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Staining Ebony Fingerboards
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Author:  Dave-SKG [ Thu Oct 12, 2006 11:41 pm ]
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I'm Not sure if this topic has been posted before...if so I appologize for the "re-dundancy"...Anyway...

I recently did some work on 4/4 standup acoustic bass. One of those foreign cheap ($1000) models. So I didn't expect the fingerboard to be high grade ebony. Anyway, when I went to re-stain the board with Flebing's Oil Stain (the StewMac stuff) many of the brown grain lines keep bleeding thru. The wood looks to be either Macassar ebony ( I doubt it) but more likely some sort of Rosewood. I have it sanded to 120.
Any suggestions/cures/help would be greatly appreciated!
THANKS!

p.s. I called both S.M. and LMI and neither would even let me talk to anyone with expertise/experience in that area. Wow! (after spending tens of thousands of dollars in each store over the last few years). What ever happend to old fashioned "customer service". The LMI girl actually told me to call S.M. since I bought the dye from them! Hey Chris are you hearing this!


Author:  Anthony Z [ Fri Oct 13, 2006 12:23 am ]
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Dave I am surprised that the black Fiebings dye didn’t work particularly since you sanded back with 120 grit. I’ve used it on a number of different streaked ebony pieces with success.   Your dilemma makes me wonder if the fretboard is impregnated with something the Fiebings won’t adhere to. Fiebings was actually developed as a leather dye and it is easy to obtain in shops that sell leather supplies.

Your double strike out with LMI and SM sounds like the odds of winning a lotto. I’d email your favorite contact at each and suspect you’ll get a better answer.
Author:  Dave-SKG [ Fri Oct 13, 2006 5:48 am ]
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Some Pics:
BEFORE STAIN:



AFTER 4 STAININGS:

Author:  Anthony Z [ Fri Oct 13, 2006 7:26 am ]
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Dave, given where you started I think it now looks great! I see your point about some streaks showing through. Have you let the stain thoroughly dry and buffed it?
Author:  Dave-SKG [ Fri Oct 13, 2006 7:32 am ]
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[QUOTE=Anthony Z] Dave, given where you started I think it now looks great! I see your point about some streaks showing through. Have you let the stain thoroughly dry and buffed it?[/QUOTE]

Hi Anthony,
I agree but the client has to have it just like it was before...ya know what I mean?...

I didn't try buffing it as I didn't think that would make it any darker and felt it might even close the pores more and therefore take even less stain...I'm at a loss...I simply don't know what else to do. Sylvan had a great idea using black CA I am going to try that next. I was hoping more people would chime in.
THANKS FOR YOUR INPUT!
Author:  Shane Neifer [ Fri Oct 13, 2006 7:45 am ]
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What about good ole indian ink? I haven't tried it yet Dave, but I do have a bottle of it that I bought from a local craft store as I thought it might be good. CA on the board will likely change the texture wouldn't it? Don't really know if that will be good or bad but it will certainly be 'different' than how it was.

Shane
Author:  Lillian F-W [ Fri Oct 13, 2006 8:25 am ]
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Dave, this article
might help. I've used it before, but that was a long time ago. I just remember that it worked for what I needed.
Author:  Anthony Z [ Fri Oct 13, 2006 10:01 am ]
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Dave the reason I asked if it was thoroughly dry and buffed was if it is already buffed it'll be hard to darken it further.

I am with Shane I don't know about using black CA.

Good article Lilian (I'll have to bookmark that one).Anthony Z39003.7968981481
Author:  Jim Watts [ Fri Oct 13, 2006 3:49 pm ]
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I've never tried this but I been told that black leather dye works really well. Seems to make sense.
Author:  Dave-SKG [ Sat Oct 14, 2006 2:35 am ]
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Lillian, Thanks for the link...I am cooking up some as I write this.

Jim, The black leather dye is what Fiebing's dye is ( the one S.M. sells and I used). Thanks for your input tho. I ordered some other leather dye from LMI but 99% sure it's going to be the same stuff. I looked at some other Violin and Bass suppliers and that's the stuff they sell too.

Shane, good idea...thanks...I am going to order some of the colortone stuff S.M. sells but some how I don't think that's going to work either...I think it has something to do with not being able to penetrate the pores where these "streaks" are...the rest of the wood took the stain just fine. It's these shinny brown streaks that are giving me the trouble.

I'm going to have a talk with the customer again and if he's determined to have it all jet-black then I think Sylvan's suggestion is the one that will finally work.

Thanks EVERYONE for responding...
Author:  Lillian F-W [ Sat Oct 14, 2006 7:09 am ]
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Dave, let me know how it works for you.
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