Fairbanks Circa 1895 Neck Refurbishing - FRETS.NET2024-04-10T06:30:36Zhttp://fretsnet.ning.com/forum/topics/fairbanks-circa-1895-neck-refurbishing?commentId=2177249%3AComment%3A152339&feed=yes&xn_auth=no Thanks Bucko...
tag:fretsnet.ning.com,2016-01-03:2177249:Comment:1526092016-01-03T03:37:29.764ZKerry Krishnahttp://fretsnet.ning.com/profile/KerryKrishna
<p> Thanks Bucko...</p>
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<p> Thanks Bucko...</p>
<p></p> Thanks Frank. This is very h…tag:fretsnet.ning.com,2016-01-02:2177249:Comment:1524482016-01-02T22:36:29.400ZJonathan Conanthttp://fretsnet.ning.com/profile/JonathanConant
<p>Thanks Frank. This is very helpful. Now of course I have to learn to French polish (finally, after putting it off for years --- it's high time).</p>
<p>Mark and Kerry --- I'll work on the pictures, but none of my issues seems to me to be illustrative of anything especially instructive. Still, you're right, and I'll do my best. Jonathan</p>
<p>Thanks Frank. This is very helpful. Now of course I have to learn to French polish (finally, after putting it off for years --- it's high time).</p>
<p>Mark and Kerry --- I'll work on the pictures, but none of my issues seems to me to be illustrative of anything especially instructive. Still, you're right, and I'll do my best. Jonathan</p> The original finish would hav…tag:fretsnet.ning.com,2016-01-02:2177249:Comment:1525462016-01-02T22:24:18.003ZFrank Fordhttp://fretsnet.ning.com/profile/FrankFord
<p>The original finish would have been shellac, and French polishing with shellac is a great way to rejuvenate the look and feel. You do need to clean the old finish before adding shellac, and a very light scuff sanding is conventional as well.</p>
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<p>Shellac is an interesting material, and its only solvent is alcohol. That said, there is one important thing to consider if you're testing an old finish like this. Given enough time, shellac can oxidize and change enough to lose its…</p>
<p>The original finish would have been shellac, and French polishing with shellac is a great way to rejuvenate the look and feel. You do need to clean the old finish before adding shellac, and a very light scuff sanding is conventional as well.</p>
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<p>Shellac is an interesting material, and its only solvent is alcohol. That said, there is one important thing to consider if you're testing an old finish like this. Given enough time, shellac can oxidize and change enough to lose its solubility in alcohol. It's not terribly uncommon to find old instruments like this where the finish appears to be completely insoluble in acetone, lacquer thinner, alcohol, and everything else we might have on hand.</p>
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<p></p> What a clever test, Mark. I'…tag:fretsnet.ning.com,2016-01-02:2177249:Comment:1526062016-01-02T20:15:18.083ZJonathan Conanthttp://fretsnet.ning.com/profile/JonathanConant
<p>What a clever test, Mark. I'll do it tomorrow, after I finish with the peghead. I am assured that preserving value is not the primary concern. If it were I wouldn't have agreed to undertake the job. Playable is the stated objective so I've been asked to install modern tuners. The scratches are not crazing, unfortunately, but simply signs of rough use. The keel of the neck heel has stain rubbed away, for example, and that's the way it will stay. </p>
<p>What a clever test, Mark. I'll do it tomorrow, after I finish with the peghead. I am assured that preserving value is not the primary concern. If it were I wouldn't have agreed to undertake the job. Playable is the stated objective so I've been asked to install modern tuners. The scratches are not crazing, unfortunately, but simply signs of rough use. The keel of the neck heel has stain rubbed away, for example, and that's the way it will stay. </p> To reiterate Greg's comment a…tag:fretsnet.ning.com,2016-01-02:2177249:Comment:1523392016-01-02T17:22:22.599ZMark Foglemanhttp://fretsnet.ning.com/profile/MarkFogleman
<p>To reiterate Greg's comment above, an instrument from the late 1800s should have finish crazing. Creating a smooth, glossy, perfect surface is not going to add and will likely reduce value.</p>
<p>The only way to know for sure the makeup of the finish is to find a small section of finish hidden from view...where the neck goes inside the ring, under a tuner, under the nut, etc...and scrape a little finish off. Separate the scrapings into 2 small jars (baby food jars are what I would use), Add…</p>
<p>To reiterate Greg's comment above, an instrument from the late 1800s should have finish crazing. Creating a smooth, glossy, perfect surface is not going to add and will likely reduce value.</p>
<p>The only way to know for sure the makeup of the finish is to find a small section of finish hidden from view...where the neck goes inside the ring, under a tuner, under the nut, etc...and scrape a little finish off. Separate the scrapings into 2 small jars (baby food jars are what I would use), Add denatured alcohol to one and lacquer thinner to the other. Set them aside for 24 hrs in a warm place. If the scrapings are dissolved in the alcohol <strong>and</strong> lacquer thinner it's most likely shellac (lacquer thinner contains alcohol). If they are dissolved in the lacquer thinner and not alcohol it's lacquer. If neither have dissolved it's probably varnish.</p> Pictures please!! I'm doing a…tag:fretsnet.ning.com,2016-01-02:2177249:Comment:1526022016-01-02T16:02:40.779ZMark Pollockhttp://fretsnet.ning.com/profile/MarkPollock
<p>Pictures please!! I'm doing a restoration and collecting every picture I can find for support. </p>
<p>Pictures please!! I'm doing a restoration and collecting every picture I can find for support. </p> Thanks very much. So far I h…tag:fretsnet.ning.com,2016-01-02:2177249:Comment:1525382016-01-02T02:41:10.764ZJonathan Conanthttp://fretsnet.ning.com/profile/JonathanConant
<p>Thanks very much. So far I have been so cautious that I've done no damage, or maybe I was just lucky. I'll do the Dawn and water treatment and move on (if necessary) to naphtha. Any ideas on what the likely finish is? Based only on when it was applied? That's how I came to then shellac supposition. Oh yes: I won't mess with the scratches if there's any ambiguity, and they aren't bad anyway. Jonathan</p>
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<p>Thanks very much. So far I have been so cautious that I've done no damage, or maybe I was just lucky. I'll do the Dawn and water treatment and move on (if necessary) to naphtha. Any ideas on what the likely finish is? Based only on when it was applied? That's how I came to then shellac supposition. Oh yes: I won't mess with the scratches if there's any ambiguity, and they aren't bad anyway. Jonathan</p>
<p></p> Stop with the alcohol. Beside…tag:fretsnet.ning.com,2016-01-02:2177249:Comment:1525352016-01-02T00:47:14.780ZGreg Mirkenhttp://fretsnet.ning.com/profile/GregMirken
<p>Stop with the alcohol. Besides not doing a very good job of emulsifying greasy dirt, it may soften the finish and amalgamate the dirt into it, making removal more difficult. In cleaning any antique, standard procedure is to start with the most benign solvents and work up. I would start with plain water, then mild soap on a damp cloth. I use a pink gel cleaner called "Sterling's Magic" but I would expect a little Dawn dishsoap would do the job. If that doesn't get it, either naphtha or…</p>
<p>Stop with the alcohol. Besides not doing a very good job of emulsifying greasy dirt, it may soften the finish and amalgamate the dirt into it, making removal more difficult. In cleaning any antique, standard procedure is to start with the most benign solvents and work up. I would start with plain water, then mild soap on a damp cloth. I use a pink gel cleaner called "Sterling's Magic" but I would expect a little Dawn dishsoap would do the job. If that doesn't get it, either naphtha or mineral spirits are both harmless to just about any finish.</p>
<p>Can you post some pictures of the marks you want to address? In most cases a scratched original finish is preferable to one that has been messed with, even expertly.</p>