Stripping "Ebonized" fingerboard with Citristrip???

SRT80 · #1 10-25-2010, 11:55 AM

Do you guys think citristrip would work in stripping the ebonized stain from a fingerboard?

I know someone had mentioned Naptha. But I seen this citristrip popular in removing the orange tint on the SX basses necks.

I contacted local shop and the only option they told me is to sand the finish off then have to plane the fingerboard which is gonna be a $240 job.

My fingerboard feels fine, just doesn't look good with the black stain work off in areas showin' the rosewood....or brasilwood.

Steve

1st Bass · #2 10-25-2010, 12:31 PM

What's it cost to try? Small bottle from Home Depot, and give it a go-- if it doesn't work, you've lost next to nothing.

derft · #3 10-25-2010, 01:07 PM

I would not use Citristrip. If you get any on the body of the bass you will not be happy. Even protecting the body may not stop the stripping from getting through to the finish if some falls. As far as I know Citristrip removes finish not stain.

As I recall the person who told you to use Naptha knows what they are talking about. Also, be Careful with the Naptha.

I would get another opinion about sanding. I cannot imagine taking off that much wood with 320 or 600 sandpaper to get the board looking good that it wood require the fingerboard to be planed. But, I could be wrong.

1st Bass · #4 10-25-2010, 03:10 PM

I supposed that it went without saying that whatever means was to be used was to be kept away from the body of the bass-- plane, sandpaper, naptha, stripping compound. Silly of me...

When I have removed this stuff, I did it laboriously, using steel tools-- scraper, plane, rasp, etc. and had to dress the board when I was done. It would not have occurred to me to try the stripper.

That stuff (when I have dealt with it) was not a stain, anyway, in many cases, but some sort of hard lacquer, or the like. If it were simply a stain, one could simply re-stain.

fdeck · #5 10-25-2010, 07:06 PM

From what I've read, ebonizing is basically a stain that forms by a chemical reaction. One recipe involves soaking steel wool in vinegar, and then rubbing the vinegar on the wood. I think it penetrates the wood pretty well. There are spots on my wood floors (previously carpeted) where a nail has left such a stain in the wood, and neither solvents nor sanding will fix it.

OTOH my daughter's "Nagoya Suzuki" 1/4 size violin just had a painted fingerboard.

SRT80 · #6 10-25-2010, 08:36 PM

I think mine is painted as well. I took some sand paper to the sides, not the front of board to test and it looks like paint to me.

I might give it a try. I'm more worried about the front, if I make a dip or anything. But I think lightly sanding should do it. But I don't know.

Steve

Doug D · #7 10-27-2010, 12:04 PM

the way to use any heavy-bodied or gel stripper in a situation like this, is to first get the fingerboard as level (horizontally) as possible for obvious reasons. then mask off all areas near the board that you don't want stripped, and use masking tape and trash bags rather than brown paper.

then apply the stripper and let it sit. and sit. like overnight. it will do its thing and then dry (mostly) and make removing the old finish/stain/stripper a lot easier and minimize the risk of dripping it onto something else.

I use it this way when removing thick lacquer under guitar bridges that didn't stay glued down.

neutralize everything with water once you've got it all stripped. sometimes it takes two applications.

powerbass · #8 10-27-2010, 05:23 PM

Like fdeck said some ebonizing solutions are a chemical stain - I have used black leather dye. You cannot strip them since they soak into the wood. Paint, lacquer, poly etc those you can strip - the harsher chemicals like ZipStrip remove finish the quickest. If I have a small area to strip I will use a cabinet scraper and scrap the finish off - no chemicals involved