Official Luthiers Forum!

Folks,

I Just made a 12-string nut, shaped and in place and .010" string slots cut to preliminary depth. I'd like to finish the job with some degree of precision, which I think I'm not going to get from the set of three double-sided nut slot files I've used on my 6-string nuts.

I know that Stew-Mac would be happy to sell me a bunch of files, but as an amateur builder I choke at the cost.

I'd love to get some advice and insight.

Thanks very much.

_________________
Peter Havriluk

I've been using 3 double sided files since the late 70's.... The only addition I have is Exacto razor saws in different thicknesses for the plain strings.

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

Chris, thanks for the advice. I've got a pile of Zona and Xacto saws. That's where the .010" slots came from. I'll take an inventory of other saws and see if there's any help there. Maybe a pass through the hardware store's saber saw department might turn up something.

Much obliged.

_________________
Peter Havriluk

You can "rock" the nut file from side to side to widen the slot some, which may fill in some of the "missing" sizes of the files.
I measure the kerfs on some of the dovetail and fretting saws I have and use them to do preliminary cuts and then use the nut files to round the bottoms of the slots.
Oscillating tool blades are relatively cheap and you can "stone" them to change the kerf they make.
I infrequently place an order with Stew Mac, but when I do I buy a couple more nut files. It is slightly less painful than buying a full set all at once.

For 20 years I used needle files. Last year I thought I'd try some nut files so I bought 4 from Stew mac. a 13/24/35/50. That covers it pretty well. But needle files and razor saws work perfectly well perhaps with a bit extra care.

I used a rag tag collection of saws and needle files for decades, but I was only making a nut every few years (and I didn't have much discretionary income). Nothing works as well as actual nut files, but they're pricey. One thing that's sometimes suggested, which kinda sorta works, is this using one of these little hole cleaner sets, which I think are for cleaning carburetors. If you get the nut slot almost the right size with some other tool, you can finish it and round the bottom with one of these, though it's kind of slow going. They only cost a few bucks, so IMO it's worth having.

_________________
Tim Allen
"Never hurry, never rest."

Pippin files can be useful if you don't have nut slot files.
e.g.This one goes as narrow as 0.0236"
https://www.cooksongold.com/Jewellery-Tools/Vallorbe-4100mm-Round-Needle-File-Extra-Slim,-Cut-2-prcode-997-2836?gclid=CjwKCAjw2dD7BRASEiwAWCtCbzGvUrx4NBwAti74ppLUxegaI1ZdxulwxTo7HF_mR_HhwHeLXAUGzRoCvWEQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

_________________
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.

Similar to what Tim mentioned:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Professional-G ... Swq1xfEXTD
I think these are the same as what I cleaned my cutting torch tip with when I worked night shift in a shipyard during my last years in high school.
As he said, they might work for finishing the slot, more so than actually cutting it, but then that is how I use the StewMac files also - I rough cut the slots with thin sawblades and then resize and finish them with the files.

Years ago I bought a set of feeler gages, clamped all the gages together and filed teeth across the edges using a triangular file. Stack the gages together that add up to the slot width you're looking for and saw away. Works great on bone nuts. Never tried it on anything else.

Now THAT has possibilities....And I've got a set of gauges to donate to scientific experimentation!

_________________
Peter Havriluk