Hey Bruce
Aging the hardware is where it gets sketchy because the once nickel
hardware is nickel no more---it's cheap chrome. A lot of guys do
amonioa baths, which gives a similar patina as sweat. A lot of guys scuff
with fine sand papers or steel wool, unlike sweat. A lot of guys drop the
parts in a jar of etching solution from radio shack (for etching circuit
boards), which just eats away the chrome and gives a brownish look.
When I look at the original fenders in person, the hardware is never all
that aged, and I would try the amonia first. I picked that one up from
Kevin G. about five years ago.
Make a little net to hold the hardware out of window screen or
something else that won't melt away. Put 1/4" or so of amonia in the
bottle of a coffee can, then suspend the net with string tied to a pencil or
stick resting over the lip of the can to let it hang over the amonia. Don't
do it inside
This works best for brass, and you'd want to check that
every 30 seconds or so. Check chrome stuff ever couple of minutes.
What I've found best to get the right look out of lacquer is putting the
color on the wood, not using the amber nitro (and only sand to 150).
Then finish as you usually would, but buff by hand instead of machine.
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