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Finish on light colored finger board?
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Author:  Doug O [ Mon Jul 07, 2008 11:44 am ]
Post subject:  Finish on light colored finger board?
I have a guitar in the works that will be getting a tulip wood fingerboard, and the board I'm using has the usual amount of white/off white stripes. Has anyone had success with some kind of clear penetrating sealer/finish on fingerboards? I don't want to put on a film finish (like a Fender Strat with a maple finger board), and I don't want to add color to the finger board. The concern is that without some kind of finish the finger board will get grimy in short order.

Thanks, Doug
Author:  Michael Dale Payne [ Mon Jul 07, 2008 11:48 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Finish on light colored finger board?
It is not pure clear, will darken somewhat but Lemon Oil. Any type of oil or what ever is going to darke the wood some what.
Author:  SniderMike [ Mon Jul 07, 2008 12:55 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Finish on light colored finger board?
I know you said you don't want to, but... I think a film finish is really the only way to go unless you want to be constantly scraping and cleaning it. Unless you only play notes in the dark areas.

You can do a satin film finish so it doesn't look all glossy like a strat. Just rub it out with steel wool.
Author:  Howard Klepper [ Mon Jul 07, 2008 1:22 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Finish on light colored finger board?
A tulipwood fingerboard has no more need for a finish than does any other rosewood board. If some hand grime builds up, wipe it off with a cloth and "lemon oil" furniture polish.
Author:  SniderMike [ Mon Jul 07, 2008 1:23 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Finish on light colored finger board?
Howard, you don't think the light areas are going to look like maple would without a finish?
Author:  Doug O [ Mon Jul 07, 2008 1:38 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Finish on light colored finger board?
Thanks for the input guys. I've assumed that the light areas of the tulip wood will turn grey from finger dirt and metal from the stings like a maple board does.

Howard - are you saying the natural oils in the tulip wood along with the usual lemon oil treatment will keep this from happening?

One idea that has come to mind is to flood it with CA.

Thanks, Doug
Author:  joel Thompson [ Mon Jul 07, 2008 1:59 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Finish on light colored finger board?
i think howard may be thinking of the rosewood tulip wood dalbergia varibalis and another i cant remember the name of.
which has red and yellow stripes and is as dense as most rosewoods but comes in small diameters.

whereas the fingerboard in question is american tulip wood or poplar i belive.

there is quite a big diference between the two and where tulip rosewood can be treated as any rosewood fingerboard a poplar fingerboard will need a coat of some kind of finish to avoid staining and wear etc.

Joel.
Author:  Howard Klepper [ Mon Jul 07, 2008 6:00 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Finish on light colored finger board?
If the fingerboard is magnolia, a/k/a "tulip," a/k/a "poplar" (it's neither a tulip nor a poplar), then you have made a bad choice. It won't hold frets well, and it will wear like, well, like poplar.

I'm assuming we are talking dalbergia frutescens/decipularis.
Author:  Howard Klepper [ Mon Jul 07, 2008 6:27 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Finish on light colored finger board?
Just to add to the confusion, there are other trees called magnolia, as well. But in any case, too soft for fingerboards.

The true rosewood commonly called tulipwood is dense and oily enough to behave like other rosewoods despite its light color; it makes a good fingerboard.
Author:  Doug O [ Mon Jul 07, 2008 6:45 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Finish on light colored finger board?
The finger board wood I'm intending to use is Dalbergia frutescens. Like Howard says, its is very dense and oily. Other than my concern (unfounded?) about dirt stains, it appears to be very suitable for a finger board.

Doug
Author:  Brett L Faust [ Mon Jul 07, 2008 8:13 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Finish on light colored finger board?
HI Doug,
If you use lemon oil it may take so long to dry that it may actually attract dirt not protect against it . :o
Try a gel wipe on poly ,4 or 6 coats kind of "french polished " in then sanded back with 600 grit. Next , 2 or 4 coats and then buffed with steel wool . Some folks pre finish the FB prior to fretting.
The kind I use on maple boards is ROCKLER brand with a photo of Michael Dresner on the can.This stuff dries on EIRW and AmazonRW but not at all on Cocobolo.
I would try a test first!
A thin barrier of 1 coat of shellac as a sealer first can help.
When I am done the film is .002" or less and the pores are still open somewhat.The feel is like an old bannister that has been touched a millon times.
Hope this helps ,good luck [:Y:]
Brett
Author:  Howard Klepper [ Mon Jul 07, 2008 9:26 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Finish on light colored finger board?
Lemon oil doesn't dry slowly--it doesn't dry at all. It evaporates. The stuff that's sold as "lemon oil" furniture polish is a petroleum distillate of about the weight of kerosene with some citrus scent. It evaporates off in a few days. Its usefulness is in cleaning off gunk, and then leaving a temporary shine behind.
Author:  Mike_P [ Mon Jul 07, 2008 9:42 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Finish on light colored finger board?
I've found fiddlebrite so be a great cleaner/restorer for fingerboards...a very old luthier turned me onto it ~30 years ago when I had taken my father's '58 D-28 in for some work as a father's day gift

http://www.elderly.com/accessories/items/V401.htm
Author:  SniderMike [ Mon Jul 07, 2008 11:45 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Finish on light colored finger board?
Doug O wrote:
The finger board wood I'm intending to use is Dalbergia frutescens. Like Howard says, its is very dense and oily. Other than my concern (unfounded?) about dirt stains, it appears to be very suitable for a finger board.

Doug


Sorry, Doug. I ass-umed you were talking about the poplar-like, non-rosewood kind. Go with Howard's advice.
Author:  Brett L Faust [ Tue Jul 08, 2008 2:19 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Finish on light colored finger board?
Hi Howard
The "lemon oil " I used years ago took so long (months)to evaporate off that I wonder if we are even talking about the same stuff.So now I use Guitar Honey instead.
Thanks for the info though.
Author:  JRE Productions [ Tue Jul 08, 2008 10:03 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Finish on light colored finger board?
Doesn't SM sell fret board stain for just this reason? Its some sort of penetraiting stain to even out the color of fingerboard. Let me see if I can find the link...........


http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Finishing_supplies/Colors,_tints,_and_stains/Black_Fingerboard_Stain.html

Ok, here it is. It appears to be black...but at least you can see what the concept is.

Joe
Author:  Michael Dale Payne [ Tue Jul 08, 2008 10:06 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Finish on light colored finger board?
JRE Productions wrote:
Doesn't SM sell fret board stain for just this reason? Its some sort of penetraiting stain to even out the color of fingerboard. Let me see if I can find the link...........


http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Finishing_supplies/Colors,_tints,_and_stains/Black_Fingerboard_Stain.html

Ok, here it is. It appears to be black...but at least you can see what the concept is.

Joe


The issue is he want to keep the varance in shades rather than tone it down.
Author:  JRE Productions [ Tue Jul 08, 2008 11:05 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Finish on light colored finger board?
Ah yes, I see Michael. I thought he said he Wanted to add color and not the opposite.
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