I'm repairing/setting up a 1/4 size for the G'kid. The  fingerboard was well worn and was made of some unknown wood.  I have have some Fiebing USMC black leather stain, will that work?             

I think your stain should work. Your FB is probably made from a not so dark board of Ebony, or Rosewood.

Stew-Mac actually makes a fingerboard stain as well.

I have used the Fiebing's from Stew Mac several times now.  The first time, I didn't sand/steel wool the sides of the fingerboard, because they already seemed black enough.  The new stain went over the top of the old stain and did not look at all the same as the top of the fingerboard, which I had shaped, sanded to 400 grit, and used 0000 steel wool on.  Since then I've ran tape along where the neck and fingerboard meet, prepared the sides of the fingerboard as well as the top, and had excellent results.    Maybe you know these things, but just in case. :-)

Mandogryl.....the grain structure does look like ebony. I'm thinking it might be a prewar product from Japan.

bandsmcnamar   Thanks, I do now  

The FB is not mounted, it was partially glued so I took it off. Anyway it's now stained, I'll let it sit for a while and maybe hit it again.

I've been using some lamp Black mixed in alky for a fingerboard stain. The lamp black is available at Hobby Lobby or some other art supply store. I think this is basically the same as a product named 'ebonholzbeiz' that I used to get from International Luthier Supply out of Olkahoma City.... (now out of business).

I'd be afraid the USMC black would be a little too gung ho (got a Marine in the family) , but the regular Fiebing's works fine. I have some Chinese hair dye that works great for ebonizing, penetrates really deep, but it's a lot of trouble and I usually just end up using the Fiebings. Black is black.  I apply it , let dry, wet sand it with 600 grit and paraffin oil, buff dry, and it doesn't rub off, lasts forever.

Try water proof Black India Ink Price usually around $2.45 . I've seen Luthiers use it and it closely resembles Ebony when complete.

( FP2 )

Edited by - fiddleplayer2 on 07/28/2012 22:53:45

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Originally posted by woodwiz

I'd be afraid the USMC black would be a little too gung ho (got a Marine in the family) ,

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 Wellllll, actually I am a former Marine so that aspect doesn't bother me.

Had to look up paraffin oil ..   kerosene?

Paraffin oil as sold in the US is a non odorous mineral oil thats excellent for rubbing out finishes. We use it on fingerboards and necks as well. Needs to be buffed off thoroughly. Rockler & Woodcraft carry it.

Cement contractors use paraffin oil to keep the cement from sticking to their forms. You can ask one of those guys for a 1/2 pint of it too. Contractors use it by the 5 gallon container. Or check your lumber yard. Its pretty cheap in bulk.

OK, that sounds a bit more realistic than  what I got out of yahoo search of paraffin oil and came up with geek_ _ _ _ _ _.com (or what ever) and it said kerosene or lamp oil and a few other related products.

Painter's tape can leak along the edge. I use a small paintbrush for the edge. A Q-tip works as well. For brown ebony, I just rub in some bone black artist's oil color. India ink is waterproof because it has shellac in it.

A is correct.  Masking tape will actually wick the applied paint under it to the surface it's supposedly protecting.

The blue painter's tape is not much better, especially when applying an alkyd based product. It will actually fall off when oils hit it!

In the trades we use a green tape when spraying lacquer products, but the very edge must be pressed down with a fingernail, or a fid... something like that.

I don't think I could advise using any of the standard painter's products for a fiddle someone liked...

rc