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Post new topic Fender D-8 Pro Fret Boards
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Author Topic:  Fender D-8 Pro Fret Boards
Alvin Sydnor

 

From:
Boothwyn, Pennsylvania, USA
Post  Posted 7 Apr 2004 11:39 am    
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All the paint on my fret boards has been removed. Can they be re-painted or are there any replacements available? Any and all suggestions are welcome. This is a 1951 double 8 Professional. The fret board measures 18 and 3/4 inches, the scale is
22 and 1/2 inches.
Thanks and keep on pikin
Alvin
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Bill Brown

 

From:
Canadian, Oklahoma, USA
Post  Posted 7 Apr 2004 6:21 pm    
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hello i assume your fret board is the metal one if so take fine line pin stripe tape and tape off your fret lines and really clean your fret bord with laquor thiner and then tape off your fret marker lines and your middle little markers in between frets and paint let dry good and remove tape slowly and you got it donr 100,s
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Alvin Sydnor

 

From:
Boothwyn, Pennsylvania, USA
Post  Posted 7 Apr 2004 7:06 pm    
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Thanks Bill Brown, Yes they are metal and I think I will try your method.
Any other suggestions will be welcome.

keep on pikin
Alvin
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Michael Misetich

 

From:
Irving, Texas, USA
Post  Posted 8 Apr 2004 2:45 pm    
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Some time ago I had to redo the fretboards on my 49 dual professional. I tried the fret masking technique but ran into trouble when I removed the tape. I must have tried it four or five times. (I won't be looking for work at an auto paint shop!) Eventually, I painted the entire fretboard glossy black, then I laid the fretboard on a flat piece of plywood and wet sanded it VERY SOFTLY with 600 grit sandpaper. This removed the paint from the slightly raised frets and left the paint on remainder of the fretboard. I then painted the entire fretboard with clear laquer.

Teh result is the frets have sort of bronze tint set against the black fretboard. Its unoriginal but it still looks pretty good.
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Michael Misetich

 

From:
Irving, Texas, USA
Post  Posted 8 Apr 2004 2:47 pm    
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Some time ago I had to redo the fretboards on my 49 dual professional. I tried the fret masking technique but ran into trouble when I removed the tape. I must have tried it four or five times. (I won't be looking for work at an auto paint shop!) Eventually, I painted the entire fretboard glossy black, then I laid the fretboard on a flat piece of plywood and wet sanded it VERY SOFTLY with 600 grit sandpaper. This removed the paint from the slightly raised frets and left the paint on remainder of the fretboard. I then painted the entire fretboard with clear laquer.

The result is the frets have sort of a bronze tint set against the black fretboard. Its unoriginal but it still looks pretty good.
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Alvin Sydnor

 

From:
Boothwyn, Pennsylvania, USA
Post  Posted 8 Apr 2004 5:19 pm    
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Thanks Michael, I was thinking about the trouble of removing the tape. I am thinking of hand painting the black and leaving the fret markers and the other raised markers untouched. When finished I would like to cover the board with clear lacker, can you or someone recommend a spray can of the lacker to use?
Still looking for any other suggestions and thanks for all the input so far.
Keep on pikin
Alvin
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Bruno Rasmussen

 

From:
Svendborg, Denmark
Post  Posted 11 Apr 2004 8:16 am    
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When you are working with masking tape, you need to seal up microscopic gaps between the tape and the surface of whatever you’re painting, in order to prevent the paint from leaking into those gaps, with fuzzy lines as the result.
Fret lines on a fret board: spray the whole surface of the fret board in the colour you want the frets to be. Let it dry. Then use pinstripe tape for masking all the fret lines. Mask position markers etc. (you can use all kinds of self adhesive stickers)
Then apply another very thin layer of the fret colour. This will fill, and seal up, microscopic gaps between tape and the fret board surface. Let it dry. Smoothen the surface carefully with steel wool, and wipe off with thinner on a cloth to remove steel wool dust. Now apply the colour that will be the main colour off the fret board. Let the paint settle (not dry), then lift off the tape masks very carefully, while the paint is still wet. This will leave very sharp lines between the fret colour and the fret board colour.
If you want fret lines, positions marks etc, to appear in the natural surface of the fret board material, just skip step one, and use a clear lacquer to seal up the tape.
I can recommend a test on a peace of same material as the fret board, to get a little experience first.
I won’t recommend high gloss paint and lacquer for fret boards, as it will reflect lights.

Bruno
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Bruno Rasmussen

 

From:
Svendborg, Denmark
Post  Posted 11 Apr 2004 8:25 am    
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When you are working with masking tape, you need to seal up microscopic gaps between the tape and the surface of whatever you’re painting, in order to prevent the paint from leaking into those gaps, with fuzzy lines as the result.
Fret lines on a fret board: spray the whole surface of the fret board in the colour you want the frets to be. Let it dry. Then use pinstripe tape for masking all the fret lines. Mask position markers etc. (you can use all kinds of self adhesive stickers)
Then apply another very thin layer of the fret colour. This will fill, and seal up, microscopic gaps between tape and the fret board surface. Let it dry. Smoothen the surface carefully with steel wool, and wipe off with thinner on a cloth to remove steel wool dust. Now apply the colour that will be the main colour off the fret board. Let the paint settle (not dry), then lift off the tape masks very carefully, while the paint is still wet. This will leave very sharp lines between the fret colour and the fret board colour.
If you want fret lines, positions marks etc, to appear in the natural surface of the fret board material, just skip step one, and use a clear lacquer to seal up the tape.
I can recommend a test on a peace of same material as the fret board, to get a little experience first.
I won’t recommend high gloss paint and lacquer for fret boards, as it will reflect lights.

Bruno
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