Nut cutting.

[LarryUK]

Just a quick one.

What do you use to cut the nut depth? I've looked at tools on ebay. But, they're quite expensive.

I want to practice on one of my guitars.

Plus. What do you use to level the frets? Can anything be homemade?

[milod]

http://www.stewmac.com

 

Try that. Carefully. <grin>

 

BTW, living in livestock country, I almost came up with a bad line that many folks around here just use a good quality pocket knife, but... Naaaah. <chortle>

 

m

[BigKahune]

I bought my nut files from this list - http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Nuts,_saddles/Special_tools_for:_Nuts_and_saddles/Gauged_Nut_Slotting_Files.html?actn=100101&xst=3&xsr=2354

 

You can put together the set you need. I put together a set of 10s. A couple of files weren't exactly what I needed - slightly bigger won't matter, but slightly smaller, just file the slot a smidge wider.

 

You can make a homemade fret leveler (or buy one at StewMac), but then you'll need them crowned and dressed. I give that work to my luthier/shop.

[sparky scott 29]

I only wish you well and luck.

I don't have the yazoos to do it to any of mine.

[TommyK]

I bought a set of diamond needle files I am going to use to try to 'fix' the new nut a local guit tar tech put in. The slots are way too tight. I wasn't real pleased with the install. I honestly don't think she understood the concept of a zero fret. Anyways. If they needle files don't work I will probably go to Stew-Mac as Milod suggested. The nut files are spendy, at $25 a pop, but if you figure what a nut job will cost.. I mean a quality nut job, I'll probably spend not much more money than getting my own set. Then again each file is actually two files in one. Two sizes gets you about $12.50 per file, about the cost of a one sized standard file, and you'd need 8 of them, if you could find that many sizes. I thought about the 6 file set, but for me the first four sizes are all I'll ever need. The 6 file set only saves you less than half a file $11. I figure if I ever want to work on a bass nut (not likely) I'll spring for the other two.

 

Then you could get the pro's nut tool kit that has the four smaller files, a vice, feeler gauge, nut shaping files and string spacing tool, but most of that is for time savings in a production shop. One could probably do the shaping with a run-of-the mill diamond file, if you have one, or emery board. Spacing? There are formulas that can be used to figure that out. It'll take time, but if you are doing it yourself, what's the diff? The vice? If you have a small vice I'm sure one could fabricate a fixture to set onto the jaws that would do just as good. I have feeler gauges in my car tune-up tool box I haven't used in 20 years. Besides why do I need a feeler gauge for this operation? The files have their sizes printed right on the side and I have a package of feeler gauges, the strings.

 

You might be able to get a cheaper fret leveling file by buying generic a fine cut rectangle file. Would probably save half, but those do come with a handy wood handle. leveling frets with a standard, tanged, bastage file might be a bit tricky, unless you could epoxy a block of wood on top of it. You'd then need to ramp the bottom leading and trailing edge of the file. Might be more work to heavily modify a standard file, but if you're short on funds and you have the time, make your own.

 

There is something to be said for having the 'right tools for the job', but sometimes, unless you use them daily, you're better off to improvise. A man can buy a whole cabinet full of purpose built tools that you use once then store for your estate auction. That is why some of my tools are the best made, some are cheapo, hope-I-get-one-use-out-of-them. If I can't see myself using the tool more than once, I go cheap. I figure the money I save buying cheap, once a decade use tools, I can afford to splurge on the ones I use regularly that will last a life time.

 

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