Relic question - yellowing white plastic parts

[infrared72]

Ok, I never thought I'd be asking this but I have a truss rod cover I just bought for my ESP guitar. This particular cover was made with a VERY bright white plastic contained within the black/white/black plastic material used to make it. So my question is - what substances/methods can I use to yellow and/or age that white plastic and get it to match the cream/slightly yellow colored neck & body binding as well as the cream colored pickup rings?

-PT

[Blue313]

Re: Relic question - yellowing white plastic parts

Honestly, coffee or even black tea. Check every few minutes.

[Ayrton]

Re: Relic question - yellowing white plastic parts

Try cold black coffee first.

Some plastics take stain better than others, so check it after 10-15 minutes to see if there is any penetration.

[infrared72]

Re: Relic question - yellowing white plastic parts

So just a cold cup of black coffee, and drop the truss rod cover in it?

-PT

[Ayrton]

Re: Relic question - yellowing white plastic parts

So just a cold cup of black coffee, and drop the truss rod cover in it?

-PT

Yep...high tech I know.

[infrared72]

Re: Relic question - yellowing white plastic parts

Alright - I'll try it, and post photo results probably this weekend.

-PT

[Fresh_Start]

Re: Relic question - yellowing white plastic parts

Does it help at all to buff the surface with 000 steel wool or something similar before trying to stain it?

Just thinking of that hard, perfectly smooth finish plastic has when it's brand new.

Chip

[GoDrex]

Re: Relic question - yellowing white plastic parts

I stained some strat parts with coffee - worked really well. I was able to stain the knobs, and the selector tip - but the tip of the trem would not stain at all. I actually made the parts too dark and then I had to soak them in water and bleach for a while to get them the right shade.

to do it I just made some instant coffee and put the parts in and kept checking it. I got a little impatient at some point (because the trem tip wouldn't stain) and I microwaved the cup of coffee with the parts in it - that made the other parts get kind of dark so be careful.

http://www.wfzr.net/img/strat1.jpg - parts before staining
http://www.wfzr.net/img/strat3.jpg - parts a bit too dark
http://www.wfzr.net/img/strat4.jpg - after soaking in water and bleach
http://www.wfzr.net/img/stratfinal.jpg - with a mint tip

[scottish]

Re: Relic question - yellowing white plastic parts

i like to stain in em in some strong coffee to a little darker than i wanted them. then sit them out in the sun and bleach them to the exact shade you like. ive had good results with that and the coffee didnt wear off either.

[mrfjones]

Re: Relic question - yellowing white plastic parts

^^ I have done the same with black tea. I have also used some tinted nitro and buffed that as well.

[infrared72]

Re: Relic question - yellowing white plastic parts

GoDrex,

That's a lovely Fender Strat you've got there.

-Peter

[357mag]

Re: Relic question - yellowing white plastic parts

That coffee trick didn't work at all when I put some bright white pickup covers in the stuff. I don't know how you guys got it to work.