FrankeWashie's EXA 1 customised kit

[stan]

if you dont go ebony timbermate, go with one that closest suits the timber you are using.

nice work on the neck

another option would be stained back and sides with a black front... but this will look great either way

[Tweaky]

What were you wanting to stain Black, the fret board?

I did some research and found this video testing several different ways to Ebonize wood, Indian Ink won hands down.

Watch from 22.40 where he gets to the Indian Ink....he talks of Blick brand...they are actually a huge retailer in the USA and that is their home brand.
The equivalent here is Windsor & Newton Black Indian Ink [they have two types]


You want the one with the Spider on the bottle, it contains Shellac, so it won't leech into any finish you put over the top of it.

[dingobass]

The Black Stump is blacker than black. In fact, it is so black that other blacks run away and hide...
If you get yourself a tub of timbermate, you can dye it with the W&N ink as Tweaks pointed out.
When it is dry, sand and then attack it with the DT stain.
Gap? What gap?... No one but you will know it was there

[sansan]

About this ebonizing wood theme, im too interested in how the wood turns black for using on fretboards and body/neck and found this..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NhCcBc6kndk

It seems that best method may be oil based stain over alcohol stain. Interesting...

[Tweaky]

It depends how much tannins are in the wood on just how dark it will go, Maple has virtually no tannins in it, where Rosewood has lots, so you have keep that in the back of your mind when choosing what product to use on what type of wood, and what effect you are after.

There is a trick where you make a solution of very strong Tea, wipe that on any wood first and let the tannins from the Tea get into the wood pores.....let it dry.
Any Ebonizing solution you subsequently apply afterwards with be darker because of the reaction with the tannins

[Andy40]

FW you, my man, have B A L L Z, with a capital Z.

[FrankenWashie]

Wow! Thanks for all that guys, there's some hefty research material for me to review.
@Tweaky, the idea is to get a blackened wash evenly across the ash body and the Maple neck, I'm looking to achieve a transparent, even black wash across the whole guitar.
@DB, the GAP she is no more, and my OCD would never give me respite as long as the GAP remained un filled. Also is the Black Stump blacker than the blackest heart of the greediest corporate investment banker? That would be BLACK and very metal.
@Sansan, thank you that oil stain is worth investigation, the oil only end is close to the effect I want.

@Andy40, I'm not sure about that, let me check my wife's handbag....

[FrankenWashie]

M'kay, so reading through some of the other posts on the forum, i have gotten confused with the Grain fill/staining/colour thing.
With an open timber like ash you need to grain fill, Correct?
Do you do this before/after/during attempts to colour?
DO you use a neutral coloured timber mate etc and colour that?

so many questions....

[tonyw]

With Ash you dont have to fill the grain, alot of people dont for the effect, i always fill it for that smooth feel.

My Ash Baritone with the grain filled

[FrankenWashie]

With Ash you dont have to fill the grain, alot of people dont for the effect, i always fill it for that smooth feel.

My Ash Baritone with the grain filled

So what was your filler? Timber mate or similar or something else?