Super Glue and Baking Soda: Squeak problem.

[gerardo1000]

I lowered the action at the nut of one of my guitars, using nut files purchased from StewMac. In the process, I lowered a bit too much the slot of the 3rd string.
Following the suggestion of a few members of this Forum (and also of other guitar forums) I placed a bit of baking soda in the slot and added a drop of super glue. Then, I filed and sanded the slot back to the right height.
I was very careful to file the slot accurately and also used for finishing a
very smooth sand paper (1000 grit).
However, now when I tune the string I hear a "squeak" because of the friction between the string and the surface of the slot. I had no "squeak" before when the surface was the original bone.
It looks to me that the mix of baking soda and super glue produces a surface that for sure is hard enough but is not as smooth as bone, even if sanded with fine grit.
Just wanted to know if any of you have used the same method and had the same problem with a "squeak" noise when tuning the strings.

Thanks,

Gerardo1000

[knuckle]

Perhaps some graphite in the slot. If you don't have any of that powdered graphite stuff, rub a pencil in the slot.

[poorbs]

Next time try popping the nut off and sand from the bottom. This way you don't have to mess with the individual slots, and the nut doesn't need to be attached when you put it back - the strings will hold it in place

poorbs

[cpmusic]

It may be that you didn't file the slot at the proper angle, which could be grabbing the string.

However, I wonder if the glue and baking soda mixture didn't harden enough for you. I suggest you file out the repair you made and do it over, but this time, use the thick, gap-filling variety of superglue without baking soda (it will fill the slot on its own), and then add a tiny drop of superglue accellerator. That will make the glue as hard as any synthetic nut material and should give better results.

[Fngrstyl]

This stuff is white, and works great! It works better than a pencil, and doesnt make the nut slot look dirty.

[solarbean]

I was wondering the same thing that CPMusic was getting at... is the slot too narrow? Is it binding?

[rick-slo]

If you have the StewMac set the groove is probably the right width but it should be angled towards the peg and the groove need not be deep at all. You can also use superglue and bone dust instead of baking soda (it will be a little harder that way and last longer).
rick