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Permalink Reply by Alan Roberts on March 24, 2010 at 3:56am

I've watched other luthiers doing this, and they either use hide glue (for professional results) or super glue (for the "quick and dirty"). I used super glue on mine -- a couple drops will do. Hide glue can be warmed up and loosened, and super glue is brittle enough that a couple light taps with a freting mallet will knock it loose without damaging anything else (I'd wrap a dishtowel around everything so as not to marr the wood).

Yep, if you're like me and just starting out, you MUST have the option of removing the nut. If I weren't so cussed lazy, I'd pop the nut off today and widen the treble slot, and maybe move the middle string over.

Whatever you use, make sure that the slot is clean and true before gluing the nut in. That goes double if you're re-gluing; all the old glue has to be cleaned out.

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Permalink Reply by Dave Onastik on March 24, 2010 at 5:14am

Super Glue sounds like a good solution to me. Thanks Alan. On my first two, I used titebond, and those aren't going anywhere. Luckily, I didn't screw them up too bad.

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Permalink Reply by Dan Sleep on March 24, 2010 at 6:32am

Super glue...the strings help hold it in place anyway, and the super glue helps keep it from moving side to side in the slot.

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Permalink Reply by Alan Roberts on March 24, 2010 at 7:02am

My boss just walked in and caught me wasting time here on Cigar Box Nation again.

"What ARE you sending all those messages about?" she asked.

"Just about how I use super glue on my nuts."

OK, maybe I should have phrased that better....

As bad a job as I did on my first nut, I should have attached it with velcro. But the nice thing about a nut is, if you completely mess up, you can put a new one in and start over. I'm now getting nut material for almost nothing from a custome kitchen counter shop in town. Corian smells awful, but not dentist-office awful.

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Permalink Reply by Ben on March 24, 2010 at 5:01pm

I've recently been sold on hide glue. A lot of people think you need a hot knife or something for it. Actually a couple of drops of denatured alcohol on any seam will do it in no time (as long as its a readily accessible seam like a nut). Also, remember that super glue is not permanent. Some strategically placed acetone will loosen it right up also. If you're not using hide glue elsewhere in your build go with super glue.

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Permalink Reply by ChickenboneJohn on March 24, 2010 at 8:48pm

A spot of Titebond works for me, as it won't adhere too much to the nut (easy to tap out for replacement) but will stop it moving about under playing conditions.

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Permalink Reply by Dave Onastik on March 25, 2010 at 12:33am

Sorry Johnny. I don't have any contol over those nuts.

Great show at Wills last night. Great to meed you, and your wife, see you perform, and check out some of your builds. I'm inspired to keep moving forward, even though my efforts so far have been worthy of firewood.

Johnny Lowebow said:

Thanks for comming to the show ! How can I get nuts from attacking me on this board ? LOL

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Permalink Reply by Roger Martin on March 25, 2010 at 1:34am

Sometimes a build of mine ( to me) turns out looking like firewood.But I take it in and people like it and buy it anyway.
Turns out I'm my own worst critic.
Ya never really know what people will like,I keep getting reminded of this at least once a month.
I'll come up with a sure fire winner that I think will knock their socks off,,,,,, and it hangs on the wall, and hangs on the wall,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
Sometimes for so long I actually have to dust it,,,,,,,,, I hate dusting,,,,,,,,,so that's how I base a builds success or not. If I have to dust it 1 time before it sells , it may be a while before I build another 1. lol

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Permalink Reply by Dave Onastik on March 25, 2010 at 5:08am

Dust buildup would be a good measure of marketability. If there were a caliper to measure dust, we could work up a formula and place an actual value on each guitar.

I'm overly critical as well. My 1st build is going to be cannibalized for future guitars, but my second one is actually playable. I'm getting to the point where I'm not repeating too many mistakes.

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Permalink Reply by Barry Evan Russ on March 25, 2010 at 8:07am

Dan Erlewine, of the Stew Mac fame says to use a small amount of titebond/elmers typs glue. You DEFINITELY don't want to glue it in so that you have to cut it out t remove it. A little side knock will dislodge the elmers type glue with out tearing fretboard wood or neck surface wood. Before I built any CBG's, I built "real" guitars and always used this type. Hope this helps

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Permalink Reply by Buffalo John on March 25, 2010 at 11:44am

STOP !!! never glue your nuts !!! sorry I couldn't resist. I use super glue but only on my cbg nuts.LOL

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Permalink Reply by THENUGE on March 25, 2010 at 1:18pm

i use plain old elmers white glue...like we used to to use back in school

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