriately.
you can also put the nut in a vise, and use old strings to saw the slots- 
a handy tool is to take two machine screws with lock washers and nuts, you can wrap the string ends around the screws n bolt it tight, or fashion handles out of wood for each end. like this-
\--------------------\ 
hold the ends and use it like a saw back and forth- works nice.


----------



## dwagar

great ideas from Fraser.

I made a cheap and dirty set as suggested in one of Dan Erlewine's books by supergluing some old strings (about 6" length) to some dowels.


----------



## dwagar

I never heard about the welders cleaning tips, I'll have to check those out.

(I had to split this post in 2, my last post number was 666. Yikes.)


----------



## Milothicus

some great ideas. thanks. i think i'll be visiting canadian tire this afternoon...

got one nut done by buying a precut graphtech nut and just sanding off the bottom until the height was in the right ballpark.

not sure what i'll do for the other...


----------



## summitguitar

If you plan on making lots of nuts, i would go ahead and buy the stew-mac set, it comes with all the files you'll need,feeler gauges and a vice for holding the nut while you work on it, super handy. But it will set you back http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Tools/S...nd_saddles/Essential_Nut_Making_Tool_Kit.html


----------



## Michelle

Milothicus said:


> ......
> 
> having a new nut cut can cost $80-$90, and the tools will probably cost less than that, so i'm thinking of cutting my own. i'll be buying a couple of extra blanks, for sure...
> 
> anyone know how much i really need to spend to get a reasonable set of nut files? is there anywhere in canada to get them?


Really? That much? I do my basses pretty easily with files, strings, dremel but have a hard time with the small strings on guitars. So, instead of using kitchen knives, I just ordered a few files from StewMac, (and some nuts, fret file, nut spacing guage, etc).

Gee, even $50 would be pretty profitable to do this on the side.


----------



## YJMUJRSRV

Cutting a nut with anything other than the proper files is going to render a useless result. Had to chime in here. If there is one (OK two) thing/s that hack shops produce to much of its bad nuts and wonky fret jobs. Recent years the standards seem to have dropped. I see some very bad jobs coming from one store in particular in TO.

It takes me an hour to cut a nut start to finish. Then I let it sit for a day and double check my work, almost always spending 30 mins more polishing and fine tuning. Its an art. I couldnt fathom cutting a nut slot with a dremel. A guitar string .. yes that would eventually work but for for polishing a slot not cutting.

A nut can never be "close enough" in my opinion. You either get it right or the guitar will have tuning and stability problems.

That said, the files other have mentioned, and the Stewmac Erlewine nut making video is all anyone needs to obtain this skill. Its not brain surgery but it does take practice AND good tools to get it right.


----------



## violation

* insert obvious joke here* ... like bonerjam08.avi is my most recent? 

Don't mean to hijack here but the nut kind of... well fell off my step dad's guitar (found it like that in the case), how does one fix it? Just glue it on lol?


----------



## fraser

id put it in place, tune the guitar, if all is well, detune then put a wee dab of white glue to hold it- 

for YJMUJRSRV-2 months ago i serviced a guitar of a friend. the nut on it was carved in 1989, by myself, in a car, with only a jacknife and some sandpaper, on our way to a gig. he has never needed to replace or adjust it since i put it there. i remember carving the thing against the dashboard- dont remember the gig lol. its not pretty but it functions excellently.


----------



## YJMUJRSRV

fraser said:


> id put it in place, tune the guitar, if all is well, detune then put a wee dab of white glue to hold it-
> 
> for YJMUJRSRV-2 months ago i serviced a guitar of a friend. the nut on it was carved in 1989, by myself, in a car, with only a jacknife and some sandpaper, on our way to a gig. he has never needed to replace or adjust it since i put it there. i remember carving the thing against the dashboard- dont remember the gig lol. its not pretty but it functions excellently.


I think your post proves my point.


----------



## fraser

YJMUJRSRV said:


> I think your post proves my point.


in what way?
your first line was-
"Cutting a nut with anything other than the proper files is going to render a useless result"
my opinion is that fully functional yet visually unappealing does not equal useless

understand im not disagreeing with you, as your stated method is spot on perfect- just sharing an observation.


----------



## ed2000

I made my own file out of a boxcutter knife. To get the sawblade pattern I just hit the blade against the edge of a file repeatedly until sharp edge is jagged. I angle the blade in a V shape with the groove cut deeper at the headstock end. I find that the sharp, narrow blade really works well for the thinner strings. If you goof and cut too deep, you mix the shavings with super glue and fill slot.
K.I.S.S.


----------



## Hamm Guitars

fraser said:


> in what way?


I don't want to put words in anyone's mouth, but I thought he might have been refering to the 'it ain't pretty' part.

Functionality is fantastic, but who wants ugly nuts?


----------



## Michelle

Hamm Guitars said:


> .......
> Functionality is fantastic, but who wants ugly nuts?


I can't resist! Who would know? :food-smiley-004:


----------



## fraser

so now i have ugly nuts.... geez ok how bout this- i make ugly nuts sometimes, but nobody has called my ACTUAL NUTS ugly- yet- im sure thats to come one day:smile:


----------



## fraser

for the sake of seriousness, the original poster didnt say he wanted to start building guitars and selling em- he just wanted to make a few nuts-
those of us who have made nuts understand that we all started someplace.
if you have to use a credit card to get started in it, then its not worth it.


----------



## suttree

has it occurred to anyone that the thread title here sounds like a new friday night program on showcase?


----------



## Hamm Guitars

fraser said:


> so now i have ugly nuts.... geez ok how bout this- i make ugly nuts sometimes, but nobody has called my ACTUAL NUTS ugly- yet- im sure thats to come one day:smile:


Whatever you do, don't start posting pictures of your nuts in the "Show Us your Gear" thread....


:food-smiley-004:


----------



## Milothicus

This has been educational for sure...

i think this fits the 80/20 rule. 80% perfect nut for 20% cost.

in shaping the slots in the nut, obviously the height is important... and the slot bottom should be highest at the side facing the frets to ensure a consistent witness point... and there should be enough room for the string to slide through while tuning without catching, but not enough room for the string to move side-to-side.

beyond that, i think it's all cosmetics, which i'm not concerned about.

it still feels like the cost of a professionally cut nut is higher than the tools and materials to learn how to do it myself.


----------



## fraser

> it still feels like the cost of a professionally cut nut is higher than the tools and materials to learn how to do it myself.


yup for sure- its not particularly difficult, and the experience gained is kinda priceless for a guitar player- having a set of nut making tools is one of those things i consider a necessity for a player who is not wealthy- along with a fret crowning file, lots of allen keys, a ruler and a soldering iron.



> Whatever you do, don't start posting pictures of your nuts in the "Show Us your Gear" thread


lol-
i will try to resist:smile:


----------



## valriver40

after buying a guitar the the first thing i change is the nut. i use micarta and nut files from stew mac. practise makes perfect, well almost perfect!


----------

