HAMBONE!! Are you there dude ?

[MAGUS®]

You answered in a thread i posted about dying a Rosewood fretboard black to emulate Ebony - you suggested FIEBINGS BLACK OIL DYE.

I have since found out this is in fact Leather Dye - is that right ?

Could you look at this website i found in the UK, and tell me which is the dye you used ? I'd rather use the same stuff as you did, as you got great results and if i follow your route, and carefully, i should end up with something similar..

Some of the dyes have a click link to a photo of the bottle..
http://www.leprevo.co.uk/dyes.html

[MAGUS®]

Oh dear - i think its No C26 - which means i've answered my own question, and i'll now look like a flake cos i'm talking to myself.

Maybe you could just confirm its C26 and then i wont be in here on my own !

[Hambone]

C'mon man...BLINK fer gawdsakes!!!

Yep, the C26 is the right stuff. That'll put a black on there that would make the pot & the kettle take notice. I don't know if I've discussed this before but if you use a light oil of your choice after the dye has set and dried, it will further enhance the ebony illusion. I've used clear mineral oil - just a drop or two, to make the surface take a sheen. Put it on a clean paper towel and rub it in then let it set up and soak in before polishing. The problem seems that the dye is so black that it looks flat, dull and lifeless. A little buffing up with something helps that.

[PilbaraBass]

Originally Posted by Hambone

C'mon man...BLINK fer gawdsakes!!!

Yep, the C26 is the right stuff. That'll put a black on there that would make the pot & the kettle take notice. I don't know if I've discussed this before but if you use a light oil of your choice after the dye has set and dried, it will further enhance the ebony illusion. I've used clear mineral oil - just a drop or two, to make the surface take a sheen. Put it on a clean paper towel and rub it in then let it set up and soak in before polishing. The problem seems that the dye is so black that it looks flat, dull and lifeless. A little buffing up with something helps that.

faux ebony....hmmmm...what a concept....gives me an idea...uh ohhhh...."Warning! Warning! Will Robinson! Warning!"

have you used Stew Mac's ebony dye? if so, how does it stack up to the C26?

[Trevorus]

Hmmmmm, I might want my P-bass to have a faux ebony board. It has rosewood with some character, but I love the good black look. Maybe a photoshop is in order to preview the results.

[MAGUS®]

Originally Posted by Hambone

C'mon man...BLINK fer gawdsakes!!!

Yep, the C26 is the right stuff. That'll put a black on there that would make the pot & the kettle take notice. I don't know if I've discussed this before but if you use a light oil of your choice after the dye has set and dried, it will further enhance the ebony illusion. I've used clear mineral oil - just a drop or two, to make the surface take a sheen. Put it on a clean paper towel and rub it in then let it set up and soak in before polishing. The problem seems that the dye is so black that it looks flat, dull and lifeless. A little buffing up with something helps that.

Blinked as requested !

Thanks man - great stuff. I have some lovley Teak oil here already that i used on some other of my basses in the past. Would that be ok ?

Referring to your other post in the long gone thread i started, you used dye first, then some clear oil, then dye , then oil etc etc. letting the dye dry each time before oil, then letting the oil dry before dyeing. I think you said clear oiling over each application of dye helped deepen the effect - yes ?

Did you sand down the F/board before applying the first coat of dye ?

[MAGUS®]

Originally Posted by Trevorus

Hmmmmm, I might want my P-bass to have a faux ebony board. It has rosewood with some character, but I love the good black look. Maybe a photoshop is in order to preview the results.

I'd be happy to take some shots ( before and after ) and post em for ya

[Trevorus]

Before and after would be spectacular!

[Keef]

Originally Posted by Hambone

C'mon man...BLINK fer gawdsakes!!!

Yep, the C26 is the right stuff. That'll put a black on there that would make the pot & the kettle take notice. I don't know if I've discussed this before but if you use a light oil of your choice after the dye has set and dried, it will further enhance the ebony illusion. I've used clear mineral oil - just a drop or two, to make the surface take a sheen. Put it on a clean paper towel and rub it in then let it set up and soak in before polishing. The problem seems that the dye is so black that it looks flat, dull and lifeless. A little buffing up with something helps that.

Hambone, please forgive my ignorance, but what do you mean by "clear mineral oil"? Is this a common item, if so where would I find it? Could I use lemon oil instead, or would that be a no-no?

Thanks,

~ Keef

•

[Hambone]

Originally Posted by MAGUS®

Blinked as requested !

Thanks man - great stuff. I have some lovley Teak oil here already that i used on some other of my basses in the past. Would that be ok ?

Referring to your other post in the long gone thread i started, you used dye first, then some clear oil, then dye , then oil etc etc. letting the dye dry each time before oil, then letting the oil dry before dyeing. I think you said clear oiling over each application of dye helped deepen the effect - yes ?

Did you sand down the F/board before applying the first coat of dye ?

Sure, the teak oil is a good one for use on the oilier woods like rosewood. I'm glad you remember that post because I sure don't. That's my technique. If your rosewood has a nice tight grain, your results will be so ebony-like that you could easily pass it off as such without anyone batting an eye. I don't think I sanded anything since I was dyeing an already fretted neck. But you could try!

Pilbara - That C26 is the Fiebings oil dye that StewMac sells. The C26 is the stock number that the leather supplier has on his website.

Keef - Clear mineral oil can be found in drugstores. It's used as a laxative. I found out about it from the MIMF where it was suggested to me to use it as part of a pseudo french polish technique to rid a painted surface of the fogging that CA creates when it cures.

[MAGUS®]

Hi Ham - well mine is fretted too, and i'm not sure whether mine would be classed as a tight grain or not - ( havent seen enough R/wood to compare )

But i wont sand, as you didnt, and we'll see what the finish is like - if its still grainy looking , i'll take it back a tad with some fine wet n dry.

Cheers buddy

[Keef]

Originally Posted by Hambone

Keef - Clear mineral oil can be found in drugstores. It's used as a laxative. I found out about it from the MIMF where it was suggested to me to use it as part of a pseudo french polish technique to rid a painted surface of the fogging that CA creates when it cures.

Thanks, Hambone!

[Gintaras]

I was getting ready to ask if anyone had used the Stewart ebony dye and could not find anything but thought I would look in the Luthier section and there was the answer... I am planning to do this to a SX jazz fretless with lines. They state the lines are maple so I am hoping the final effect is an ebony finish but just a hint of a line because of the dyed rosewood vs the dyed maple lines.

Can someone post pics of thier dyed bass.

Thanks...Gus

[Hambone]

Originally Posted by Gintaras

Can someone post pics of thier dyed bass.

Thanks...Gus

Here's one - maybe you can see the difference between the top and sides of the fretboard. The sides had the poly and I didn't want to remove that so the dye was just applied to the face.

[Gintaras]

I zoomed in 200% and the pic clearly showed the difference between the sides and the top. Looking forward to trying it.
Thanks again and glad there is TalkBass!!!

[count_funkula]

The stuff Stew Mac sells is leather dye as well. I ordered a bottle from Stew Mac and then saw the same stuff in a shoe store.

[Wood Ascention]

I recently used fiebling and a black oil based grain filler followed by a few coats of watco oil on a mahogany hand rail I did for a customer. The results were stunning, truely an ebonized look. Personally I think fieblings is the same stuff thats in Sharpie markers. Just remember to work fast with the dye so as not to end up with a blotchy finish.

[Hambone]

Originally Posted by Wood Ascention

I recently used fiebling and a black oil based grain filler followed by a few coats of watco oil on a mahogany hand rail I did for a customer. The results were stunning, truely an ebonized look. Personally I think fieblings is the same stuff thats in Sharpie markers. Just remember to work fast with the dye so as not to end up with a blotchy finish.

I bet you had the other version of Fiebings - an alcohol dye. I hear that's a good one too and I've got to get down to the leather store to find some. I like the idea of an alcohol solvent instead of the oil. The oil takes a bit longer to setup and dry - even when it's been absorbed by the grain.

And following the dye with an oil is the perfect way to get that look. I discovered this on my own and it makes for a fretboard that is easy to keep clean and satiny.

[Wood Ascention]

Hambone-
It was indeed the alcohol dye. Real nice stuff swear to god all it is is the fluid from sharpies. Two coats on mahogany with ten minutes inbetween and voila ebony. Stewmac caries the alcohol fieblings. Give it a shot.