Sticky Fiddle Nut

[Mandobart]

As part of my 5 string conversion, I'm replacing the nut. Carved up a decent ebony replacement, ready to set and notch, but I can't get the old nut off! This is a pre-WW II German made Viola, 16.5". Tried hot knife and gentle tap, but it is stuck good. Can't work the knife between the fingerboard and nut. Never had this problem before replacing nuts on guitars, mandos, and other fiddles. Any ideas? Thanks!

[multidon]

Of course you may not know what kind of glue is there. Maybe it fell off for a previous owner (not at all uncommon) and since most people don't have access to hide glue maybe it's on there with epoxy? Anyway, since you are replacing the nut anyways, you don't have to worry about saving the old one. If it were mine I would very carefully use an exacto saw to saw across the middle making sure to stop short of the neck wood. Maybe more than one cut if there's room. The point being to get the wood thin enough to chip away with a small chisel. Once close to the bottom a small file or sanding block should take care of cleaning up the rest. Very slow and very careful would be the thing if you decide to try this. But given enough time physical removal always works. I have never done a stuck fiddle nut this way but I have had stubborn guitar nuts that I have had to do this. Good luck!

[bratsche]

Did you try putting a few drops of water on there to try and dissolve the glue, if it's hide glue? If that doesn't work, the next thing I'd try would be naphtha. After removing a nut along with some wood once, I have become so skittish that I don't even glue nuts in anymore, I just make them fit real well, and let the strings hold them in place.

bratsche

[Charles E.]

On Ebony nuts I can't tap off with a straight edge and a light hammer, I cut them out with a chisel. Just start from the top, then when close to the neck pare away the wood at the end of the fingerboard. You will see the glue line at some point, so you can soak the rest off from there.

P.S. Give it a good whack, no need to be timid.

[DougC]

The slow approach is good advice. But my first approach is to heat the nut with a lightbulb so it is pretty darn warm to touch. Then take a block of wood about the length of the fingerboard. (strings removed of course). And slide it up at the bridge with a firm hand and wack the nut with the block. The bridge is only a little above the fingerboard, some call it 'proud' or above the surface. So you might need a few tries to aim well. But this usually results in the bridge flying across the room. Hide glue is brittle and it gives. Otherwise it is not hide glue and you are in for a long session. Good luck.

[Mandobart]

Thanks everyone for the help. It sounded like I had a more then even chance to destroy the old nut anyway, and may not have enough of it left for a template for finishing up the new nut. So I filled in the grooves with ebony dust and super glue and sanded back down. Once I finish cutting out the boxwood bushing pegs and re-drilling/reaming the pegbox for 5 pegs, I'll re-mount & re-slot the bridge, restring then finish the new nut slots.