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I failed to keep the razor saw straight while cutting the channel where the nut sits. As a result, the nut slot is about 1mm too wide on the treble side. The slot hasn't been cleared yet. How would you approach correcting this?

Thanks for any help.

Ron M.

I'm not the best to advise as I've only done this repair once and consider it a bit of a dodge but you can pack the slot with bone dust and then add a drop of superglue allow to dry and recut the slot. Hope I'm not teaching grandmother to suck eggs

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Ron:
Go ahead and square up the now wider slot, steal one of the dogs' sun bleached bones from the back yard, make a nut to fit. No big deal............ Mikey

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I think we may need a bit more information to help you out, a picture would also be helpfull.

What type of nut are you planning, one of the martin style which sits on the head stock veneer and is angle to match? Or the gibson style which sits between the headstock veneer (which is cut at an angle to match the plane of the fretboard surface on the neck) and the end of the fretboard?

Now which surface where you cutting when the razor saw was not held straight? If it was the fretboard than you will want to make sure that it is perpendicular to the center line of the fretboard. If is was the headstock veneer, that is a little bit more forgiving but you will still want to make it as close to parallel to the end of the fretboard as you can.

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Thanks to all for the advice. Rod, The guitar is a Weissenborn Style Guitar. I cut the nut slot in the veneer.

I can't provide a picture right now.

sorry misunderstood

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Formerly JJH

I learn more from my mistakes than my successes

Hello Ron,

As already stated the bone dust and superglue will do the trick.

Just a tip on nut hight for you to consider while your setting up the playing action on your weissenborn copy! The MIMF plan nut hight is 1/4". As a lap slide player that is too low IMO. Consider 3/8' and that will allow you to fit a capo without scratching your finger board every time you want to fit one as well as the extra hight will help you avoid the tone bar slapping into the finger board while playing and denting your finger board.

Cheers

Alan

Hi Todd,

The nut width is about 5mm. I got distracted and cut the kerf on the treble side a little wide.
I guess i could make the nut a little wider, or I was also thinking of making a spruce asymmetrical shim on the spruce side of the nut. What do you think?

Todd, how wide are your weiss. style nuts, I'm curious? Thanks for the tips. Thanks to everyone.

Thanks for tip Alan, I made mine 4/8" high.

Photo below. It may be hard to see, but the kerf on the treble side is wider.

Sorry Ron, I didn't read your thread properly. I thought you where talking about the nut, not the nut slot. Whoops!! Todd will set you straight on whats the best plan to fix the problem.

Cheers

Alan

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No need to be sorry Alan, you been a big help to me during this build. I'm sure others will benefit from that information, thanks.

Ron M.

Hey Tony, how are you? Are you talking about my avice on filling a bone nut string slot or the height of a weissenborn copy nut. Could you explain your reasons sometime please.

Excuse me Ron for interupting you thread.

Cheers

Alan

You could re-cut the slot accurately as Todd suggests, and make a new nut that fills the new slot, only add an s-curve, sort of like vintage Martins. Like this, only an appropriate shape for a Weissenborn


The bottom of the nut would fill the slot, but the nut won't look oversize, and if the ramp blends into the veneer gracefully, it could become an elegant detail.

Pat

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formerly known around here as burbank
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I think you're right Todd, thanks.


Pat, thanks for helping. Out of curiosity, what is the purpose of the curve? I'm sure you're on to something, It's just probably beyond my newbie comprehension.

Regards,
Ron M .

No real purpose. You can make the nut as big as you need to fill the slot. If it looks OK, that's good. But if it seems too massive because of the oversizing to fill the slot, the curve, greatly exaggerated in the picture, will make it look smaller where the slots are.

Pat

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

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G'day Tony,

Ok, I respect your veiw and thanks for the explanation Tony.

Cheers

alan

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Thanks Tony, and everyone else for the help.
Ron M.

Ron,

I don’t have the experience of the other people who have replied but I have a thought . If you will be adding purfling I have an idea. You could cut the slot straight and place some purfling behind the nut. It could resolve you problem and add a decorative aspect to the nut.

Just a thought.

Best of luck

Philip

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Hi Phillip,
i was thinking basically the same thing except, I was going to place the purfling strip on the spruce side of the nut. Thanks Phillip.

Ron M.