I decided it would be worth the effort to come up with a more customizable version of the mandolin nut slot jig I submitted a little while back. This one is sadly not yet made to handle paired vs. non-paired strings, but as it stands, it can be customized to accommodate any nut height, width, thickness and number of single strings.

To make any adjustments simply access the parameters menu, and adjust any of the user parameters. Here’s a breakdown of all of the values (most are self-explanatory, so forgive the pedantry):

1. numStrings – number of strings.
2. nutThickness – thickness of nut.
3. nutWidth – width of nut.
4. jigThickness – This value covers the thickness of the walls of the jig along the width and thickness. Most of the main dimensions of the print account for the size of the actual nut plus jigThickness.
5. outerStringInset – how far from the edges of the nut the first and last slots will be.
6. kerf – width of the slots. Currently configured for the Hosco String Slot Guide Saw (available at https://www.philadelphialuthiertools.com/luthier-tools/files-and-rasps/hosco-string-slot-guide-saw-008-2mm-width/)
7. jigHeight – dictates how tall the jig will be. Note that the slot guides are calculated to create .5mm slots, assuming you don’t cut into the jig itself ( you wouldn’t do that, would you?)
8. nutHeight – Height of the nut.

Note that everything is assuming that you will be spacing your string slots with the spacing perfectly even on centers. If you want some fancy offsets accounting for string thickness, you can always influence the slot locations using your files (or you could keep bugging me to eventually figure out how to do the math ¯\_(ツ)_/¯  )