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Best glue to use for glueing new nut?

DownUnder_Funk

DownUnder_Funk

Feb 16, 2011
477
725
Sydney, Australia
#1
Hi all, just after your collective wisdom (again) :p

I was restringing my P copy when the nut cracked over the D string and snapped in two :crying: I've already reglued it once with plastic cement but I think because the nut is very cheap and hollow, I'm not going to bother reglueing it again, so I'm going to buy a new nut altogether.

Assuming I get another (hopefully this time solid) plastic nut again, what is the best way to glue it to the end of the fretboard? It's not a Fender style nut, but rather sits right behind the f/b.

Second (hopefully minor) problem: I was sanding down the f/b where the original nut sat because it was sitting too high action-wise for my taste and have incidentally sanded the edge of the f/b on a slight angle. Is this a big issue? The nut still sits 'straight' just there's a small angled gap between it and the f/b.

:help: please!!

p.s. what's the best way to clean the f/b from all the gunk that's built up on it over the years?
 

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#3
Just use Elmers. It don't take much.

This cheap Bently had such strong glue
it took the wood when it came off.

7-21-2.jpg


I ended up using a kind of bridge that
you could use. It has pre-cut string
grooves,

7-21-2-1.jpg


Tabdog
 
#4
I'd recommend using a small, flat file to clean & make the nut pocket perfectly perpindicular. You really don't want to leave a gap at the nut/fingerboard joint- its not as strong and doesn't help tone either!
Then, use two drops of ca glue (super glue) to secure the new nut. As long as you use only a small amount of glue, its easy to remove the nut later (if necessary) with a firm, deliberate tap with a hammer. White glue will work for a while, but eventually let go. (Of course, you can always re- apply it...) Almost all of the techs and repairman I know use ca glue for nuts.
 
#6
Search lemon oil and fingerboard cleaning... It will definitely help clean the board, but does little to protect it long term. For a really comprehensive cleaning, naptha (lighter fluid) is great, then condition with tung oil, boiled linseed oil, tru-oil or similar polymerizing oil.
 
#9
aussiebasshero said:
Second (hopefully minor) problem: I was sanding down the f/b where the original nut sat because it was sitting too high action-wise for my taste and have incidentally sanded the edge of the f/b on a slight angle. Is this a big issue? The nut still sits 'straight' just there's a small angled gap between it and the f/b.
Click to expand...

Unfortunately this is a major problem. How major is directly proportional to the amount of material removed from the end of the fingerboard. The nut location is what sets the scale length with regard to fret placement. Even a few thousandths of an inch is critical. Much more than .002" will mean that the instrument will never intonate correctly.


Do not attempt to flatten the edge any further. If the photo is accurate, it appears that the bottom of the fingerboard at the nut seat is untouched. Leave it alone. Mount the nut against this. That means there will be a gap at the fingerboard surface. There is not much you can do about that except use an epoxy based filler.

Normally white or yellow glues are the easiest to use when mounting a nut because of their long open time. Super glues work well too if you are super fast. Woodworking glues creep. Super glue has inadequate sheer strength for this application. That means the nut will move or release under the pull of the strings. In this case using a thin(ed) epoxy is the way to go.

This is the cheap and easy way to fix the problem. The deluxe method requires a good bit of woodworking and luthiery skills.
 
#11
To clean gunk off the fretboard - I posted a brief answer to this in the other thread you have about cleaning the back of neck, but here:

Take a small razor blade and GENTLY move back and forth between each fret. (razor parallel to frets, full strokes from one fret to the next)
This will take the gunk right off, and it will take a miniscule amount of wood with it. Not enough to make a difference, but if you do this too much, obviously you'll end up taking more than the proper amount of wood with the gunk.

While you're at it, take steel wool and run it over your fretboard (WITH THE GRAIN!) You'll see your frets shine up right in front of your eyes, no matter how nasty they are.

THEN, take lemon oil and slap some on between each fret, run it in for a bit, and wipe clean with a clean cloth. The drier your FB is, the more it will take, be generous. When you string her back up, the tension will squeeze some oil out of the wood no matter how clean you wiped, so just try to soak as much of that up as possible.
Don't oil too often, maybe once or twice a year, its not good for the wood to be doused constantly.

For the nut, the slot it sits in plus the tension of the strings should hold it pretty steady, so you don't need a super-bond. Too strong a glue, and you'll never get the thing out in one piece.
 
#12
+1 on a nice clean smooth surface.

My favorite nut tech (yeah, I have a specialist for almost every part of the guitar) actually dilutes Elmers white with a little water. It doesn't take much to hold it in place, especially with the downward pressure of the strings. He hates having to engage physical labor and trickery to extract a nut that has been glued in too thoroughly. You don't want the nut to become a permanent part of the guitar.
 
#13
This is all really good information. My local luthier uses naptha to clean the FBs and I use Tung Oil (NOT Tung Oil FINISH) on my FBs. Pre-scraping with the razor blade is a very good idea if you are gentle. Amazing how much goop can build up!
 
#18
96tbird said:
:confused: Why would you say that remove wood is better than removing material from a cheap, replaceable nut? :confused:

He's done permanent damage to his nut seat.

Wood can't be easily replaced. What are you getting at? If you have advice give it, don't merely naysay and walk away.
Click to expand...

The 'right' way to lower action at the nut is NOT to remove it & sand the bottom down. I believe you're thinking of acoustic saddle repair, which is entirely different.

To lower action/string height at the nut, you file the slots lower. Then, you remove the right amount of material from the top of the nut so that the strings don't bind in too deep of a slot. Generally, this means about 1/2 of the low E string exposed, graduating to a high G string that is almost flush with the top of the nut.
 
#19
Whoa guys, let's keep it civil and light-hearted.

To those that have said I've done permanent damage, you are indeed correct. BUT keep in mind two things:

1) this is a cheap mod bass/DIY restoration project so the object is to learn all these things so I don't stuff up when I do other projects for my nicer basses. Of course mistakes are made, it's part of the learning process! Sure, it may not look entirely crash hot, but it is functional (before the nut broke the bass intonated perfectly fine and this was after I sanded the wood down)

2) I do not plan to ever sell it - it's got way too much sentimental value plus money-wise it's not worth anything.

The bottom line is I have ordered a new (solid) nut the exact same dimensions as the old one which should get here in a few days. I'll use some sort of Elmers equivalent :bassist:

P.S. thanks everyone for sharing your knowledge thus far :) this is exactly why I love TB so much!
 
#20
aussiebasshero said:
Whoa guys, let's keep it civil and light-hearted.

To those that have said I've done permanent damage, you are indeed correct. BUT keep in mind two things:

1) this is a cheap mod bass/DIY restoration project so the object is to learn all these things so I don't stuff up when I do other projects for my nicer basses. Of course mistakes are made, it's part of the learning process! Sure, it may not look entirely crash hot, but it is functional (before the nut broke the bass intonated perfectly fine and this was after I sanded the wood down)

2) I do not plan to ever sell it - it's got way too much sentimental value plus money-wise it's not worth anything.

The bottom line is I have ordered a new (solid) nut the exact same dimensions as the old one which should get here in a few days. I'll use some sort of Elmers equivalent :bassist:

P.S. thanks everyone for sharing your knowledge thus far :) this is exactly why I love TB so much!
Click to expand...

It's OK.

They are just over reacting.

That silly nut will stay there without glue.

The glue is just to keep it from falling off
if you take the strings off.

No biggie.
 

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