Dyeing a rosewood board black - advice please

ESchap

Looking to possibly dye a rosewood board I have black.  3 questions;

1.   Is it a form of leather dye I use? recommendations please

2.  How do I prepare the wood i.e. remove years of oiling from the wood?  Lighter fluid?

3. The block position inlays are natural MoP is there danger there?  Also will the fretboard binding be affected?

Thanks

FelineGuitars

Fiebings leather dye is the one

Clean wood with Naptha/lighter fuel or isopropyl alcohol.

It wont hurt REAL MOP inlays but it may need to be rubbed off with vigour

It will get onto the frets too and these will also take quite a bit of effort to clean up

IT WILL mess up binding so you will need to be careful - you can mask it off but the oil stain can get under masking so still go easy with it.

You can scrape binding clean with a stanley blade or razor blade though.

Leave stain a few hours before rubbing back and then rub with cotton cloth (old t shirt works well)

ESchap

Many thanks @felineguitars Great advice. It's a jazz box and has 3 ply binding on the fretboard and the frets over the binding. Will be a pig to mask, may reconsider on that basis. Wonder if I could use a paraffin wax or the like instead of masking tape?.

FelineGuitars

3m make a latex pinstripes tape that should work better. You'll have to cut it into short enough lengths to fit between frets. I've used the Fiebings to darken up a bit of ebony in the past and it will also do a nice job on rosewood.

ESchap

Thanks again @felineguitars. ; I'll see if I can find the 3M latex tape you recommend.

Corvus

3M code 1471 for blue tape, I also use tape from Jammydog which comes 1mm up. 2mm is good for frets. I also binbag up the whole guitar, against fingerprints etc, after doing a white one...

ESchap

Cheers @Billkat, saved me a lot of hunting.

Corvus

Sorry @ESchap, code is 471... Fone typing...

WezV

this was a rosewood board I used feibings on to ebonize it.   I have also done similar on purpleheart with good results

 

http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e31/WezV/complete%20guitars/fin1.jpg

http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e31/WezV/complete%20guitars/st2.jpg

 

works really well, although you need to give it a good rub down with wie wool to make sure all the excess is gone.  and wear gloves or you fingers will be black for quite a while

 

you may eventually get a bit of wear through to the original colour - but it won't be soon, and a bottle will last pretty much forever so its no bother to reapply every few years

axisus

I also used Fiebings on my jazz bass relic job, really happy with the end colour:

ESchap

Nice work @WezV and @axisus  ; Inspired that the results can look so good.  Was that with a single application of the dye?

Ordered the Dye and tape today.

WezV

I do a single application of the dye then rub down with 0000 wie wool once dry.    Thats usually enough but a second coat can be done at this point if you rub through or have missed any.   The rubbing back helps to remove any surface residue that could transfer to your fingers.  

 

just be aware of any products on the fretboard already.  if the dye can't penetrate then it will either all rub off when you use the wire wool, or it will transfer to your fingers really easily when playing.   I make sure the boad is clean before first application by giving it a good rub down with naphtha (lighter fluid)

 

you can still oil the board if it feels dry, but this can lift a bit of stain out again.  usually its so black it won't matter but when i did it on purpleheart it lifted the stain ma bit.  It wasn't an issue in that case as it left it all looking like a great peice of dark Braz Rw

 

 

axisus

I just did one coat, with very precise masking. You don't want to be trying to remove it if it goes in the wrong places! 

axisus

I just remembered that I did my tree of life neck as well! I got a Luthier (who shall remain nameless) to put an ebony fretboard on my JS neck, as well as SS frets and a tree of life. I specifically wanted a very dark fretboard, but the Ebony that he used was disappointingly poor from that point of view. From that perspective it was a poor piece of work, he also put a fret out of place but that's another story. Anyway, I was left with the option of a poor looking fretboard or using the dye and risking killing the inlays! Went for it, cleaning down almost straight away for fear of disaster, but it worked really well and has lasted well. This is the only pic I can find right now:

speshul91

That's a beauty man