Aging plastic parts

steve · Post by **steve** » Wed Sep 05, 2001 2:33 am

Hello everybody, I just found this page and I love it !

I love Ricks, gotta 360. I just purchased a pickguard and it's too white compared to the rest of the guitar. I saw the posts about this here,so I want to know if anyone found the definitive way of aging plastic parts.

admin · Post by **admin** » Wed Sep 05, 2001 3:43 pm

Steve: If I learned one thing this past summer, it is that the quality of the newer plastic polymers is first rate and strongly resistant to environmental change from ultraviolet light and a number of chemicals including oil products. I would go for having a new one made in the colour of material that matches your instrument as closely as possible. You might want to ask Don Adamek about your color options.

rick12dr · Post by **rick12dr** » Wed Sep 05, 2001 5:37 pm

Peter, not much I can add on this, but I will say that regarding "aging" plastic parts,what kind of success you might have depends on the type of plastic.From what I know or have observed, the acrylic material Rick guards are made of Don't particularly discolor much,unlike, say, the laminated guards Fender uses. Totally different material, and the way it reacts to its environment
as well.I think it was last year there was a bit of a flap among Ricky die hard detail nuts who noticed a fair number of recent issue Ricks that had white guards that were Too white, compared to
what some consider the "classic white", whatever that is[but I know it when I see it ,too.]The acrylic I use is Not so pure white as I think Steve refers to, so maybe he'd be better off having me just make him a new set of guards that "look more correct".FWIW, in the dozens of repro guards I've done for guys and their various model Ricks,No One has Ever commented to me, upon
getting their new guards, "Hey, I got the guards today, and, man, they look great, but What's with that white??"So, do with that what you will.

leftybass · Post by **leftybass** » Tue Sep 25, 2001 4:58 am

Peter, what was the outcome of your 'switch bat' quest??? Did you ever find a process that would get good results, or did you just buy one???

markthemd · Post by **markthemd** » Tue Sep 25, 2001 5:10 am

To age the bat knob as on a white/cream Les Paul ...I have tried many things .

The first one was 25 years ago and I shoved some white bat caps into a cigar for a week with a little denatured alcohol .Kept that in a jar .I figured it would give the club look ........results?

Nothing

Next attempts ,alcohol dyes ....no luck
3rd try ----chemical mordents.......ate the plastic or turned it black

Lacquer tints in thinner .....ate the plastic

Rit Dye ....no luck nothing at all ,wiped off.

Gave up ,and then Gibson and Allparts made a variation on a real one ...not the same but better .

I also used lacquer to color the knob ...looks perfect ,problem ....chips off with use and looks like it has a disease!

I quit trying a long time ago .

If I knew what type of plastic is is then that would help but ,I have no idea and I think it a waste of time ....lots of fun and sort of thrilling to do though.

krishna · Post by **krishna** » Wed Sep 26, 2001 3:51 am

Would wet coffee grounds or wet tea leaves work ?? might only work if the plastic is something "old school" like celluloid or maybe styrene .. I think ABS is pretty impervious to everything except solvents.

admin · Post by **admin** » Wed Sep 26, 2001 4:17 am

As far as changing the colour of the surface of the switch knob, ABS is essentially indestructible. I have tried, coffee and tea in liquid and ground forms, oil, gasoline, ultraviolet light bombardment equivalent to many years, and yes even natural sunlight in combination with all of the above. I have also tried some very nasty chemicals and slow heat. The best solution, to date, is a craft paint that adheres to plastics and resembles the orange/brown colour.

fabgear · Post by **fabgear** » Wed Sep 26, 2001 4:50 am

I've found some success in either taking the bat and lightly wet sanding it to remove the smooth shiny finish(not porous enough sometimes to take anything) then doing a soak in REAL strong coffee or tea, or rubbing with brown shoe polish. Then once I got the color I liked, i just spray it with a bit of laquer to seal it and give it back that shiny look.

I've also used my mini torch to "wick' the bat, and that worked well on my '60 450.

jwilli · Post by **jwilli** » Wed Sep 26, 2001 12:32 pm

Or do what I did: Buy a '58 365 and hopefully it'll still be on. HA!

jwilli · Post by **jwilli** » Wed Sep 26, 2001 12:34 pm

CORRECTION: My '58 came with two of them. It was the two switch/two knob variety.http://www.homestead.com/aurs/58365.html

admin · Post by **admin** » Wed Sep 26, 2001 2:36 pm

John: I will trade you a brand new set of knobs for the old ones in this photo, but this is a limited time offer.

fabgear · Post by **fabgear** » Wed Sep 26, 2001 3:08 pm

oh SURE John!!

We can't ALL be you!!! LOL