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Epoxy vs. Polyurethane vs. Mylar for coating a fretless board

C

cheezebass

May 26, 2007
9
0
Seattle, WA
#1
Hi there,

I haven't been much of a talker here on the Talkbass...if that makes any sense, but I was wondering if you kind folks could help me decide which material to coat my fretless board with. So far, from searching, I have following rough ideas as to the properties of each coating:

Epoxy: a nice, bright sounding coating that is quite durable, unfortunately it's very messy and very time-consuming, takes multiple coats and a sanding/leveling process to work.

Polyurethane: I believe that someone here mentioned Master Gel polyurethane as an alternative to epoxy. It also takes multiple coats and sanding to work, but isn't such a mess and can be applied with a cloth or rag. I imagine that isn't as hard, bright sounding, or as durable as epoxy, but can probably be refinished in an easier manner if needed. Not as expensive as the prefered epoxy.

Mylar: Cheap, doesn't require sanding, and is the easiest and fastest to apply of the three. Can be done in one application. Not as bright sounding as epoxy, but has virtually no mess and can be obtained in a range of thicknesses.

My question is, which one is the best to use on a fretless board that I will be stringing with roundwounds? Yes, I'll probably slap it a bit, but I 'm mainly gunning for the bright sound that roundwounds have in a fretless setting without the amount of wear that can be induced on an uncoated board. Basically, which material is the best trade-off for bright tone vs. time and procedure vs. protection vs. materials cost?
 
#4
I'm trying Super Glue on one right now. I think it is going to be better than expected. Google "Dan Erlewine, Super Glue" for the basic instructions, if you are interested.

Faster than epoxy with similar results. The main reason I went with it is because it will be easier to repair any wear spots in the long run, before having to redo the whole board.
 
#5
The material you use is only as messy as you allow it to be. No reason why epoxy has to be considered a big mess.

It's tough to discuss epoxy as a generic material because there are so many different varieties.

I like coating a board with ultra low viscosity epoxy (System 3 makes a good one), and I handle it almost like it was an oil or wiping varnish finish. I don't completely fill the pores with that type of coating - it's pretty thin, not the total mummification like the Thor shop does.

I also could care less how gleaming and glossy a coated board is. Whether I do a thick or thin coating, I do a hand rub out after the final coat and I'm satisfied with the satin sheen of the surface.

Some urethanes cure harder than others, so it's important to choose a good one if you're using urethane. Unless you're using a two-part urethane, if you slather on urethane in thick coats, it will take the finished coating longer to cure to full hardness.

Whether urethane or epoxy, sanding between coats is important.
 
#6
I only use CA glue now. I used epoxy and a heat gun for my first 7 or 8, but CA glue goes on quick, is hard, lasts a long time, and is super easy in future repairs.

All told, it takes me about 30 minutes from start to finish. That means from raw wood to a completely finished and dry fingerboard. It looks like glass when I'm done.

I have to do one later today. I'll take pics and post how I do it.
 
#8
Nomad98 said:
YUP! Super glue is the way to go. May take a little longer than 30 minutes till you get it down but the results are great.

Below is the link to "Dan Erlewine, Super Glue" how to:

http://www.bassplayer.com/article/superglue-savior/jun-06/20674
Click to expand...

I don't do it at all the way he describes in that article. I dont wear gloves and dont tape the neck. I get those blue paper shop towels, fold them into quarters, make a puddle of thin CA on the shop towel. Then I get 2 wipes before the glue in the towel sets off. I do that 15 times. Then put 1000 grit paper on an orbital sander to smooth it out, then buff out. That's it.
 
#11
A search on LC should turn up at least one thread from 3-4 years ago where someone did a board by laminating on a clear mylar sheet. It may even have come pre-adhesive-coated. He was happy with the results, at least in the short term of the thread. I think that that is what the OP's referring to.
 
#12
Thanks to all of you for the quick responses. I am 90% sure that I am going to go down the CA glue route. Erlewine mentions "No. 20" super glue in his article. Is this a special application glue? I am unable to find any information on it as a specific product. Is there a more common CA glue that is recommended?
 
#16
I don't use much from stew mac. Most of their stuff is way over priced. The things I do use are items like the guaged nut files. I like the way they cut and I dig the rubber handle. i have a set of the ibanez files too, but I prefer the stew mac. I also use their nut slot seating files in repair work and and their cant triangle file for crowning frets.
 
#20
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It is super thin and penetrates VERY well. dries extremely fast.
I did 2 rosewood boards with it. I prepped the boards with acetone to dry them out and applied 2 coats. The first penetrated deep, but not uniform. The second was $$$$$ (money!).
 

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