Sho Bud basket clean-up

Dan Beller-McKenna · From: Durham, New Hampshire, USA

In the midst of cleaning up the undercarriage parts of a recently acquired 6139. What is on the metal of the baskets and axle? I know from experimenting with an extra that it will come off with sanding and polish up very shiny and nice. But would I be removing some plating that is protecting the metal? Or is this just oxidized crud? (It doesn't look oxidized.) If it is plating, would it be possible sand it off and then cover the metal with a protective car finishing-wax?

I know that's a lot of work for parts that only I will ever see, but I need a mind numbing project today.

Craig Baker · From: Eatonton, Georgia, USA - R.I.P.

Hi Dan,
In the photo, the part looks to be anodized. The process is less expensive than plating and offers protection to the surface. It is used extensively on the chassis and sheet metal parts found in consumer electronic products. Here's a link:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anodizing

Might be better to just wash it with a hot water, good detergent and possible spray with clear coat such as Krylon.

Best regards,
Craig Baker 706-485-8792

cmbakerelectronics@gmail.com

C.M. Baker Electronics
P.O. Box 3965
Eatonton, GA 31024
_________________
"Make America Great Again". . . The Only Country With Dream After Its Name.

Jerry Jones · From: Franklin, Tenn.

Clean as Craig says and just to add.... this Rustoleum Professional silver spray paint (Aluminum #7515) is the very best I've found for touch-up or repaint of old Sho~Bud hardware. It sprays a thin coat that dries quickly and does not mottle like other metallic paints. Available at Home Depot.

_________________
Jerry Jones

John Billings · From: Ohio, USA

Aluminum paint.

_________________
Dr. Z Surgical Steel amp, amazing!
"74 Bud S-10 3&6
'73 Bud S-10 3&5(under construction)
'63 Fingertip S-10, at James awaiting 6 knees
'57 Strat, LP Blue
'91 Tele with 60's Maple neck
Dozen more guitars!
Dozens of amps, but SF Quad reverb, Rick Johnson cabs. JBL 15, '64 Vibroverb for at home.
'52 and '56 Pro Amps

Dan Beller-McKenna · From: Durham, New Hampshire, USA

Okay, you guys are selling me on the paint idea. How does one keep from getting the pivoting parts (fame on the axle; baskets on the frame) from getting gummed up and stuck in this process?

John Billings · From: Ohio, USA

There's enough slop in those racks that you won't gum them uo with the thin coat of paint. Unless you go crazy! Clean them well, and spray a thin coat of paint.
_________________
Dr. Z Surgical Steel amp, amazing!
"74 Bud S-10 3&6
'73 Bud S-10 3&5(under construction)
'63 Fingertip S-10, at James awaiting 6 knees
'57 Strat, LP Blue
'91 Tele with 60's Maple neck
Dozen more guitars!
Dozens of amps, but SF Quad reverb, Rick Johnson cabs. JBL 15, '64 Vibroverb for at home.
'52 and '56 Pro Amps

Craig Baker · From: Eatonton, Georgia, USA - R.I.P.

Dan,
I don't know how the baskets are assembled, but if you can take the pivoting sections apart, then mask the bearing surfaces OR coat them with a very thick grease before painting. Perhaps the paint may be brushed-on.

Best regards,
Craig Baker 706-485-8792

cmbakerelectronics@gmail.com

C.M. Baker Electronics
P.O. Box 3965
Eatonton, GA 31024
_________________
"Make America Great Again". . . The Only Country With Dream After Its Name.

John Billings · From: Ohio, USA

Craig,
I've painted at least 3 dozen rack assemblies. Never had one gum up on me. Just clean them with solvent and spray a light coat of paint. Those old rack and barrel guitars have a LOT of play/slop in them. Not precision fit/built like today's guitars! But they work very well.
JB
_________________
Dr. Z Surgical Steel amp, amazing!
"74 Bud S-10 3&6
'73 Bud S-10 3&5(under construction)
'63 Fingertip S-10, at James awaiting 6 knees
'57 Strat, LP Blue
'91 Tele with 60's Maple neck
Dozen more guitars!
Dozens of amps, but SF Quad reverb, Rick Johnson cabs. JBL 15, '64 Vibroverb for at home.
'52 and '56 Pro Amps

chris ivey · From: california (deceased)

ha ha craig. that's being very generous calling something on a r&b bud a 'bearing surface'.

r&b...rub and bump !

Craig Baker · From: Eatonton, Georgia, USA - R.I.P.

"Play / Slop"? "Rub & Bump"

John & Chris. Do you realize you have revealed the secret of the ages. Without those elements, it wouldn't have that Sho~Bud sound.

Now watch today's builders try to jump on the bandwagon!

Best regards,
Craig Baker 706-485-8792

cmbakerelectronics@gmail.com

C.M. Baker Electronics
P.O. Box 3965
Eatonton, GA 31024
_________________
"Make America Great Again". . . The Only Country With Dream After Its Name.

John Billings · From: Ohio, USA

The hole is greater than the sum of the parts!@
_________________
Dr. Z Surgical Steel amp, amazing!
"74 Bud S-10 3&6
'73 Bud S-10 3&5(under construction)
'63 Fingertip S-10, at James awaiting 6 knees
'57 Strat, LP Blue
'91 Tele with 60's Maple neck
Dozen more guitars!
Dozens of amps, but SF Quad reverb, Rick Johnson cabs. JBL 15, '64 Vibroverb for at home.
'52 and '56 Pro Amps

Russell Adkins · From: Louisiana, USA

a coat of decent paint works wonders .

Dan Beller-McKenna · From: Durham, New Hampshire, USA

Well, I don't know squat about metals, but a) are you sure they're steel, Richard? And, if so, b) what is that coating? Maybe it's some sort of paint in the first place??

Asking out of total ignorance.

In the dark: kind of like the moon in a total eclipse, which I'm about to go outside and take a look at!

Richard Sinkler · From: aka: Rusty Strings -- Missoula, Montana

Unless they have come up with a new anodizing process in the last thirty years, you can't anodize steel. The acid used in the anodizing tank will eat steel. I would have to inspect aluminum parts to make sure there is no steel, like studs. Our anodizers would sometimes have to show a customer what happens to steel in the tank by putting a steel sample on a rack and putting iy in the tank. It eats it up. I worked for a metal finishing company in the early 80's.
_________________
Carter D10 8p/8k, Dekley S10 3p/4k C6 setup,Regal RD40 Dobro, Recording King Professional Dobro, NV400, NV112,Ibanez Gio guitar, Epiphone SG Special (open D slide guitar) . Playing for 55 years and still counting.

Richard Sinkler · From: aka: Rusty Strings -- Missoula, Montana

Dan... The racks in the Sho-Bud I had were steel. Take a magnet and see if they are magnetic. Aluminum is not magneti, but steel is. It's possible the steel has a chromate finish, but I doubt it, or it was used as a base for painting. It might be zinc plating, kind of like a thinner version of the galvaning of chain link fence. That wounld be my best guess.
_________________
Carter D10 8p/8k, Dekley S10 3p/4k C6 setup,Regal RD40 Dobro, Recording King Professional Dobro, NV400, NV112,Ibanez Gio guitar, Epiphone SG Special (open D slide guitar) . Playing for 55 years and still counting.

Richard Sinkler · From: aka: Rusty Strings -- Missoula, Montana

I would think that paint would wear off where the barrels would make contact with the rack.
_________________
Carter D10 8p/8k, Dekley S10 3p/4k C6 setup,Regal RD40 Dobro, Recording King Professional Dobro, NV400, NV112,Ibanez Gio guitar, Epiphone SG Special (open D slide guitar) . Playing for 55 years and still counting.

Dan Beller-McKenna · From: Durham, New Hampshire, USA

Doh!

even I should have known to just stick a magnet on it. Steel it is. In any case, though, The fact remains that sanding off whatever the heck is on there still would leave me obliged to keep polishing these things and/or applying some protective cover (wax, etc.) every so often. Paint might really be the best solution.

John Billings · From: Ohio, USA

"Paint might really be the best solution."

All my rack and barrel guitars were painted with aluminum paint. Going back to '65.
_________________
Dr. Z Surgical Steel amp, amazing!
"74 Bud S-10 3&6
'73 Bud S-10 3&5(under construction)
'63 Fingertip S-10, at James awaiting 6 knees
'57 Strat, LP Blue
'91 Tele with 60's Maple neck
Dozen more guitars!
Dozens of amps, but SF Quad reverb, Rick Johnson cabs. JBL 15, '64 Vibroverb for at home.
'52 and '56 Pro Amps

Lane Gray · From: Topeka, KS

Given that the parts are mostly mild steel, they have to have something on them to prevent rust. The aluminum paint seems as likely as the zinc plating that James Morehead uses.
_________________
2 pedal steels, a lapStrat, and an 8-string Dobro (and 3 ukes)
More amps than guitars, and not many effects

Michael Yahl · From: Troy, Texas!

Dan, the entire assembly is steel. The entire assembly is stamped and the baskets are formed up in a die, hence the marks on the side of the basket in your picture.

There were no special processes used on these parts. Remember that these were made in the late '60's early 70's and made as cheaply as possible. the costs of any type of special processes would have been prohibitive.

What coating is on there is simply paint to prevent the parts from rusting. Depending on the environment that the guitar eventually lived in, the paint was so thin on these that it allowed the moisture to take over and I've seen some really rusted up racks.

Simply clean them with whatever (I glass bead all of my stuff), lacquer thinner, solvent, acid (then neutralize), basically anything that will cut the crud off and paint with the aluminum paint that Jerry mentioned. That's what I use. It's very thin, no masking needed, couple quick coats, dries in minutes and you're done. If you want to get fancy, then shoot with clear lacquer. They say that it gives some depth to the paint and can make it look kind of chromey.

Whatever you do, you can't hurt these things aside from taking a sledgehammer to them.
_________________
"Don't fergit to kiss yer horse!"
'72 Sho-Bud Professional D10, (in pieces .....), '78 MSA Classic XL D10, '69 Emmons PP, Fender 2000
Peavey Session 500 BW, Crate Digital Modeling Amp

PSG PARTS
http://www.psgparts.com/

Forum Index > Pedal Steel		Next oldest topic :: Next newest topic