Make your own nut slotting saw

[OhioJohn]

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.

[LocustPlague]

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.

[KevinB]

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!

[Mr G.A.S]

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.

[LocustPlague]

Originally Posted by KevinB

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...

[OhioJohn]

Originally Posted by LocustPlague

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.

[CDKopf]

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

[crowenor]

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

[mjp808]

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

[Colt W. Knight]

Originally Posted by mjp808

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.

[Jack Wells]

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

[SacDAve]

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 .

[sfcmark]

Originally Posted by Jack Wells

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.

[Colt W. Knight]

Looks like John hasn't posted since March 2009.

[OpenG Capo4]

Originally Posted by mjp808

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.

[jefrs]

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.

[telemaster1953]

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

http://www.tdpri.com/forum/telecaste...ler-gauge.html

[raito]

Originally Posted by mjp808

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.

[bleakanddivine]

Originally Posted by mjp808

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

[rolling56]

Originally Posted by jefrs

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