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We all know what those are for.

What I'm wondering is how much 'damage' is done to them when cutting the slots on brass saddles on an electric guitar.

I haven't noticed any damage at all, however I don't do a lot of electric saddle slotting.

I have a set of die sinker files just for brass....
Remember - the more you work it, the harder it gets....
So cut quickly and deeply at first, because if you baby it...
It will get harder than the hubs of hell.

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

I don't worry about brass, it's pearl mando nuts that make me wince. That's what old toasted nut files are for.

A nut cut from the hard hubs of hell would have killer tone!

[quote="david farmer"
A nut cut from the hard hubs of hell would have killer tone! [/quote]

So true, but I hear they only work for shredders

_________________
Joe Beaver
Maker of Sawdust

OK...to clarify...

this whole query revolves around the following: I have an OEM Gotoh bridge, '80s style, all brass, that as it turns out has the exact same stud spacing as the bridge on my '84 RR custom...different studs, but hopefully same thread pattern (which gives me the option of being lazy and leaving the black bushings in the guitar and just replacing the studs to work with this bridge). point being, it looks way sexier than the black bridge with brass saddles it came with back in the day, and said guitar will also be getting a set of angled brass pup rings to boot as the 32 year old plastic ones are starting to fail.

now, since it's virginal, the saddles will need to be slotted to retain the strings, adjust for any irregularities in associated radius of fret board, etc.

I'm not sure where the concept of working slow/fast gets involved in this, but maybe I'm just not getting it...I have to work with brass all the time at work...it clogs up aluminum oxide grinding wheels real quick and to me is just a PITA to have to work with in the fashion I get stuck having to deal with it...yeah, I know, not supposed to use aluminum oxide grinding wheels, but I'm talking about Dremel tips and just throw them away pretty quickly after doing whatever it is I'm stuck with having to make work.

what I am after here is this: is it a waste of a decent set of nut files (which are also used to do what I have described above) to work on brass? at this point, from what Steven said, I'm guessing slotting 6 saddles isn't going to do much harm, though I'm sure I'd be wise to card the files afterwards to get any brass gunk out

Hey Mike. I've not noticed any gauged nut file degradation from cutting brass saddles or nuts for that matter. It's likely happening as there is some wear with any use but it's not been a noticeable thing for me. Nor has cutting brass clogging my files been noticeable either.

I'll add that although an uncommon application cutting nickel silver fret wire with my files has happened in the past as well. When using a zero fret there is no need to use a zero fret twice the height of the first fret....

Anyway notching saddles goes quickly because brass is so soft.

FWIW I have and do wear out my nut files and have done so several times now. You're right six saddles are not going to do any harm.

PS: If you have any of those fret polishing Dr*mel wheels from Stew-Mac and an old file that you don't mind ruining a section of you can chuck and spin (safety glasses...) a wheel against the file. I do this to the green wheels until I have a V shape. The V shape is excellent for polishing the slots that we cut in saddles and often the illusive answer to why some G*bson's break strings over the saddles over and over again. Polishing the slots can remove microscopic burs that can be problematic and illusive.

Thx Hesh...though I will argue brass being soft is a relative thing (remember the Bronze (basically brass) Age?)...softer than steel, much harder than aluminum. I've cut them all on a miter saw with a carbide blade (so I'm crazy and do what need to be done to get it done...eye AND ear protection is required for those moves) and aluminum is easy, brass not so bad, steel...well steel is a nightmare, but doable...and ya, I know what a cut off saw is, just have never had the 'need' to get one and have it in stock for possible use.

So I won't worry about thrashing a nice set of files then...

Nice tip on the polishing...was thinking of getting some of that abrasive chord for deburring...would you say that the dremel abrasive/polishing buffs would be a viable option? 320 grit.

Don't know what the equivalent grits for the SM Dremel wheels are but the green ones work great as saddle polishers.

Never liked abrasive chords for saddles and especially nut slots. First polishing a nut slot is not necessary if you cut them correctly with clearance and don't use anything that may bind such as a V shape or V shaped file. Chords have a tendency to round over the edges and this can cause the vibrating wave when the rounding is just right to travel into the slot and result in that Ravi Chankersore sitar sound.

Mike I've got extras but no extra mandrills. If you have the mandrill and want to try this SM wheel thing PM me your mailing address and I'll drop one in the US mail to ya.

Thanks for the gracious offer!

I'll just spend the $16.25 and get the wheel assortment with the mandrel...looks like their mandrel is custom for their application, so one is stuck using it I guess.

And thanks for the heads up on the chord...saw that recently on some sort of tute about slotting saddles, but experience is king over some article on the net