Does baking soda and superglue work on Tusq...?

Mike $

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...or does it burn and make a mess like some other plastics do?

I replaced my nut with a bone one and would like to experiment on the old Tusq nut that was slotted off-center from the factory. Thanks.

jun 1, 3021
I am overwhelmed by all the responses to this thread. To anyone with interest, here is what I found out:
- Yes you can use Superglue and baking soda on a tusq nut and re-slot it.
- It is really easy to do if you have some files. (I got some Music Nomad files from Sweetwater, great service btw, that were really inexpensive and work great)
- You don't need to use baking soda. It works even better if you just pour superglue over the existing slots. When I tried with baking soda, it took 3 tries to get the slot filed without the soda/glue patch breaking apart. You should prepare the nut with blue tape or similar tape to avoid a mess and leave it on quite a while to ensure it's dry.
The experience was very educational. In addition, I experimented on the saddle to get better action throughout the neck. Most important take-away was that it is simple to do this myself and have gotten over the fear of making irreparable adjustments. I can always cut a new nut or saddle myself with confidence. Now to purchase some bone for further experimentation.
 
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I am overwhelmed by all the responses to this thread. To anyone with interest, here is what I found out: [SNIP]
I'm glad you asked and answered. I keep thinking that "tomorrow" I'll start working on setups on a few of my ukes and have wondered about this when I make my first mistake. So all that is now left for me is to make "tomorrow" change to "today."
 
...or does it burn and make a mess like some other plastics do?

I replaced my nut with a bone one and would like to experiment on the old Tusq nut that was slotted off-center from the factory. Thanks.

Adam Savage, one of the guys from Mythbusters, did a segment on his YouTube channel about the usefulness of baking soda and super glue. It good for lots of things.
 
I could not reply to the thread as I did not have any Tusq or even know what it was...I had Baking Soda and CA glue if I had Tusq as well I would have gone out to the Shed and tried it out...Just as you did in the end, and answered your own question :)
 
I’d imagine those of us in the Lounge that use Tusq for nuts (and saddles) would just replace the nut, so the lack of response could simply be that it’s not a common practice?

Yes, I gathered that. My opening statement was simply an amusing observation on the lack of interest in this thread?

I'm glad you asked and answered. I keep thinking that "tomorrow" I'll start working on setups on a few of my ukes and have wondered about this when I make my first mistake. So all that is now left for me is to make "tomorrow" change to "today."

I learned a lot doing this. First off, you don't need a separate file for each slot thickness. They recommend using up to 3/1000" (0.003" I believe) larger than your string gauge, so I only bought 2 files (0.028 and 0.033, I believe) for $15 each. Also, I learned that you don't have to buy a nut blank if you have a fine toothed saw and a de-greased dog bone (about $5 for more than a couple of saddles or nuts) that your dog is willing to part with. There is also a place that sells Mammoth Ivory blanks for $30 or so, which I think would be really cool to have on my uke. And, since they are extinct, there are no bans on the Ivory. So when I get pretty good at fitting the bone, I will splurge and buy some blanks and have a good story to tell about the cavemen who brought down the woolly mammoth who adorns my ukulele.

Adam Savage, one of the guys from Mythbusters, did a segment on his YouTube channel about the usefulness of baking soda and super glue. It good for lots of things.

Thanks, I just watched one with superglue and baby powder and got some great ideas.

I could not reply to the thread as I did not have any Tusq or even know what it was...I had Baking Soda and CA glue if I had Tusq as well I would have gone out to the Shed and tried it out...Just as you did in the end, and answered your own question :)

My hope was that someone had tried it already so I wouldn't have to. I guess, if I were a bit quicker in the brain, I could have experimented by putting a drop of glue on the underside to see if it burned through or set without disturbing the material.
 
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