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previous: John Fisher I use turpintine (mineral spirits?)... -- 6/19/2003 3:34 AM

Re: How to clean a fretboard?

6/19/2003 3:03 PM
MBSetzer	Re: How to clean a fretboard? Mineral Spirits are flammable or combustible liquids from mineral sources that can be vaporized and condensed to a liquid. Like when you drill into rock or other parts of the earth, strike oil, and a fraction of the hydrocarbons are distilled to refine them into common paint thinner, AKA mineral spirits. The idea is to remove so much of the gasoline-related highly ignitable vapors and divert them for motor fuel use, so that the refined mineral spirits does not have a dangerously low flash point, and can be safely used for cleaning, degreasing, or paint blending. No smoking is still recommended, read the safety messages on the can. Also, most grades of mineral spirits are refined to the point where they dry up completely without leaving non-volatile mineral oils behind. Major differences in brands and grades are the type of pigments & bases that can be dissolved, drying rates and temperatures, odor, etc. Turpentine are hydrocarbons of plant origin, distilled & refined from pine rosins. I guess that makes them vegetable spirits. IIRC they are more flammable than most mineral spirits. All commonly used for paint & finishing work, I guess people can choose the poison they prefer. The VM&P (varnish makers & painters) naphtha is a quicker drying but highly flammable petroleum derived solvent. Anyway, for a rosewood fretboard I like to use highly unsaturated vegetable oils like sunflower or even corn oil, better to use ones that are fresh and have no preservatives. The suggestion to freshly cold press walnut oil for this purpose seems ideal. Over the long term with exposure to oxygen unsaturated oils will eventually polymerize and form a very tough soaked-in finish. I like to oil the fretboard once lightly if it seems dry when new, then maybe a couple times more over the next few years if it seems to still be too dry. I think too much oil would not let the residual moisture come out as it should, once the moisture has fully left, then the cellular spaces will absorb more of the oil as you continue to reapply it every few years, and gradual polymerization of the oil with itself can form a very rigid reinforcement network. saturated oils or ones that are hydrogenated to reduce unsaturation will hardly polymerize to form a solid, and neither will mineral oils, they may help moisten the wood and enhance its appearance but I think long-term overuse would result in softening the wood, where proper use of unsaturated oils seems to harden wood over time. Mike

6/19/2003 3:03 PM

MBSetzer

Re: How to clean a fretboard?

Mineral Spirits are flammable or combustible liquids from mineral sources that can be vaporized and condensed to a liquid.

Like when you drill into rock or other parts of the earth, strike oil, and a fraction of the hydrocarbons are distilled to refine them into common paint thinner, AKA mineral spirits. The idea is to remove so much of the gasoline-related highly ignitable vapors and divert them for motor fuel use, so that the refined mineral spirits does not have a dangerously low flash point, and can be safely used for cleaning, degreasing, or paint blending. No smoking is still recommended, read the safety messages on the can. Also, most grades of mineral spirits are refined to the point where they dry up completely without leaving non-volatile mineral oils behind. Major differences in brands and grades are the type of pigments & bases that can be dissolved, drying rates and temperatures, odor, etc.

Turpentine are hydrocarbons of plant origin, distilled & refined from pine rosins. I guess that makes them vegetable spirits. IIRC they are more flammable than most mineral spirits.

All commonly used for paint & finishing work, I guess people can choose the poison they prefer.

The VM&P (varnish makers & painters) naphtha is a quicker drying but highly flammable petroleum derived solvent.

Anyway, for a rosewood fretboard I like to use highly unsaturated vegetable oils like sunflower or even corn oil, better to use ones that are fresh and have no preservatives. The suggestion to freshly cold press walnut oil for this purpose seems ideal. Over the long term with exposure to oxygen unsaturated oils will eventually polymerize and form a very tough soaked-in finish. I like to oil the fretboard once lightly if it seems dry when new, then maybe a couple times more over the next few years if it seems to still be too dry. I think too much oil would not let the residual moisture come out as it should, once the moisture has fully left, then the cellular spaces will absorb more of the oil as you continue to reapply it every few years, and gradual polymerization of the oil with itself can form a very rigid reinforcement network.

saturated oils or ones that are hydrogenated to reduce unsaturation will hardly polymerize to form a solid, and neither will mineral oils, they may help moisten the wood and enhance its appearance but I think long-term overuse would result in softening the wood, where proper use of unsaturated oils seems to harden wood over time.

Mike

Replies:

Matt Question for Mike -- 6/19/2003 3:35 PM
anonymous Re: How to clean a fretboard? -- 6/19/2003 3:58 PM