Make your own nut slotting saw

Not wanting to plop down $$ for a set of Stew Mac razor saws, I obtained several strips of feeler gauge material from McMaster Carr Supply. I ordered these in thicknesses to match the string diameters of .010 - .046 strings. They come in 12" lengths and are 1/2" wide, tempered steel.

The cost ranged from about $1.10 to $1.50 each, depending on the thickness.
To make the gauge strip into a saw, I placed the strip in a bench vise with about 0.020" of the edge above the top surface of the vise. Then, using a small, very sharp cold chisel, I lightly tapped the chisel into the edge of the gauge strip at an angle, raising a small burr each time that would act as a saw tooth. Of course, you must be sure to make all the burrs face in the same direction. The burrs were as close together as I could make them, and covered only about 2" of the 12" length of gage strip.

How did it work? Beautifully! Even better than I had hoped for. I started out with an 0.010" strip, just to mark the slot locations. The strip cut my Graphtec nut so well, I had to be careful not to go too deeply. The nut was in my bench vise, not in its slot in the guitar neck.

McMaster Carr Supply is a wonderful source of just about everything. They have the best on-line catalog I've ever used. The ship very quickly, and only charge actual shipping costs, never a "handling" fee. The feeler gauge strips are on pg. 2245 of their online catalog.

I did a similar thing with a set of feeler gauges I picked up at Harbor Freight for just under a dollar. I used a needle file to cut the notches, though. I'll give the chisel a try if I ever need to make another.

There are eBay sellers also offering similarly notched feeler gauges.

You will not get the correctly profiled slots - with rounded bottoms - with these home made files, and string buzzing may well be an issue. But...they are a lot cheaper than real nut files!

For a long now I've been using the tool used to clean the tips of oxy/acetylene torches. Comes in a little kit with more sizes than you'll ever need, cuts a slot with a rounded bottom, don't have to "make" 'em & they are inexpensive.

There are eBay sellers also offering similarly notched feeler gauges.

You will not get the correctly profiled slots - with rounded bottoms - with these home made files, and string buzzing may well be an issue. But...they are a lot cheaper than real nut files!

That's the kind of funny thing, actually. My gauges from HF were rounded on the edges, for whatever reason. I do get a fairly rounded slot bottom. When I got home and noticed that the gauges were rounded, I went back to get another set, but they were all squared. Fluke, I suppose...

That's the kind of funny thing, actually. My gauges from HF were rounded on the edges, for whatever reason. I do get a fairly rounded slot bottom. When I got home and noticed that the gauges were rounded, I went back to get another set, but they were all squared. Fluke, I suppose...

The feeler gauge strips from McMaster Carr that I mentioned in my OP are rounded on their edges as well.

Man I wouldve never thought of that - and Ive racked my brain trying to figure out how to redneck something for that!!!:) Good Job!!

+1 on the torch tip cleaners. I picked a set off ebay for $2.50, they do the job.

Sorry to bring this thread back from the dead, but...

About the Welding torch tip cleaners: I've been looking at them online, and I'm not certain about what sizes they come in, on those folding ones. They seem to use some kind of welding tip size measurement, and I'm not sure how those translate into string gauge.

With the folding feeler gauge set I have, they are all labeled in decimal, same as strings.

Do the tip cleaner sets go down to .009? Are they labeled in decimal, or do you have to translate sizes?

Any links would be appreciated.

Thanks

Sorry to bring this thread back from the dead, but...

About the Welding torch tip cleaners: I've been looking at them online, and I'm not certain about what sizes they come in, on those folding ones. They seem to use some kind of welding tip size measurement, and I'm not sure how those translate into string gauge.

With the folding feeler gauge set I have, they are all labeled in decimal, same as strings.

Do the tip cleaner sets go down to .009? Are they labeled in decimal, or do you have to translate sizes?

Any links would be appreciated.

Thanks

When you cut nut slots you want the slot to be a few thousandths wider than the string. Making it the same width will cause issues with strings binding in the nut.

If the originator of this zombie thread is still around, why are there no pictures of your nut saws?

I bought a set of Warmoth nut slotting files. I’ll tell you what one of the best tools I’ve bought for guitar work. They are costly but worth the money .

If the originator of this zombie thread is still around, why are there no pictures of your nut saws?

Can't say whether or not he's still hanging around, but it's only a couple of weeks until the third anniversary of his last post.

Looks like John hasn't posted since March 2009.

Do the tip cleaner sets go down to .009? Are they labeled in decimal, or do you have to translate sizes?


Mine are labeled in decimals like strings. But it probably varies by manufacturer.

Probably best to just measure the tip cleaners with a digital caliper anyway. Then theres never a doubt.

I use a .010 nut file or a needle file to start each slot and cut it to depth and then just use the tip cleaner to cut the slot to size and round off the bottom.

Yes, you can use welding tip cleaners and home made saws.

You can even run Swiss needle files (which are way too thick) up the bench grinder to re-size them (warning - they get very hot and bend, ruining them)

And they when you finally stump up the money to buy the proper nut files (micro-saws and files), you wonder why you ever bothered.

The proper tools make the job easy and accurate.

ronkirn has a good thread about Nut files from a Feeler gauge.

http://www.tdpri.com/forum/telecaster-discussion-forum/65805-nut-files-feeler-gauge.html

Do the tip cleaner sets go down to .009? Are they labeled in decimal, or do you have to translate sizes?


Most of the drill cleaners I've seen are given either in decimal, or as number drill sizes (which are easily converted to decimals). I haven't seen one that goes below .012.

Sorry to bring this thread back from the dead, but...

About the Welding torch tip cleaners: I've been looking at them online, and I'm not certain about what sizes they come in, on those folding ones. They seem to use some kind of welding tip size measurement, and I'm not sure how those translate into string gauge.

With the folding feeler gauge set I have, they are all labeled in decimal, same as strings.

Do the tip cleaner sets go down to .009? Are they labeled in decimal, or do you have to translate sizes?

Any links would be appreciated.

Thanks

There are many of them available on ebay - search for 'guitar nut files'. Here is a description of a set that I just bought:

"A great little tool for filiing and cutting top nuts so that your strings sit perfectly with the action as low as you wish and a price that is so cheap every guitarist can afford to buy one now.

The circular files fold out from the aluminium casing and include all the following sizes so even if you have a guitar with hefty strings tuned down to Low C this file will cut the string groove for it. 12 round files in the set in the following sizes.

0.062", 0.054", 0.046", 0.041", 0.038", 0.035", 0.032", 0.029", 0.024", 0.022", 0.018", 0.013"

Please note this is NOT a profesional grade nut file tool that will set you back a lot of money BUT it is perfect for the average guitarist and home builder to sucessfully cut any number of plastic top nuts but PLEASE do not expect it to cut a metal, bone or Tusq nut. Flipping heck its not much more money than the cost of an average top nut itself. File sizes are approximate as measured by me with a digital micrometer.

To be totally honest with you it's actually designed for clearing welding nozzles but is perfect for top nuts as well. The file set also includes a flat file, which I presume is of some use to welders, but I can't see any real use for it for guitarists. I only mention it becuase it's there in the set"


They are actually really cheap and nasty, but they are quite useful. The thicker ones work best, on the E A D and G strings, and cut through the nut quite efficiently. I find it best to take them off the bar in the case to use individually. The thinner ones haven't got much in the way of teeth and take much longer to make an impression on the B and E strings.

Jonathan

Yes, you can use welding tip cleaners and home made saws.

You can even run Swiss needle files (which are way too thick) up the bench grinder to re-size them (warning - they get very hot and bend, ruining them)

And they when you finally stump up the money to buy the proper nut files (micro-saws and files), you wonder why you ever bothered.

The proper tools make the job easy and accurate.

yup

I took my feeler gauges, isolated the corresponding strings sizes, and cut small notches along the edge with my Dremel, fitted with the wafer-thin cutting wheel. It was quick and easy. I think this might be the best method for making a saw out of a feeler gauge.

As you can see from the photo, I kind of rushed it. In retrospect, I should have evened out the spacing, depth, and angle of the cuts, probably bench-vised the Dremel and taken each feeler off the set before cutting. Oh, well--I got it for a quarter at a garage sale. The last step is sandwiching the individual feeler between two flat rigid pieces of wood or something to keep 'em straight and make a handle. Now, how much does a set of nut files cost? I would really consider this method before you sink your money, this is a REALLY good alternative, IMHO.

http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n193/uku01/Guitars/IMG_0677.jpg

So here's my finished nut saw:
http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n193/uku01/Guitars/IMG_0683.jpg

http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n193/uku01/Guitars/IMG_0682-1.jpg

I would have used wing nuts, if I had any for quick release.

Also, just a thought, to get the wider cuts that a feeler gauge doesn't have, you can double up two widths that add up to the gauge/width you need. But that would be better for the rounded welding files.

I wasn't sure just how fine you could cut a topic and still find such strong opinions
Photos even!

As usual, I am torn between "just get the right tool" and "how clever"

I'm a cheap ********, what can I say...got more time than money! :)

Seriously, I do actually believe in the right tool for the right job, but those files are way prohibitively expensive. On top of that, I can't tell why, so I would feel like a sucker buying them.

I've been thinking about taking some 32tpi hack saw blades and taking them down to accurate thicknesses for a set of nut files on my surface grinder just to see what comes of it. Actually, making the tips of the teeth with a 45 degree angle on the sides would be pretty easy to do on the surface grinder too so the bottom of the slot would be like half an octagon rather than flat bottom.

I have spent the last ten years or so equiping a pretty large assortment of machine and wood working tools. I now find that making my own specialty tools is almost more fun that making "stuff". I made a sort of fret crowning tool on my surface grinder last year and all it cost me was a worn out trianglular file.

keep some oil, or water depending on the steel handy to keep it from getting to hot. you do not want to mess with the hacksaw blade temper.

if you go slow you should be ok since these wont be use to cut metal again just bone/coiran/plastic whatever. be sure to get theb i metal blades.
chris.

So here's my finished nut saw:
http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n193/uku01/Guitars/IMG_0683.jpg

http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n193/uku01/Guitars/IMG_0682-1.jpg

I would have used wing nuts, if I had any for quick release.

Also, just a thought, to get the wider cuts that a feeler gauge doesn't have, you can double up two widths that add up to the gauge/width you need. But that would be better for the rounded welding files.


they turn out nice.. and should work fine till you are ready to blow 80.00 on so called real deal. i plan on doing the same to get me started.. will buy fret saw/miter box/etc/ and if i get far enough along in the project before i have the cash for real files.. ill make them to get me by.. the nut saws ill need are for 10's as thats all that i use.
im a sucker for them dean markly cryogenic frozen strings. dunno why, but i like them, and i like a worn in string sound too. :) at least with these strings. just wish they were little cheaper.. cant be that expensive to dip them in liquid nitro. :D

chris.

Torch tip cleaners work ok,funny how Ive seen sellers refer to these as nut slot files and sell at inflated prices,Just like motorcycle parts vendors sell these as jet cleaners for 20.00.

Torch tip cleaners work ok,funny how Ive seen sellers refer to these as nut slot files and sell at inflated prices,Just like motorcycle parts vendors sell these as jet cleaners for 20.00.

Right? They are careful not to mention what they actually are, so you'd know where else to get em.

An addendum to the feeler gauge thing I made pictured above: I cut the serrations too deep--all you need are slight bumps along the edge. I was thinking of a saw, when actually it needs to be more file-like.

I thought of gently dipping the edge of the feeler in epoxy then into a fine sand. The glue would have to be thin and viscous yet strong enough, and the grit material very fine in order to preserve the thin-ness measurement of the feeler.

This kinda seems like much ado about nothing, but I keep thinking about how much those real nut files cost. Anyway, I will let this thread die and fade on back down in to the forum, promise.

For may years I used DIY nut tools.
I was worried about the cost of nut files and nut saws.
Money well spent.