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Started by pancho, December 24, 2015, 08:42:46 PM

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how do I clean rust?

cleaning fretboard metal bars
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cleaning rust on metal bar
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So I have LV03RE.
When I was changing my strings, I've noticed that there are some dust and some rust on fretboard metal bars.
So how do I clean that?
I tried to rub it off with fine lenin (t-shirt), but it didn't work.
Do I use some kind of solutions or just leave it?
Furthermore, is the rust resulting from the humidifier?
I put my humidifier hanging on the guitar string, inside of my guitar case...
I appreciate your help!!

Kind of odd use of a poll.  I don't understand.

If there is actual rust on the frets, you could try polishing them with some ultra fine steel wool.  If you could take some pictures and post them, it would make it easier to figure out what the real issue is.

Ed

I, too, am confused. What are we voting "for"? Apart from that you should clean the fretboard and frets (metal bars) about once a year with 4x0 (0000) grade steel wool and apply a fretboard oil (I use "Lizard Spit"). The bars will shine up nicely and the finger gunk will come off easily. Now back to the poll...
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Yes, steel wool is the prescribed method.  Masking tape on the wood, if you please, but it's fine without.  Lizard Spit gets another vote from me.  My favorite board conditioner for the areas that don't get contact from my fingers, + the bridge.  Lasts longer than most other oils.  Just don't overdo it!, too much oil can compromise the integrity of the wood and joints.
D-09 Brazilian w/ Eagle inlay. D-02-12
Used to own and love; SD-50, J70 maple Mermaid, SD60sbt, D03R, LV03E.

Quote from: B0WIE on December 25, 2015, 10:43:21 PM
Yes, steel wool is the prescribed method.  Masking tape on the wood, if you please, but it's fine without.  Lizard Spit gets another vote from me.  My favorite board conditioner for the areas that don't get contact from my fingers, + the bridge.  Lasts longer than most other oils.  Just don't overdo it!, too much oil can compromise the integrity of the wood and joints.
:thumbsup
Larrivee L-03 w/Gotoh 381 tuners (African Mahogany/Sitka)
Collings OM2Hc (EIR/Sitka)
Schenk Ophirio (Sapele/Cedar)
Bourgeois 00 Custom (Mahogany/It. Spruce)

Quote from: B0WIE on December 25, 2015, 10:43:21 PM
Yes, steel wool is the prescribed method.  Masking tape on the wood, if you please, but it's fine without.  Lizard Spit gets another vote from me.  My favorite board conditioner for the areas that don't get contact from my fingers, + the bridge.  Lasts longer than most other oils.  Just don't overdo it!, too much oil can compromise the integrity of the wood and joints.

:+1: (about too much oil).  I've never come across "Lizard Spit".  If I use anything at all, it is naptha on 0000 steel wool to clean and polish, then lemon oil or Murphy's Oil Soap to finish.  I don't bother to masking-tape the wood either.  Just always rub lengthwise on the fingerboard and it will be fine.  On electrics, using steel wool can be an issue as some of the fibres inevitably end up being attracted to and attached to the pickups.  I mask the pickups with tape or cover the whole body with taped-down paper before using any steel wool on the fingerboard if I'm working on an electric guitar.
"Badges?  We don't need no stinkin' badges."

Became a Shooting Star when I got my 1st guitar.
Back in '66, I was 13 and that was my fix.
Still shooting for stardom after all this time.
If I never make it, I'll still be fine.


:guitar

I have a bottle of Lizard Spit that has lasted me over 15 years with semi-annual use on all my guitars.  I strongly suspect it's mostly lemon or orange oil - as it's got a very citrus-y smell.  I think I bought it at Elderly Instruments when I used to live in Michigan.  Off to the Elderly site:

http://www.elderly.com/lizard-spit-fretboard-conditioner.htm

Actually, there it is right on the bottle:  w/Orange oil

I find that it also works well to clean strings when used with moderation.

It's a good thing I don't live near that Elderly store any longer.  :tongue:


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Funny the price on the bottle says $5.95 but Elderly price is $9.45.
Roger


"Live simply so that others may simply live"

Quote from: Mr_LV19E on December 28, 2015, 11:18:03 AM
Funny the price on the bottle says $5.95 but Elderly price is $9.45.
Yea, they started out as a very small company (got my first bottle for $6, 10 years ago) and and did pretty well for themselves.

I will say that their cleaner used to be the best but when I bought another bottle recently, the quality went downhill.  As if it was diluted.  That was the cleaner though, not the oil.
D-09 Brazilian w/ Eagle inlay. D-02-12
Used to own and love; SD-50, J70 maple Mermaid, SD60sbt, D03R, LV03E.

The oldest guitar I have will be 50 yrs old in 2016.  It has never had anything applied to the fretboard and it is in as good shape as when I bought it (1976).  I just had it refretted last year.

The jury (of popular opinion) is still out as to the effectiveness, and potential down side of applying these various preparations.  I think the best thing you can do for a fretboard is to wipe it down with a slightly damp cloth now and then, and to keep the guitar properly humidified.

Ed

The OP doesn't seem interested enough to even acknowledge our suggestions.  Anyways, he said that there was actual rust on the frets which I find to be very unusual.  If there indeed is rust, I would recommend the ultra fine steel wool or micro-mesh sanding pads to polish them up, if we are talking strictly frets.

Ed, I agree the actual fingerboard rarely needs any treatment at all if one is faithful in wiping it with a damp cloth on a regular basis.  Once it get's gunked up due to neglect, a cleaning with naptha  will get rid of the gunk.  But naptha will also suck up and remove the natural oils in the wood (most likely rosewood or ebony).  So if I have to clean an old fingerboard with lighter fluid, I apply some kind of lemon oil or similar substance to restore some of the "oiliness" I have absorbed and removed.  Hope this makes sense.

Kurt
"Badges?  We don't need no stinkin' badges."

Became a Shooting Star when I got my 1st guitar.
Back in '66, I was 13 and that was my fix.
Still shooting for stardom after all this time.
If I never make it, I'll still be fine.


:guitar

Quote from: eded on December 28, 2015, 11:04:09 PM

The jury (of popular opinion) is still out as to the effectiveness, and potential down side of applying these various preparations. 

The way I see it is, since unfinished ebony is prone to cracking, and I don't like the dry look it gets in places where it remains untouched (up the fretboard, the bridge), I prefer to give it a light treatment once a year or so.  There's a cosmetic benefit and it may even prevent it from cracking (which is not unheard of with ebony, even when it's at proper humidity).  I'm not going to tell anyone that their instrument will crack without treatment but, as I said, I like the look of oiled ebony and there's a potential benefit so it's certainly worth it for me.

D-09 Brazilian w/ Eagle inlay. D-02-12
Used to own and love; SD-50, J70 maple Mermaid, SD60sbt, D03R, LV03E.

Quote from: B0WIE on December 29, 2015, 02:53:16 AM
The way I see it is, since unfinished ebony is prone to cracking, and I don't like the dry look it gets in places where it remains untouched (up the fretboard, the bridge), I prefer to give it a light treatment once a year or so.  There's a cosmetic benefit and it may even prevent it from cracking (which is not unheard of with ebony, even when it's at proper humidity).  I'm not going to tell anyone that their instrument will crack without treatment but, as I said, I like the look of oiled ebony and there's a potential benefit so it's certainly worth it for me.

:+1:
Yes, and when you think about it, what harm can it do?
"Badges?  We don't need no stinkin' badges."

Became a Shooting Star when I got my 1st guitar.
Back in '66, I was 13 and that was my fix.
Still shooting for stardom after all this time.
If I never make it, I'll still be fine.


:guitar

Quote from: L07 Shooting Star on December 30, 2015, 12:48:08 AM
:+1:
Yes, and when you think about it, what harm can it do?

In some cases, finish damage.  The most common "harmful" effects are accumulating dirt and gunk, and the oil seeps in and penetrates the wood by the fret tangs making it difficult to replace frets. 

The bottom line is, it's your guitar, do whatever you want to it.  If you like your guitar to look like some greasers greased back hair...  fine.  I buy guitars to make music and treat them like an instrument, not a piece of furniture.

Ed

Believe it or not, I use olive oil on my fretboards.

Quote from: Walkerman on January 01, 2016, 08:15:00 AM
Believe it or not, I use olive oil on my fretboards.
:yak: Get some Bore Oil for those masterpieces Steve!!!
Larrivee Electrics - My Dream then and Now!!!!!<br /><br />Forum IV     00-03MT       #4      (Treasured)

http://www.elixirstrings.com/tipsandtricks/how-to-clean-acoustic.html

Good video on basic guitar cleaning. Go to 2:50 to see fretboard cleaning tip.

Quote from: eded on December 30, 2015, 07:36:13 AM
In some cases, finish damage.  The most common "harmful" effects are accumulating dirt and gunk, and the oil seeps in and penetrates the wood by the fret tangs making it difficult to replace frets. 

The bottom line is, it's your guitar, do whatever you want to it.  If you like your guitar to look like some greasers greased back hair...  fine.  I buy guitars to make music and treat them like an instrument, not a piece of furniture.

Ed

Ed, I don't think we are talking about copious quantities of oil or grease here.  It's like a once a year thing applied very lightly and almost immediately wiped off.  If you wipe your fingerboard after you play it with a soft cloth, the gunk buildup won't happen, at least in my experience.
"Badges?  We don't need no stinkin' badges."

Became a Shooting Star when I got my 1st guitar.
Back in '66, I was 13 and that was my fix.
Still shooting for stardom after all this time.
If I never make it, I'll still be fine.


:guitar

Quote from: tylerkbreed on January 01, 2016, 10:41:49 AM
http://www.elixirstrings.com/tipsandtricks/how-to-clean-acoustic.html

Good video on basic guitar cleaning. Go to 2:50 to see fretboard cleaning tip.

Good tips but I'm not so sure I would used boiled linseed oil in the "oiling" step.  It has the potential to eventually cure and harden, like a clear finish.  Probably not an issue if you wipe it on and off real quick.

I would use a raw linseed or some other natural oil that has not been heat treated.  Olive oil seems like a good alternative.  I've been using "lemon oil" when I do it, which is very rarely, actually.  I don't even know for sure what the ingredients in lemon oil are.  If the base is boiled linseed oil, then I'm contradicting myself.  I guess I should try and find out.   :blush:
"Badges?  We don't need no stinkin' badges."

Became a Shooting Star when I got my 1st guitar.
Back in '66, I was 13 and that was my fix.
Still shooting for stardom after all this time.
If I never make it, I'll still be fine.


:guitar

Quote from: L07 Shooting Star on January 05, 2016, 01:04:42 AM
Good tips but I'm not so sure I would used boiled linseed oil in the "oiling" step.  It has the potential to eventually cure and harden, like a clear finish.  Probably not an issue if you wipe it on and off real quick.

I would use a raw linseed or some other natural oil that has not been heat treated.  Olive oil seems like a good alternative.  I've been using "lemon oil" when I do it, which is very rarely, actually.  I don't even know for sure what the ingredients in lemon oil are.  If the base is boiled linseed oil, then I'm contradicting myself.  I guess I should try and find out.   :blush:
I hear such mixed things about linseed.  Some gun guys claim it to rot wood stocks, others report great success.  I've never given it a go on wood though I do like it on leather.
I love olive oil for diet and skin but watch out for it on wood as it does go rancid.
I think you're on the right track regarding lemon oil.  They all seem to have other oils blended so you have to know exactly what you're getting.

And, I agree that gunk and other potential issues don't exist when using oil in moderation.  I've seen more damage from aggressive steel wool use than oil.  I think, regardless of how we clean, so long as we monitor humidity, we're doing the essentials.  Everything else is minutia.
D-09 Brazilian w/ Eagle inlay. D-02-12
Used to own and love; SD-50, J70 maple Mermaid, SD60sbt, D03R, LV03E.

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