Aging a string retainer (Fender string tree thingy)

[AndyR]

Just a quick question about, umm, "relicing" here...  (Of course, there's the usual shaggy dog story first :lol:)

[shaggy_dog_story]
I've had to put a second string tree on my Roadworn strat.

The usual "behind the nut G" resonance was just a little too much to put up with after putting a new pre-cut Tusq nut on. Seeing as the overall effect of "new nut" was amazingly successful and a vaste improvement all round, and that this was the only issue remaining, and that I don't trust myself to "dick about" with the string slot (last effort is what forced immediate nut replacement!!), and added to that I'm not planning on a major set-up etc in the immediate future (which would involve getting a talented person to cut a bone nut), I decided I wasn't too proud to put a second string tree on...

Overall effect - success!

Except...  :? you guessed it, my spare string retainers (the vintage bent metal types) are somewhat, er, "shiny", and the extra one sticks out like a sore thumb, even under "romantic" lighting at my usual venue (our living room) :lol:

Now I was going to put up with this - but while I was visiting the "facilities" at work here, I suddenly got thinking of limescale remover (don't ask!!). And I remember the last time my wife was allowed near the bottle of limescale remover at home, she managed to age the plug-hole in the bathroom sink (chromed?) and the entire kitchen sink (stainless steel?)...
[/shaggy_dog_story]

[question]
So I'm thinking, "string retainer off strat, drop it in small receptacle, tip limescale remover on, leave for a bit, wash thoroughly, dry, put back on strat..."

Is this likely to have a similar effect to that observed on our subtly "roadworn" sinks at home?
[/question]

[Philly Q]

I'm sure Wez will come in with proper advice, but I know you can get some stuff from Maplin - etchant fluid for PCBs.  It's ferric chloride, I think.

I haven't tried it (or dared to try it!) but apparently it'll work a treat on nickel.  Not chrome though.

[FernandoDuarte]

:lol:

[WezV]

what philly said.

mix up a small batch and wipe some on and rinse off again shortly after

sometimes i dunk the hardware completely but in this case i wouldnt be looking to relic the underside too much and wiping on will let you control the process better.

dont do it in a metal sink, probably just put a bit of etchant in one tub and water in another and go outside.  also wear gloves.  i have a massive etchant stain in my bathroom that i still havnt been forgiven for

seems daft buying etchant just for this though so if you want  to post it to me i can sort it out for you

[AndyR]

:lol:

Many thanks for the offer Wez, but... it seems I wrote all I wrote, and still didn't get across what I actually meant :lol: -

Do you think the wife's limescale remover might actually do anything? (Seeing as it had the effect I want on various finishes in various sinks, including chromed stuff... and I know where it is in the cupboard....)

If not, I can't really be @rsed to do anything about it, certainly not go and buy solvents especially :D

(When I was originally typing - a friday afternoon at work kinda thing - I was thinking if someone like Wez says - "nah, it won't even touch it", then I can't even be bothered to undo the screw and try it out... if no-one really knows, I'll give it a go anyway - I'm not too worried about the little bit of metal itself, if I get more than I bargained for, I've got a couple more spares...)

[ToneMonkey]

Technically speaking, if the limescale remover works the nyou'll be fine, if it doesn't it'll still be shiney.  Give it a go, you've got a string tree to loose  :lol:

[WezV]

well you can try, if its some kind of acid it might work fine on chrome.  if that doesnt work have a little wee on it, not tried that one myself (dont worry gwem ;) ) but apparently it works on chrome

if its nickel a good sneeze should be enough

[AndyR]

Yep... you're all starting to see the "friday afternoon" bit of it...

Plenty of freely available solvents suggested there - nice one chaps - actually we're having a curry tonite... if nothing else does it, I could drop it in my King Prawn Patia carton after I've served up, and leave it there for a few hours :lol:

Well, I'm off home now - by the next time I come on here I might have a "shiny or not" statement for you all :D

[AndyR]

well you can try, if its some kind of acid it might work fine on chrome.  if that doesnt work have a little wee on it, not tried that one myself (dont worry gwem ;) ) but apparently it works on chrome

if its nickel a good sneeze should be enough

gwem - notice he only said "don't worry" about the wee... you've not got nickel parts on that strat have you? :lol:

[Philly Q]

Does limescale remover really produce the desired effect on sinks and things?

I'd have thought it was more a case of it not doing a very good job of removing the limescale....

[WezV]

 

Well, I'm off home now - by the next time I come on here I might have a "shiny or not" statement for you all :D

results ??? 

[MrBump]

If you've got kids you could give it to them for an afternoon.  They trash everything.

In fact - anyone thinking about a relic project can hire my two at £20 per hour - a bargain, if you think about it.

Mark.

[FernandoDuarte]

If you've got kids you could give it to them for an afternoon.  They trash everything.

In fact - anyone thinking about a relic project can hire my two at £20 per hour - a bargain, if you think about it.

Mark.

:lol: laughing SOOOOOOOO much!

[AndyR]

Well... results... it turns out that it wasn't "limescale remover" that caused the sink relic... it was Harpic "best ever" toilet-blitzer thingummy...

It's blue and goopy, but it's main constituent is Hydrochloric acid, so I thought "worth a shot"...

It didn't make a blind bit of difference! :lol: (based on a couple hours of exposure while I was cleaning etc for the family visit... it f@cked the sinks in minutes!!)

What's even funnier is, while I was taking the string tree off, I realised that the "shiny" one is the one that came with the guitar - the dull one is an "older" one :roll:

However, after 2 hours treatment of string tree with HCl - I can confirm that the improvement in tone in amazing! :lol:

(OK, before any further kind offers - I have already stopped even thinking about it, no further effort will be spent on trying to match the string trees!)

I had some kids like that Mr Bump - they could even do poly...