Homemade bass bone nut,

[tommorichards]

New Bass Bone Nut Day!

I had a beef shin lying around from my friends dog with the intention of making a bone nut with it. So i had some free time today, and got on with it. Took about an hour as i kept having breaks





This was my workspace.





This is the blank cut out of the bone. The shed smelt quite bad afterwards from cutting it. Anyone who has worked with bone before knows what im on about.





Close up view of the blank.





Here it is compared to my measurements.





After some more sanding and getting it the right thickness, compared to my original.





Bit more finishing, and side by side.





And the finished thing! Im quite proud of it.





And here it is in place. Snug fit, but im still going to add some glue of some sort.


Now all i have to do is make about 7 more for my other instruments.


There should also be another thread along in the next few weeks whereby i am going to make my own bass body in an explorer shape using yellow pine and sapele, so keep an eye out.

Edited May 29, 2011 by tommorichards

[hillbilly deluxe]

Good job,i've done this myself using,by the look of it,the same type of "dog bone".It is a bit of a smelly job,but satisfying to do.

[MoonBassAlpha]

Apart from the satisfaction, what are the benefits?

[untune]

I read the first post a bit too quickly and missed the word 'beef' - it basically looked as if you'd butchered your friend's dog for the sake of a new nut for your bass. This whole thread was quite horrifying until I went back and read it again

Edited May 29, 2011 by untune

[tommorichards]

[quote name='MoonBassAlpha' post='1249799' date='May 29 2011, 11:38 PM']Apart from the satisfaction, what are the benefits?[/quote]

Well compared with my previous plastic nut, it seems "slippier" which is to say when you detune it or retune it, the string doesnt get stuck, so it results in "smoother" tuning. in my less then expert opinion.

[xilddx]

Excellent work!

[ahpook]

good work indeed !

maybe you should cut a few more and flog 'em to basschatters !

[steve-soar]

A couple of tiny blobs of super glue is all you need, that way it can easily be tapped out if needs be.

Did you file the slots before fitting?

[tommorichards]

[quote name='steve-soar' post='1250559' date='May 30 2011, 05:57 PM']A couple of tiny blobs of super glue is all you need, that way it can easily be tapped out if needs be.

Did you file the slots before fitting?[/quote]

File? I made them to the right shape.... seems to work.

And in reply to ahpook, is anyone wants one made, send me a pm with some form of template i can use and i can see what happens.

Edited May 31, 2011 by tommorichards

[yorks5stringer]

Reminds me of when I made my nut on the Shuker Course. I asked him what we were going to use, he reached down to the floor and handed me one of Ruby's bones and said "here you are"! First one I made was too small but the raw material costs pence!
+1 for a couple of blobs of superglue, then if it needs to come off again you won't pull off half the neck with it!

[KingBollock]

What did you cut the blank out of the bone with? I have a coping saw with a selection of blades, what kind of blade would you recommend?

Is it possible to dye bone? I'm tempted to try this but I'd want a black one. Though if it's not possible to dye it properly I suppose left natural it would match the binding on my Bass, so it wouldn't matter too much.

Nice job, you've inspired me.

EDIT: Actually, having had another look at your work bench and seeing the rotary tool set I remembered that I have a rotary tool but I'd still like an idea of what might be the best cutting blade to use. I have tons of those brittle ones, that I could never figure out what they were for, and I have steel serrated blades and diamond coated blades.

Edited August 10, 2011 by KingBollock

[tommorichards]

Id suppose a finely toothed blade should do.

And regarding the dying, im think of doing that too, and i found this thread useful

[url="http://www.tdpri.com/forum/archive/index.php/t-272788.html"]http://www.tdpri.com/forum/archive/index.php/t-272788.html[/url]

[daz]

good project, have to try it meself.

[KingBollock]

[quote name='tommorichards' post='1335773' date='Aug 10 2011, 08:56 PM']Id suppose a finely toothed blade should do.

And regarding the dying, im think of doing that too, and i found this thread useful

[url="http://www.tdpri.com/forum/archive/index.php/t-272788.html"]http://www.tdpri.com/forum/archive/index.php/t-272788.html[/url][/quote]
What did you use to cut it?

I'm actually coming around to the idea of leaving it a natural colour. Although, I liked the idea of ageing it with Tea as suggested in that link.

Thanks.

[tommorichards]

Basically a dremel set. Cutting wheel. And a sander attachment to smooth it.

After that one though, i also made one for a jazz which worked well too.

If any of you guys want some blanks, just pm me.

[Mr. Foxen]

Local tech told me one of his mates took a block of some super low friction substance from work, thinking it would be ideal for a nut, you could put it on a smooth surface and blow on it and it would slide along. Next time he saw him, his han was all bandaged. He'd been trying to cut it, and couldn't get a grip on it, an slipped and carved himself up.

[tommorichards]

ouch.