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  #1  
Old 02-23-2021, 04:12 PM
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ArchtopLover ArchtopLover is offline
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Default Gluing the Nut in the Slot.

Once my nut slot is prepared and the nut is roughed, profiled and polished, slots cut and string action is set, I only use a very small amount of glue (my current favorite for this application is liquid hyde glue) at the surface between the edge of the fret board and the front side of the nut. I no longer place any glue on the bottom of the slot. My reasoning is that, with the nut forced into the slot by string angle pressure, not only should there be enough downward force to hold the nut from moving, but in the future when the nut needs to be removed again (they all do, eventually) the amount of force required to break the joint should be much less, thereby reducing the chance of damage.

Does anyone else do this, or is there a consensus among the AGF family, of a different approach?

Thanks for any thoughts or advice .
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  #2  
Old 02-23-2021, 04:32 PM
Shuksan Shuksan is offline
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I do the same thing with a drop of CA in the same location. I do it so that if someone removes all the strings at once, the nut won't fall out and possibly land on a hard floor and get chipped. A light tap on the fretboard side of the nut with a block of wood is all it takes to free it.

Last edited by Shuksan; 02-23-2021 at 04:50 PM.
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  #3  
Old 02-23-2021, 04:35 PM
nikpearson nikpearson is offline
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Default Agreed...

A drop or two of glue between the end of the fingerboard and the front of the nut just makes sense. The glue will hold the nut in place but the joint will break easily if and when the nut needs to be removed. The nut to end grain joint should separate with little to no damage to the end of the fingerboard.

Hide glue should work fine; I use a drop or two of Titebond Original.
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Old 02-23-2021, 04:57 PM
Carey Carey is offline
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I think gluing (if at all) the nut to the end-grain of the FB is the way to go, as the the OP has said. It's easy to end up with quite a mess in that area if glue is applied to the bottom of the nut and the neck surface proper, as the nut is removed and replaced over time.
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  #5  
Old 02-23-2021, 05:23 PM
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Bruce Sexauer Bruce Sexauer is offline
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I do as you suggest if I am asked to, but more commonly I endeavor to make the nut fit well enough that glue is not required to hold it in place with the strings off.
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Old 02-23-2021, 07:56 PM
Rudy4 Rudy4 is offline
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I fit the nut well and install it by forming 4 or 5 slight grooves across the bottom edge of the nut, parallel to the string direction. I drag the tip of a toothpick across the grooves to apply a SMALL amount of Titebond Original and install the nut when string pressure can be used to hold the nut firmly in place.

This holds the nut in place, but the bold can be easily broken with a slight tap to the nut face.

It has never caused me any difficulty, but no problem if you choose to use another method. Since the majority of force on the nut is downward in the channel that's where I want any glue that is designed to keep the nut from shifting in the channel one direction or the other.

The interface area between the nut face and end of the fingerboard is a critical fit, and I don't want ANY glue there to clean up when re-fitting or replacing a nut in the future. The few times in the past when I've applied glue to that area there has always been a need to clean up a tiny bit of squeeze out and that ALWAYS shows. I decided that it was silly to use glue between the non-porous bone nut and ebony ,rosewood, walnut, or Morado end grain there and then see squeeze out.

Last edited by Rudy4; 02-23-2021 at 08:05 PM.
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Old 02-24-2021, 07:26 AM
Victory Pete Victory Pete is offline
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I make a snug fit with no glue. Like the saddle, a direct bone to wood contact is best.
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  #8  
Old 02-24-2021, 09:00 AM
redir redir is offline
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I like to make them fit tight too but I sill put a dab of fish glue on the face as you mentioned just for good measure. I can't think of how many time I've dropped something like a nut or some other small thing off my work bench and it..... Just disappears!
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  #9  
Old 02-24-2021, 11:21 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by redir View Post
I like to make them fit tight too but I sill put a dab of fish glue on the face as you mentioned just for good measure. I can't think of how many time I've dropped something like a nut or some other small thing off my work bench and it..... Just disappears!
To my dog, it is a bone. Do you have a dog?
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Old 02-24-2021, 12:43 PM
redir redir is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Bruce Sexauer View Post
To my dog, it is a bone. Do you have a dog?
LOL! No. Shop cat.

Though she finds a lot of things to bat around so I would not be surprised.

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  #11  
Old 02-24-2021, 12:49 PM
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fazool fazool is offline
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Nuts never need glue to hold them in place.

The only purpose glue ever serves is so the nut doesn't fall on the floor when changing strings.

There is no other benefit to gluing a nut in place.

The significant downside is that eventually a nut may need replacing and too much glue can make that a damaging process.

I've never once ever removed a glued-in nut without having to clean up, scrap, cut sand and file the slot so its perfectly clean again. I've had to this every single time, even with tiny amounts of glue.
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  #12  
Old 02-24-2021, 12:59 PM
redir redir is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by fazool View Post
Nuts never need glue to hold them in place.

The only purpose glue ever serves is so the nut doesn't fall on the floor when changing strings.

There is no other benefit to gluing a nut in place.

The significant downside is that eventually a nut may need replacing and too much glue can make that a damaging process.

I've never once ever removed a glued-in nut without having to clean up, scrap, cut sand and file the slot so its perfectly clean again. I've had to this every single time, even with tiny amounts of glue.
Some guitars don't have a back stop where the head plate meets the nut. Also not all nuts fit perfectly in the slot. So haven't you ever come across one like that when you start stringing it up the nut slides out of place?
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  #13  
Old 02-24-2021, 01:44 PM
charles Tauber charles Tauber is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by fazool View Post
I've never once ever removed a glued-in nut without having to clean up, scrap, cut sand and file the slot so its perfectly clean again. I've had to this every single time, even with tiny amounts of glue.
Like Bruce and others, I prefer to have the nut a press fit, not needing glue.

However, for those where I don't have that preference, I glue them with a single drop of glue at the centre, bottom edge facing the fingerboard.

Those that I glue take me all of about 10 seconds to clean-up with a chisel. The messiest might take me a few minutes to clean up with a chisel. I don't scrape, cut, sand or file. I find a sharp, right-sized chisel makes quick, clean work of it.
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  #14  
Old 02-24-2021, 01:51 PM
canyongargon canyongargon is offline
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On the guitars I've done nuts for I've taken the time to make them fit snug, and then used a small drop of Elmer's School Glue (which is basically just a watered down white glue) for just a little bit of extra insurance - water soluble and just barely strong enough to keep it in place until deliberately tapped out.

Realistically a small drop of most any glue will be sufficient to do the job of holding a properly fitted nut in place - white glue, yellow glue, hide glue, CA/super glue... they've all been used successfully without causing headaches on future removal. As long as it's an appropriately small amount used, you're good to go.

Last edited by canyongargon; 02-24-2021 at 01:58 PM.
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  #15  
Old 03-16-2021, 07:48 PM
StrumChi StrumChi is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by redir View Post
LOL! No. Shop cat.

Though she finds a lot of things to bat around so I would not be surprised.

Love the shop cat!

To answer the OP, one drop of glue either to the bottom or side of the nut works for me. No reason to over think it.
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