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 Post subject: Re: 12-string nut layout
PostPosted: Mon May 15, 2023 8:22 pm 
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Old Growth Brazilian Rosewood
Old Growth Brazilian Rosewood
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Joined: Fri Nov 02, 2007 9:49 am
Posts: 12971
Location: Ann Arbor, Michigan
First name: Hesh
Last Name: Breakstone
City: Ann Arbor
State: Michigan
Country: United States
Status: Professional
Melt in the Sun wrote:
Possibly a stupid question - which edge of the feather-edge file is used to start the slot? I'm with Peter H - as a newbie trying to cut nuts, getting the slots started in the right spot is the most frustrating part. I tried a scribe, which marked a line but my files still wanted to wander out of it. I about drove myself crazy measuring space between strings and between courses on a mandolin nut...got a usable piece on my third try, but one slot is half a hair too low so I need to get cracking again.


See what I posted above about using a .013" gauged nut file and your thumb as a fence to start the cut. I make a lot of nuts and do this for a living and it works for me and my clients. Remember we are only starting the slot we can once it's started walk the slot over to where it needs to be with frequent remeasuring. We will also be removing the nut material that we just scribed as we take the top of the nut down toward the end of the process.

So think of the marking more as getting started in the right spots without the need to be perfect but perfecting the spacing as we file down. It's a process and we have opportunity to refine.

Here's a pic from a tutorial I did here 15 years ago of how we take top nut material down after roughing in the nut slots. It's done on the actual instrument sacrificing the strings, the crappy set it came in with that will be tossed anyway. We file right to the strings but I want to illustrate how important it is to not use commercial nuts and instead make them for each instrument. The actual radius of the fret plane and the strings will be telegraphed to the top of the nut when I am done.

There is a lot to making a good nut and a good, bone nut can last a 100 years or more and look great the entire time. Wish I could say that... :)


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These users thanked the author Hesh for the post (total 3): Melt in the Sun (Tue May 16, 2023 9:21 am) • Durero (Tue May 16, 2023 1:20 am) • joshnothing (Mon May 15, 2023 10:59 pm)
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 Post subject: Re: 12-string nut layout
PostPosted: Mon May 15, 2023 8:27 pm 
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Brazilian Rosewood
Brazilian Rosewood
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Joined: Sun Feb 27, 2005 10:11 am
Posts: 2142
Barry Daniels wrote:
I've suggested several times here to use a sharp awl with the ruler. It leaves a scratch in the bone that the file will sit in and be guided by. Eliminates error. If you can't see the scratch on the nut just rub a pencil into the groove. Please try it and see if you find it as useful as I do.

Yes, I do this as well,but I just rub my dirty finger in it to see the grooves.....



These users thanked the author Brad Goodman for the post: Chris Pile (Mon May 15, 2023 11:24 pm)
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 Post subject: Re: 12-string nut layout
PostPosted: Sat May 27, 2023 9:15 am 
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Brazilian Rosewood
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Joined: Wed Feb 20, 2008 9:12 pm
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First name: Mike
Last Name: O'Melia
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State: Alabama
Focus: Build
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I recently went through the exercise of determining string spacing for a 10 string mandolin. Had to build my own bridge, no one sells them for 10 string. As you can see from picture, I tried several spacings at the nut. The final is at the top. Print to full size, then cut and stick it to nut. Worked great. This was done with sketchup. There is advice on the web for course spacings. The rest is up to you and is based on nut width and typical offsets from both outside edges.


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These users thanked the author Mike OMelia for the post (total 2): phavriluk (Sat May 27, 2023 12:45 pm) • Hesh (Sat May 27, 2023 9:53 am)
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