Painting

I'm probably going to make you all cringe with this thread - but unfortunately it's necessary to achieve the design I'm looking for.

I need to paint the neck (and fretboard) of the build I'm making with a metalic red spray paint. The neck is made out of some unknown pinkish hardwood I found in the factory and the fretboard is a strip of Wenge.

I'm unsure of:

1. Can I just prime then paint the fretboard and/or neck and leave it at that? Do I need to apply something else on top?

2. The CNC router I'm using will shape the fretboard, cut radiused slots for the fret tangs and rebate for the fret dots all at the same time. Will it be an issue if I spray the fretboard with the slots already in it? It would be really hard for me to put it back on the CNC if it should have the slots done afterwards.

3. Will any old spray paint do? I'm using the Dulux spray cans which I believe are good.

Thanks in advance

Bry

Hi Bry,
I don't think I've ever seen many fretboards painted. I think the paint would eventually wear off from strings contacting and bends etc. Can you stain it would be a better option and would see some wenge grain too

If you paint the fretboard with the slots already cut you might find the paint will fill the slots and have to be cleared out before the frets go in.

I wouldn't be painting the fretboard, I just use citrus oil on mine, we can discuss it on Saturday morning

Hi Bry can you please post a pic of the wenge fingerboard ? would love to see if it's got some nice grain. Plenty of red stains you could use if you are colouring it to a theme

It's covered in clamps at the moment while the epoxy dries. I took one before I stuck it on though. See below

Attachment 4240

Attachment 4241

Attachment 4242

Also can anyone identify that hardwood?

any idea where the hardwood came from Bry ?
looks like the wenge will be too dark to stain.
Neck could be a jarrah but more than likely something else.
What state you live in ?

Im in NSW. The wood came from a guy in our factory whos dad had it under his workbench in wollongong for 40 years or so.

Any ideas what I can do to the fretboard? Or am I stuck and just have to leave it? I read Lemon oil is good?

ok the hardwood is probably not jarrah is more a south west of WA grown timber. Hard to say someone from East coast may have more idea of locally grown hardwoods.
The fretboard will look great in its natural colour so most fretboard oils will do the trick

Computer simulation doesn't look too bad actually
Attachment 4243

hey Bry, think once you sand and oil that wenge it will look unreal in its natural colour. It will probably be about a rosewood colour which will go really well with the red theme.
Look forward to seeing the next stage after the glue has dried and the neck is put through the CNC

Hard to say but I reckon the neck is a chunk of Red Gum.
With the Wenge, just oil or wax it.

If you must paint the fretboard, use a 2-part epoxy paint available at any marine store, have it tinted to suit. It's almost bullet-proof.

But it would be pity to cover a nice chunk of Wenge with gunk... Just sayin.. :)

Ended up getting a dark red stain tinted at Bunnings and it comes very close to what I was looking. So yay for timber look :)

Thanks all

nice one Bry, what sort of stain/colour did you get ?
look forward to photo's once it's applied

Any updates Bry, I stiill have the pups and bridge if you still need them