iskim86 Posted November 6, 2010 Report Share Posted November 6, 2010 I just received a pair of $25 brass pickup rings for my bass. yes it's $25 PER ring and it's that expensive because no one else makes them now I need to know how to clear coat them. anyone have any experience clear coating metal? or is this even necessary? how do hardware manufacturers do it? here's a pic of the thing http://upload.theopenjam.net/files/IMG_9513.JPG thanks a lot! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westhemann Posted November 6, 2010 Report Share Posted November 6, 2010 They don't clear coat metal parts.This guy also does rings in some interesting ways...to me $25 isn't that much for custom rings. http://www.fretsonthenet.com/other_parts.htm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WezV Posted November 6, 2010 Report Share Posted November 6, 2010 you can clear coat them - and you can buy brass lacquer for doing just that. personally i wouldnt bother. either way the rings will age. You can let them age naturally, look good and just rebuff everynow and again if you still want shiny... or you can go the lacquer route and have it start peeling off in a few years, leaving some areas shiny clean and others like aged brass.. then its more work to get them shiny again and they dont look as nice aged as they do without lacquer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim37 Posted November 6, 2010 Report Share Posted November 6, 2010 Look up a product called zoop seal it may be a nice compromise between laquer and natural aging. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Helldunkel Posted November 6, 2010 Report Share Posted November 6, 2010 I just received a pair of $25 brass pickup rings for my bass. yes it's $25 PER ring and it's that expensive because no one else makes them Before to say that its expensive, ask to yourself how much it would coast to run a CNC to cut out 2 little rings..... Then you will understand that 25$ per ring is very cheap, infact I dont know how he can make a living out of that, over here they would charge me 250$ per ring + charging me for creating the CNC programm if I would go to see a local CNC company... Like westhemann pointed out, check out frets on the net, he does a wonderfull job. About clear coat I have done this before on brass by going to see a pro car painter, extremely tough lacquer which is designed for metal, but i'm sure there are other ways of doing it, I just happen to know somebody who runs a car painting shop which did help... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drak Posted November 6, 2010 Report Share Posted November 6, 2010 I have been clearcoating my metal parts for many years and have had no peeling issues at all. I am not into relic'ing, and want my guitars (and amps) to stay looking as new as possible for as long as possible. I've clearcoated bridges, pkp covers, pkp rings, amplifier faceplates, tilt-back legs, corners, heck, I can't remember everything I've clearcoated. I don't do it to everything, but when I feel it helpful, I do it, and everything I've done it to all still looks as new. Having said that, I have all the stuff here to easily do it, I use an airbrush to do this, and keep the coats very thin. Most of the time, if I didn't point it out,no one would even know the lacquer was even there, but nothing has peeled, and everything still looks as good as new. Just so you know, a lot of custom platers lacquer your parts directly after plating, since their plating is so friggin' thin, and they will tell you NOT to use any Metal cleaners since most of them contain light abrasives, which would strip off the lacquer. They tell you soap and water is about all you need, as that will clean any dirt off of lacquer. So I do my own, and I've had many parts plated that the plater did on their own as well, it wasn't my request, we just happen to be on the same page. I am a firm believer in lacquering over parts to reduce plating wear. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drak Posted November 6, 2010 Report Share Posted November 6, 2010 extremely tough lacquer which is designed for metal There is no such thing, lacquer is lacquer, there are slightly different formulations here and there, but all lacquer at heart is a film finish product which dries from the top down, and shares all the same properties of film finishes. If it is 'super tough', then likely it is not regular lacquer, it would probably be some sort of crosslinking 2-part finish which dries from a chemical interaction, which could be catalyzed lacquer, but that is a very different product alltogether from your standard lacquer, totally different catagory of finish. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Helldunkel Posted November 6, 2010 Report Share Posted November 6, 2010 extremely tough lacquer which is designed for metal There is no such thing, lacquer is lacquer, there are slightly different formulations here and there, but all lacquer at heart is a film finish product which dries from the top down, and shares all the same properties of film finishes. If it is 'super tough', then likely it is not regular lacquer, it would probably be some sort of crosslinking 2-part finish which dries from a chemical interaction, which could be catalyzed lacquer, but that is a very different product alltogether from your standard lacquer, totally different catagory of finish. Yes you are totally correct and I am perfectly aware about this since I have been using 2 part finishes for a long time on my instruments.. Of our days all commercial cars are sprayed with a 2 part finish, I would be suprised if a car painter would use nitro cellulose lacquer unless he is touching up or refinishing a very old car but who knows lol In french we use the generic therm ''laque'' to describe a sprayed finish and since I mostly speak french, I was thinking in french, my bad... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iskim86 Posted November 7, 2010 Author Report Share Posted November 7, 2010 (edited) Before to say that its expensive, ask to yourself how much it would coast to run a CNC to cut out 2 little rings..... Then you will understand that 25$ per ring is very cheap, infact I dont know how he can make a living out of that, over here they would charge me 250$ per ring + charging me for creating the CNC programm if I would go to see a local CNC company... Like westhemann pointed out, check out frets on the net, he does a wonderfull job. About clear coat I have done this before on brass by going to see a pro car painter, extremely tough lacquer which is designed for metal, but i'm sure there are other ways of doing it, I just happen to know somebody who runs a car painting shop which did help... i guess i'm just used to being around CNCs at school They don't clear coat metal parts.This guy also does rings in some interesting ways...to me $25 isn't that much for custom rings. http://www.fretsonthenet.com/other_parts.htm yes that's where i got it from Edited November 7, 2010 by iskim86 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iskim86 Posted November 7, 2010 Author Report Share Posted November 7, 2010 I have been clearcoating my metal parts for many years and have had no peeling issues at all. I am not into relic'ing, and want my guitars (and amps) to stay looking as new as possible for as long as possible. I've clearcoated bridges, pkp covers, pkp rings, amplifier faceplates, tilt-back legs, corners, heck, I can't remember everything I've clearcoated. I don't do it to everything, but when I feel it helpful, I do it, and everything I've done it to all still looks as new. Having said that, I have all the stuff here to easily do it, I use an airbrush to do this, and keep the coats very thin. Most of the time, if I didn't point it out,no one would even know the lacquer was even there, but nothing has peeled, and everything still looks as good as new. Just so you know, a lot of custom platers lacquer your parts directly after plating, since their plating is so friggin' thin, and they will tell you NOT to use any Metal cleaners since most of them contain light abrasives, which would strip off the lacquer. They tell you soap and water is about all you need, as that will clean any dirt off of lacquer. So I do my own, and I've had many parts plated that the plater did on their own as well, it wasn't my request, we just happen to be on the same page. I am a firm believer in lacquering over parts to reduce plating wear. cool, what kinda prep work should I do to make the lacquer adhere correctly? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drak Posted November 7, 2010 Report Share Posted November 7, 2010 I just wipe it clean first with Naptha, that's it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westhemann Posted November 7, 2010 Report Share Posted November 7, 2010 I have bought from Dave at fretsonthenet a time or two...bought some 7 string rings and I think maybe a truss rod cover? Anyway...those little extra touches he can provide really sometimes make the difference between an okay guitar and a fantastically sharp one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
postal Posted November 9, 2010 Report Share Posted November 9, 2010 Use automotive paint products. That is the best solution. Take them to someone to paint for you. Have them hit it with adhesion promoter, then clear. If you're going to do it yourself, and you're going with the generic term "laquer"... I've no tips for you except wipe it down with alcohol, or thinner, or acteone, or degreaser. (note "degreaser" doesnt mean dish soap thats "tough on grease!") Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iskim86 Posted November 9, 2010 Author Report Share Posted November 9, 2010 I just wipe it clean first with Naptha, that's it. is that lighter fluid? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WezV Posted November 9, 2010 Report Share Posted November 9, 2010 pretty much - check the side of teh bottle but most list naptha as the main ingrediant Just wanted to show a guitar from 1984 with lacquered brass hardware. when i got it: with the original hardware which was included in the case: Notice the difference between the knob that was replaced with a plastic strat one early in its life and the ones that stayed on the guitar obviously being used. The lacquer has mostly gone leaving the shiny patch still on top. The bridge isnt too bad - but thats mainly because it was swapped with the trem probably when the guitar was quite new judging by the type of trem and the discolouration of the lacquer. Even so it still shows patches of lacquer peel and aged metal. Imagine how it would have been if it had recieved another 20 years of wear like those knobs did. I know this is just one guitar, happens to be one i own so lots of pics were taken. But i have seen this quite often with brass hardware on guitars, it tends to vary based on the owner, how often it gets played out and sweated on - that kind of thing. I am not saying you shouldnt lacquer it - just providing an explanation for my point of view the other disagreed with Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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