India ink on roasted maple

[Fat Pete]

I want to make the headstock face of a roasted maple neck black and am wondering if india ink might be worth a try. I'm keen to avoid any kind of finish that requires sanding as me and abrasives don't seem to get on very well (understatement).

Is the thinness of the ink likely to make bleed a problem? It would need a nice clean line so any particular suggestions/advice for masking? 3M's 218 looks like a good bet to me.

I'd welcome any suggestions for different finishes but I'm really impressed and inspired by Lushtone's ink-finished Strat (see this month's GOTM).

 

[Timmsie95]

I don't have any direct experience, yet, but when I was looking into this sort of thing, I did quite a bit of searching. I suggest you look at BigDGuitars on youtube. He is a master at dye jobs. He has done masked binding with dyes, and it comes out nicely.

 

[bagman67]

India ink is indeed thin but it tends not to bleed, in my experience.  if you're worried about the edge bleeding, give it a wash coat of shellac first.  You can do this with a pad if you're not set up to spray. Shellac happens to be an ingredient in India ink, and is part of why the ink is as permanent as it is - so you need not worry about compatibility.  Finally, if you do get some bleed, you can attack it with a scraper, which will leave you with a clean edge that is likely to be as smooth as a sanded one.  Check the thread in which Cagey demonstrates how he painted his green L6S for photos of how to configure a utility knife blade as a scraper.

 

[Cagey]

3M's 218 tape does indeed seal well, even against solvents.

The scraper tool is detailed here.

 

[Fat Pete]

Thanks! Not put off the idea.

 

[mayfly]

as me and abrasives don't seem to get on very well (understatement).

is that why you never invite me over?  <ba dum!>

 

[Fat Pete]

as me and abrasives don't seem to get on very well (understatement).

is that why you never invite me over?  <ba dum!>

I've told you before, you're welcome anytime. Just check first to make sure I'm going to be out.

 

[swarfrat]

I guess India ink is a surface pigment rather than a dye, but I thought maple didn't take much of anything well. Is it durable on maple? Does roast behave any different?

 

[fdesalvo]

Haha!!