Leather dye on satin poly

R

RockinProf

New member
Hi all,

I’m not committed to the idea yet, but kicking around the idea to tinting a super pale American Special Strat neck and also buffing it to high gloss. The interweb has a number of examples where the tint was done well with leather dye. Any experience out there? Also, would I tint on the satin finish or after I’ve buffed it to gloss? Thinking that dying gloss might have more lasting effects and require less dye application. Dying satin might give more uniformity and room to fix blotches...

Any experience or thoughts?

Thanks!
 
Re: Leather dye on satin poly

You probably want to use Tru-Oil for this. It is tinted, easy to use, and compatible, since it ends up basically being a urethane finish once it dries and cures. Wet sand your neck with ultra fine grit sandpaper that has been soaked in naphtha over night. The finish needs some tooth before you apply anything else.

The last thing I would do is to apply leather dye over a hard finish. These examples you are talking about must have been done on the wood prior to finishing, not over a hard finish.
 
Re: Leather dye on satin poly

Beginning to wonder if I should bring it to a tan place, or learn to live with it. I’m horrible at sanding, even with a block and prepped materials.
 
Re: Leather dye on satin poly

Poly will yellow in time. I have seen it first hand on my 2005 MIM Standard Strat. But it will be mild, and might take forever. Leaving the neck outside for half a year isn't safe. I'm not sure a tanning bed would be cost effective.
 
Re: Leather dye on satin poly

Might just have to say: it plays awesome, sounds great and looks good other than looking really new- get over the new looks thing....
 
Re: Leather dye on satin poly

I would just polish it up, and leave the guitar on a stand instead of casing it. 10 year of that in a place with some window light, and you will see some yellowing.

Also, stage lights tend to make things more yellow, so it might look great in use, rather than in your home/studio.
 
Re: Leather dye on satin poly

If you move the spray can fast or uneven you will get a 10 year old look in a matter of seconds.
 
Re: Leather dye on satin poly

Leather? Satin? No pics???? Thread does not deliver!!!!

3e7be29226692d03af547e6c9b234c44.jpg
 
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Re: Leather dye on satin poly

She may be a dude... full circle on this thread as I was going for the vintage Uli Roth Strat look for when I want to light up “ He’s a Woman, She’s a Man”.
 
Re: Leather dye on satin poly

I just successfully covered my headstock with Minwax wood stain and spray can laquer clearcoat much to my surprise.
Before:
k7.jpg

After:
k3.jpg

k1.jpg

k2.jpg

Here is the back of the neck with some wood stain to make it look all nasty. It was sanded out to 2,000 grit so it's smooth AF.
k4.jpg

Before I sanded it:
k5.jpg

k6.jpg
 
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Re: Leather dye on satin poly

GuitarDoc said:
Are you sure it's poly? Am Strats use nitro not poly.
Lightly sand and spray with some Vintage Amber tinted lacquer.
https://www.stewmac.com/Materials_a.../ColorTone_Tinted_Aerosol_Guitar_Lacquer.html
Click to expand...

Most American Fenders don't use lacquer, and have not since 1967. The types of catalytic finishes used have changed over the years, but your standard line Fender hasn't used lacquer as a matter of course for over 50 years. It's basically just the Custom Shop (or most Custom Shop instruments, at any rate), and the V, AVRI, AV, and AO lines, as well as selected other lines here and there over the years, e.g. Highway One. Road Worns use lacquer, and Classic Lacquers use lacquer, but they are MIM.

The clarify, lacquer was used through the late '60s and all through the '70s for the color coats of sunbursts (though the clear over it was poly), for headstock faces, for certain low-end models, and occasionally for oversprays of flawed sunbursts (usually in the black nitro that was always on hand for sunbursts and black Musicmasters, etc.).
 
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Re: Leather dye on satin poly

ItsaBass said:
Most American Fenders don't use lacquer, and have not since 1967. The types of catalytic finishes used have changed over the years, but your standard line Fender hasn't used lacquer as a matter of course for over 50 years. It's basically just the Custom Shop (or most Custom Shop instruments, at any rate), and the V, AVRI, AV, and AO lines, as well as selected other lines here and there over the years, e.g. Highway One. Road Worns use lacquer, and Classic Lacquers use lacquer, but they are MIM.

The clarify, lacquer was used through the late '60s and all through the '70s for the color coats of sunbursts (though the clear over it was poly), for headstock faces, for certain low-end models, and occasionally for oversprays of flawed sunbursts (usually in the black nitro that was always on hand for sunbursts and black Musicmasters, etc.).
Click to expand...

Wow, I didn't know all of that. Thanks for enlightening me.

I do have an American Deluxe (not sure if it's custom shop) from around 2006 that is nitro.
 
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Re: Leather dye on satin poly

metalchurch79 said:
I just successfully covered my headstock with Minwax wood stain and spray can laquer clearcoat much to my surprise.
Before:
View attachment 98159

After:
View attachment 98153

View attachment 98154

View attachment 98155

Here is the back of the neck with some wood stain to make it look all nasty. It was sanded out to 2,000 grit so it's smooth AF.
View attachment 98156

Before I sanded it:
View attachment 98157

View attachment 98158
Click to expand...

That came out great!!
 
Re: Leather dye on satin poly

You guys are confused

You'd have to strip and refinish to dye/stain (don't do that)

If you want it to yellow a bit, leave it in front of an untinted window that gets full sun
 
Re: Leather dye on satin poly

Adieu said:
You guys are confused

You'd have to strip and refinish to dye/stain (don't do that)

If you want it to yellow a bit, leave it in front of an untinted window that gets full sun
Click to expand...

Yeah, it should be ready by 4:30 this afternoon.
 
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