fookgub Posted February 19, 2009 Report Share Posted February 19, 2009 I used the Stew-Mac fingerboard dye for the first time to darken a Les Paul fingerboard last night, and, contrary to Stew-Mac's claims, the dye didn't wipe off the inlays. Here's what I did: 1. Sand out the fretboard to 600 grit 2. Apply a little dye to a blue shop towel and wipe on a thin layer 3. Wipe off the excess with a clean towel 4. Repeat 2 & 3 I'm thinking I could sand out the fingerboard with 800 grit, and that would probably get the dye off the inlays. I don't know how deeply the dye penetrates the wood, though, and I'd rather not remove it from the fingboard itself. I've been picking at the dyed inlays with fingernails and bits of sandpaper, and the dye is really on there good. Any ideas? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WezV Posted February 19, 2009 Report Share Posted February 19, 2009 what are the inlays made from... i have done it over pearl and plastic with no issues at all give the whole fretboard a buff with 0000 wire wool and i bet it will be alright Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fookgub Posted February 19, 2009 Author Report Share Posted February 19, 2009 I believe the inlays are pearloid, but I can't say for sure. I'll give the steel wool a shot when I get home from work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fookgub Posted February 20, 2009 Author Report Share Posted February 20, 2009 No dice on the steel wool. I worked at it for a while, too. I eventually switched to 1000 grit, and it took about 20 minutes to get the dye off the inlays. It also took most of the dye off the fingerboard. What's going on here? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MiKro Posted February 20, 2009 Report Share Posted February 20, 2009 pearloid is a plastic and yes it will take dye, unlike shell or pearl. MK Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fookgub Posted February 20, 2009 Author Report Share Posted February 20, 2009 pearloid is a plastic and yes it will take dye, unlike shell or pearl. That seems about right. I tried the dye on a scrap of pearloid pickguard material. It soaked right in, but only after I roughed up the surface with 400 grit paper. I'm a little surprised I haven't read about this before. Seems like Les Paul refrets would be one of the more common applications of this stuff. I wonder whether the dye would still soak into the inlays if I sand fingerboard out to 2000 grit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woodenspoke Posted February 20, 2009 Report Share Posted February 20, 2009 Humm, a problem. If you must dye then you have to cover this inlay. Off the top of my head paste wax applied with a cotten tip cleaner, easy to remove with steel wool. You may have to heat it so it applys easly maybe even use a small artist brush and possibly tape off the edges so it stays only on the inlay. I would also make sure that it does repel the dye, not that I have seen a dye that melts wax, so far. Hope this helps Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ihocky2 Posted February 20, 2009 Report Share Posted February 20, 2009 I guess when you use plastic you have to test first with dye. I have used ABS binding, dyed right over it and it came right off with a light burnish of steel wool. I used some red pearloid that got black dye over it with no problem either. That one may have been ABS but I can't quite remember. It could also be the difference in the dye, I was only using Color Tone mixed in alcohol, not the fingerboard dye. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WezV Posted February 20, 2009 Report Share Posted February 20, 2009 the fingerboard dye is a bit more hardcore than normal wood dye - its actually a leather dye. i would try having the plastic buffed a bit more and see if that helps - thinking about it the plastic i dyed over may not have been pearloid Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woodenspoke Posted February 20, 2009 Report Share Posted February 20, 2009 the fingerboard dye is a bit more hardcore than normal wood dye - its actually a leather dye. i would try having the plastic buffed a bit more and see if that helps - thinking about it the plastic i dyed over may not have been pearloid If we are taking about the Fiebing's dye products I don't believe they are flammable, which means they will not mix with the wax. Now I'm not saying that buffing the plastic wont help it was just suggesting it would be easier to keep the dye off the inlay in the first place. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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