StewMac Nut Rescue Powder

[Bob Gramann]

Does anyone have any long term experience with the StewMac Nut Rescue Powder? How does it last long term? I don’t raise nut slots with CA and bone dust or baking soda because the repair wears too quickly. I have been using the UV cured dental filling materials which seem to be at least as hard as the original bone. This stuff is tempting because the repair would be much quicker than the dental filling process. But, does it last?

[Tom Owen]

I have not used the SM potion. But baking soda works for me. The main thing is I tell customers that this is a temporary fix, what they really need is a new nut. Most go for a new nut.

[Bob Gramann]

That’s what I want to know about this StewMac stuff. The dental filling is permanent. Baking soda is not. The StewMac powder is easier to use than the dental filling, but is it permanent?

[Barry Daniels]

Rescue powder would not be any more permanent than baking soda because it is glued into place with CA glue. If you want permanent then dental filling is the way to go. It might seem like an extreme measure but you can get setup for not much money. I will never again have to remake a nut because of a low slot.

[Bob Gramann]

That’s what I suspected. I’ve been using dental fillings for a few years now. I had this dream that there was something in the powder that would make it string enough when held in place by the CA. I should know better.

[Ryan Mazzocco]

"Name drop" warning... sorry

This stuff is made at Music City Bridge, which is owned by Joe Glaser. When Joe came to train us on the PLEK a few months ago he brought gifts for us. This was included. I've been using it ever since. Is it better? I don't know. It's certainly no worse. One of the other repair guys and I were wondering if it's just repackaged baking soda. Just kidding of course, but FWIW, I like using the stuff. I find the color matches better than baking soda and even bone seems to discolor when CA is added. That being said, For me it still has to be used in it's place. Meaning, I wouldn't want to use it on a brand new nut, but it's quick and easy to use in a pinch.
The best thing we got from that package was his new nut slot gauge. It wasn't available yet when he gave them to us, but I just checked the website and it looks like they are for sale now (though sold out as I type this.) I have used that thing several times a day, every day since then. My nut slots have never been so consistent across the fretboard and from guitar to guitar. It's such a valuable part of my everyday setup process.

[Chris Vallillo]

I was recently asked to use this product on a historic Knutsen Mandolin with severe damage to the nut. Extremely deep string groves, the nut had been raised to allow more cutting and sections between the paired strings had broken off. Even though I suggested cutting a new nut, being a historical instrument, the owner insisted that I try filling it in and rebuilding the original nut with Nut Rescue powder. Simply put, it was not successful. I was unable to successfully pack the material into the tiny, deep sting slots and the glue would not absorb into the powder correctly to saturate it. I was able to break it out with my thumbnail. Ultimately, I told the owner (and he finally agreed) that the nut simply needed to be replaced. This is not the failure of the product per se, it simply was the wrong application of it.

I think, as others stated above, that this is a convenient way to make a temporary repair with many applications, but not the product to use for a significant re-building. I have not tried the dental material, but have heard good things about that for this type of an application.

[Mark Fogleman]

A bone shim glued to the bottom of the nut works for me.

[Bob Gramann]

I stayed with the dental fillings.

[Eric Knapp]

I stayed with the dental fillings.

Where do you get the dentil fillings and related equipment?

-Eric

[Bob Gramann]

Ebay. Cheap, no problem. I don’t know who else buys it. I’ve never heard of back alley dentists. A dremel tool and a mirror, I could save a fortune on dentistry.

[Dave Rickard]

Is there a name brand dental filling that works best?

[Bob Gramann]

I have purchased “Prime-Dent” and “Orthosource” flowable composits on EBay in the past. Both seem to work—it’s some kind of a UV cure binder with what seems to be glass particles embedded. You also need some curable bonding agent(I bought “Optibond”), some phosphoric acid (I got way too much for little money at Home Depot) and a UV curing light (cheap on EBay). I don’t know why this stuff is available to anyone. I would expect it to be prescription only stuff. Amazon sells it only to licensed dentists. I hope my dentist doesn’t buy his off of EBay.