DIY nut

[mustang-monk]

is there anything around the house that i can make a cheap nut out off for one of my basses its been without strings and a nut for ages and i wanna stick a nut on it n string it back up but im wondering if theres anything i can cut and just stick on.

[Darkstrike]

A small piece of wood? I've done this before, give a dark tone, pretty nice actually.
In a pinch I've even used a pencil for a few days!

[mustang-monk]

might carve one out of a piece of solid wood flooring actually now that a think of it the toung of the joint would be perfect that or use the chunk of railway sleeper ive got. any other suggestions welcome

[Darkstrike]

Have you access to a piece of brass?
Brass nut would rock!

[mustang-monk]

probably not but i bet my step dad has acces to other metals i could use. and theres a lot of metal work tools in the garage

[GeoffByrne]

An old kitchen knife with a bone handle is ideal.

[202dy]

Local cabinet/counter shop will usually have Corian scraps that are small enough they will give you. They work well for a traditional nut. They cannot be used for an 1/8" captured Fender style nut.

[Pilgrim]

Originally Posted by 202dy

Local cabinet/counter shop will usually have Corian scraps that are small enough they will give you. They work well for a traditional nut. They cannot be used for an 1/8" captured Fender style nut.

That sounds like a great idea. You could sand it to the right thickness by gluing sandpaper to a flat surface and investing elbow grease.....

[joeyl]

Originally Posted by mustang-monk

probably not but i bet my step dad has acces to other metals i could use. and theres a lot of metal work tools in the garage

aluminium is good also, or so I heard. Zinc is another one

[202dy]

Originally Posted by Pilgrim

That sounds like a great idea. You could sand it to the right thickness by gluing sandpaper to a flat surface and investing elbow grease.....

Great idea. 1/4" plate glass is a great choice. It can usually be had for free if you stop by a large glass shop and ask for some scrap. They usually have a barrel of broken glass out back. Four to five by 10 inches is a good size. A deluxe tool can be created by epoxying the glass to a 3/4" piece of plywood an inch larger in all directions.

When sanding for thickness it is important to do it so as to keep all sides level and parallel. The trick is to make even strokes at the same pressure. Count the strokes and rotate the blank. The flip it and rotate it to do the other side. Continue the routine until the blank is sized.

[mustang-monk]

ive made one out of steel im yet to put the grooves in it so that ll have to wait till next tuesday though its probably a bit too high