Gonna try black light UV to tint my neck.

I've had this Nocaster neck sitting in the closet for the last 2 years. I have all the bits and pieces for a full Custom Shop Nocaster, but the problem is the neck has a clear finish and the body has an aged look. They look very out of place against each other.

I'd read a few different discussions on the forum about UV tinting. I had considered refinishing the neck, but I just felt for some reason that I wanted to keep the original finish that's on it already.

So I finally got around to doing something about it, I mean, it's been sitting in the closet all this time, I could have had it sitting in front of a UV light at some stage and had it tinted by now?

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5276/7435382912_52c8909138_z.jpg

I built the box out of scrap wood, lined the inside with cardboard covered in foil. Screwed the black light to the back of the box and suspended the neck off a mirror ball motor I picked up for $15.

I have absolutely no idea how long this will take, but I placed a piece of tape on the heel of the neck to check how quickly the finish is changing.

Any takers on how long this will take???
I'm going to check it daily (maybe a couple of times a day for a start just to be sure?)

I picked up some 15W bulbs for the same reason but the light output is pretty lame. Some guys use very high wattage bulbs but they are really expensive.

Take it to a tanning salon.

I picked up some 15W bulbs for the same reason but the light output is pretty lame. Some guys use very high wattage bulbs but they are really expensive.

But I thought black light wasn't about light? Isn't tinting about UV rays?
Black light bulbs/globes block most of the light mainly allowing the UV rays to pass through.


My light says it's 36W, so we'll see how it goes?

But I thought black light wasn't about light? Isn't tinting about UV rays?
Black light bulbs/globes block most of the light mainly allowing the UV rays to pass through.


My light says it's 36W, so we'll see how it goes?

Any idea if leaving it out in the sun do the same thing? Some natural UV rays?

The sun is infinitely more powerful, but glass blocks a lot of UV. If you can leave it outside a week it will get a nice tan. The inside of a sunny living room here in SoCal - behind glass - takes under a year to nicely tint raw wood.

Any idea if leaving it out in the sun do the same thing? Some natural UV rays?

The sun is infinitely more powerful, but glass blocks a lot of UV. If you can leave it outside a week it will get a nice tan. The inside of a sunny living room here in SoCal - behind glass - takes under a year to nicely tint raw wood.

The thing that worries me about that is warping the wood. Direct sunlight can potentially do more harm than good from what I've read.

Plus, at the moment where I am in the world we're only getting about 9 hours of light and it's heavily overcast.

You'll need the high wattage kind that looks like a floodlight and made for reptiles. I use the 160 watt version.

http://www.amazon.com/Zoo-Med-PowerSun-Mercury-Vapor/dp/B0002AQDJ0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1340603342&sr=8-1&keywords=powersun+uv+160

You'll need the high wattage kind that looks like a floodlight and made for reptiles. I use the 160 watt version.

http://www.amazon.com/Zoo-Med-PowerSun-Mercury-Vapor/dp/B0002AQDJ0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1340603342&sr=8-1&keywords=powersun+uv+160

Cool! Thanks FB!

No prob.

Well after a week in the box, it's starting to get a nice tan!

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8008/7483663686_563d41c011_z.jpg

At this rate, it may take a few more weeks?

Are you using the 36 watt light?

Are you using the 36 watt light?

Yeah, I am! I thought I'd give it a go and if there wasn't any change then I'd go for the 160w globes. But it seems to working?

Yeah, it does seem to be working.

You left the lights on for a solid week?

Yep!

I like it.

I like the rate of toning you are getting. This seems manageable, and won't over do it.

How do the ends look, are they also showing color?

I like it.

I like the rate of toning you are getting. This seems manageable, and won't over do it.

How do the ends look, are they also showing color?

Yes BB! I have the neck suspended enough so the globe has a good 6-7 inches of length past either end. I really can't prove it, but it's the reason I lined the box with foil too (all 4 sides and top and bottom). I thought if it had foil, the walls couldn't soak up any of the UV light, that it'd get bounced around in there and the neck would be hit from all sides.

Or that it would cook evenly? :lol:

Looking good!

Yes BB! I have the neck suspended enough so the globe has a good 6-7 inches of length past either end. I really can't prove it, but it's the reason I lined the box with foil too (all 4 sides and top and bottom). I thought if it had foil, the walls couldn't soak up any of the UV light, that it'd get bounced around in there and the neck would be hit from all sides.

Or that it would cook evenly? :lol:

Seems to be working well. By using a reflective surface you're getting more efficient use of your 36 watt bulb. You're getting both the light that directly hits the neck and the light that otherwise would have missed it.

I wonder if there is a delay factor in the darkening process the way there is with a sunburn on skin. Probably not, but you might want to consider a pause in the tanning session and keeping an eye on the neck to see if it continues to darken for a while. In the unlikely event that it does continue to darken you wouldn't want to have ended up way darker than you ever expected.

Seems to be working well. By using a reflective surface you're getting more efficient use of your 36 watt bulb. You're getting both the light that directly hits the neck and the light that otherwise would have missed it.

I wonder if there is a delay factor in the darkening process the way there is with a sunburn on skin. Probably not, but you might want to consider a pause in the tanning session and keeping an eye on the neck to see if it continues to darken for a while. In the unlikely event that it does continue to darken you wouldn't want to have ended up way darker than you ever expected.

That is a good point there Alex! Never considered that all? I'm not sure that it is a factor, but I've been wrong about a many things in my life! :lol:

I do check the neck on a daily basis. Just to check that the mirror ball motor is still turning and the bulb is still cookin'. Generally morning and night (about every 12 hours).
But we're quite a ways of yet as far as the tint is concerned. When it gets close I'm going to wind back the cooking process and match it against the body as I go.

Mine like to lay out on a beach towel under a 'no-protected UV' (older) large window. This is in the comfort of air conditioning at around 74 degrees. Occasionally, one will sit on the stand by the same window. Sometimes I lay a towel over the body, and usually let the neck-only under the portion of the floor that gets direct sunlight.

They are now naturally tinted, and yellowy. The two no longer have that stark-blonde, Fender look.
(These are Maple/Maple Fender guitars.)

How do the ends look, are they also showing color?

I just looked at the picture again BB and realised you may have been asking that question? It does look lighter at the butt end in the picture, but that's because I took the picture using sunlight from a window to get the best shot of the actual colour. The sunlight is hitting the neck from that direction. I will try to get the next shot with even light next time.

Mine like to lay out on a beach towel under a 'no-protected UV' (older) large window. This is in the comfort of air conditioning at around 74 degrees. Occasionally, one will sit on the stand by the same window. Sometimes I lay a towel over the body, and usually let the neck-only under the portion of the floor that gets direct sunlight.

They are now naturally tinted, and yellowy. The two no longer have that stark-blonde, Fender look.
(These are Maple/Maple Fender guitars.)

Did you ever have any problems with an even distribution of the tint by only having one side exposed?

This is why I went with a mirror ball motor. Constantly turning getting a nice even tint. Plus where I live, hanging anything like that in the window is like placing a sign in the window saying, "Please come and take my stuff!" :lol:

Week two:

I took some pictures yesterday but it was a bit glary, so I couldn't get the best representation of how much the neck has changed.

This picture is about as good as I could get:

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7123/7529460414_2b0bf60f19_c.jpg

I still think it needs at least one more week? It's not quite there yet? As you can see, the body is darker than the standard Nocaster colour.

I'm going to try again for another picture today after work.

I find that if it is overcast, the clouds act as a giant natural diffuser... I.E. less chance of glare and reflections :smile:

I look forward to the end colour :smile:

I find that if it is overcast, the clouds act as a giant natural diffuser... I.E. less chance of glare and reflections :smile:

I look forward to the end colour :smile:

Yeah, it was overcast and I still couldn't get a great shot? I usaully get great shots in these weather conditions?

Work has been real busy this week and it's practically dark by the time I get home, so I think I'll just wait until week 3?

Really? Wow, the sun sure does shine bright on the other side of the pond! :wink:

Not really sure what to advise if they were overcast photos! Trial and error I guess!