Nut Filling - What's Your Process

randomhandclaps

So a couple of months back I bought an acoustic with the specific intention of modding it to be adjusted for Nashville tuning, whereas before I was using a 12 string.  So most obvious change was the nut.  Have plenty of bone nut blanks around but then I thought it would probably be a whole lot less hassle to change the nut for a premade bone one and fill the EAD nut slots and then recut.  I've cut a fair few nuts from scratch but never filled one this way, always opted for a change instead.

So people talk about mixing bone dust with superglue but would anyone mind sharing the process they use?  I'm curious whether people just sand the bone and collect the dust and also whether it has to be superglue or whether 2 part epoxy might be better?  I have both glues but I can see epoxy may be easier to work with time wise.

Thanks for any tips.

WezV

If you pack the slot with dust and add a drop of thin superglue it will be filled almost instantly... May smoke a little. You can use baking powder. Don't ever try and mix superglue with dust for a filler, it dries to quick

With epoxy you need to mix it all together first, but it will work just as well.

For long term fixes on thicker strings I cut a bone shim and superglue it in place

randomhandclaps

Thanks @WezV. ; Makes sense as that was my concern that the superglue would dry before you could apply it.  I never though of the idea of cutting a filling shim but may well give that a try.

the_jaffa

Video from Crimson guitars shows exactly that method here:

Some great stuff on their channel actually.

Winny_Pooh

Bicarb of soda in the slot with tape front and back to stop and running glue and drop a bit of superglue in. Works excellent. I've even used it to build up an acoustic saddle to save cutting a whole new one.