Official Luthiers Forum!

The mailman just brought me a set of Hosco nut files - - - I broke down with another 12-string nut staring at me.

I'd love to hear some 'if you do it this way you'll be better off' advice.

My first reaction is in response to file flexibility; them skinny ones sure are whippy. Pull only? I can put a starting mark on nut slots with a jigsaw, but after that this can get sporty.

Thanks!

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Peter Havriluk

Those Hosco nut files should cut on the push stroke, but I could be wrong. Lots of Japanese saws cut on the pull stroke, of course.

I've been using a feather edge file to start my nut slots for about 15 years. That's all I use this for. About 3 strokes on the line gets them centered where I want them. Then I switch to another file to finish. Got my feather file from Philadelphia Luthier Tools on Squeebay. Definitely worth the money.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/111041825548?h ... xyuPtQ9lDq

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"Act your age, not your shoe size" - Prince

The skinny ones are definitely flexible and have to be used carefully. I've broken a few.

I use a razor saw to start the slots. Only takes a short stroke or two. Chris' feather edge file might work better.

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Steve Smith
"Music is what feelings sound like"

I use the SM files which are similarly whippy in the finer gauges. For these (.010, .013) I use two hands - one hand pushing and the other on the peg head side of the nut, guiding the end of the file and at times pulling with a little tension to help keep the file straight - kinda like the file were a coping saw blade.

SM makes a holder for the files. I bought one for the skinny one and it works a charm.

https://www.stewmac.com/luthier-tools-a ... ile-backer

I've used the thin ones on the pull stroke, but with the file backwards. Awkward. It also helps to lean the file left and right before you get to the needed depth, but avoid making the slot too wide at the bottom. Keep the height of the nut such that the slots don't have to be too deep: ideally the strings should protrude a bit above the top of the nut.

Chris, those look great for starting the slots.

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formerly known around here as burbank
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http://www.patfosterguitars.com

We use the StewMac files and have for a long time now and like them. I save my old files and as such I am currently on number ten of the .013 we cut so many nut slots. You can recondition these and make them last but I usually just buy new ones they are cheap enough to amortize over the 600 set-ups that I do approx. annually.

My technique is to refine the slot as I cut it. So I start with scraping the left side of the slot on the first down stroke (the file is angles into the side to scrape the side) and I'm sure to do the right side of the slot too. I want the gauged file to not be binding at all in the slot. If you find that the file is binding, and they commonly will, scrape the slot sides on the down stroke and that expands the width of the slot a bit and takes the file binding away AND it reduces any chances of breaking the file (or nut...) as well with the binding gone.

I also roll the slot increasing the angle on the back side of the slot and as Chris has mentioned in another thread a while back I move the file a bit sideways to "bell out" the back exit of the slot to help prevent string binding leaving the slot and any tuning instability that might result.

There is a learning curve with these for sure but we think that it's worth it in so much as they do a fine job.

A commercial tip for you Peter is to cut your slots wide enough for the next bump in string size so no slot mods are needed to go from say 12's to 13's.

What we like the very most about these types of files is the shape of the resulting slot. It's not a stinken "V" shape which we hate and recommend against, it binds the strings and the string may not be in contact with the slot bottom but pinched from the sides.... Instead we have a nice "U" shape with maybe a thou on each side of the string for wiggle room.

Nice tips, Hesh. Ever tried asking SM to replace the worn files gratis under their lifetime warranty? They do for other tools that suffer from wear like fret nippers.

How do you recondition them? I have thought about contacting SM for a replacement as one of mine is only cutting well on one side. I do recall a tread from some time ago where one guy simply has a pile of used files that he sends off to some company that does reconditioning and they come back better then new... or some such thing.

I've CA'd a 3mm square section of wood (ABW) to both sides of the thinner Hosco files to support them during use.
Did that when I got them as they seemed to really need some support before use in my clumsy mitts.

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The name catgut is confusing. There are two explanations for the mix up.

Catgut is an abbreviation of the word cattle gut. Gut strings are made from sheep or goat intestines, in the past even from horse, mule or donkey intestines.

Otherwise it could be from the word kitgut or kitstring. Kit meant fiddle, not kitten.

Thanks, folks. I found those double-sided set-of-three files guilty of all the sins Hesh mentioned. Besides not cutting worth spit.

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Peter Havriluk

Yep we have thought about it and decided against it for two reasons:

1). I will have to find the dang receipts and I HATE administrative bullcrap and avoid it with a passion these days

2). I may be a fool but I want Stew Mac to be successful and live to service our industry as long as possible. Seriously. When I had an issue with an amp kit purchase they offered me a 100% refund and I declined saying I wanted them to be successful. We have worn out a goodly number of StewMac tools from Jaws II fret presses to countless files including the diamond fret crowning files. If we asked for replacements it would over $1,000, maybe $2,000 of retail priced tools so we just keep buying new ones trying to be a good partner to another industry player.

And you thought that I was smart too, eh

But seriously just because you can does not always mean you should......

I've always thought that Stewmac built that into their price system which I'm fine with.