Using coffee to "age/relic" pickup covers, etc--qu

LJ3 · July 2nd, 2003, 11:43 PM

Easy question: how do you do that?!? Just brew some up and drop said plastics into the mug? Scratch 'em up first? How do you guys do this, and with what results? Thanks!

Kevin · July 3rd, 2003, 12:16 AM

Strangely enough, my personal experience has been that it works best with genuine Fender parts. The aftermarket parts that I've tried (Stew Mac, Allparts) are made of a different plastic that doesn't soak up the "stain."

Let me put it this way: I soaked some Stew Mac strat pup covers for two weeks in a mixture of strong coffee and tea, and the stain just rinsed off. After two days, the Fender parts looked right.

AFA how to do it: just mix some strong (not so hot as to melt the plastic) coffee and drop the parts in. Check them every day, or so, to get the right tint....

MandyMarie · July 3rd, 2003, 12:18 AM

LJ3 - I recently aged up four white chicken head knobs, I'm not a master at this by any means so I know these guys will be able to help you much more than I, but I first gave them a quick rub down with a very fine sandpaper to get some of the gloss off. I tried using coffee first and switched to hot tea which gave me much better results. I boiled some water and then added about ten large tea bags (which stayed in the entire time) to the container, dropped in the knobs and let them sit overnight. That next mornin' I took them out of the tea and set them on a napkin to dry (without wiping any of the tea off). They yellowed/aged very nicely.

Your milage may very.

redshoesjim · July 3rd, 2003, 12:20 AM

Ive done this plenty of times and what I have found is that not all pickup covers or knobs are made out of the same plastic . If the coffee doesnt darken the cover or knob in a day or so then its not gonna in a week either .
Let me try to describe how you can tell the difference by the feel of the plastic you know the knobs that fender was using on strats up until a couple of years ago they were hard plastic and coffee wouldnt stain them when you shake em in your hand like dice they had a high clanking sound that the softer plastic doesnt have . Its the softer plastic that will stain real nice . This feel of the plastic is hard to explain so I guess youll just have to experiment till you find the stuff that stains with coffee and then compare the feel and sound with the stuff that wouldnt . Now if only I could learn to pick a good watermelon!!!

jvc · July 3rd, 2003, 12:29 AM

I ain't no axpert, but have found the brown Kiwi shoe polish trick works better (for me) than coffee or tea. I take a Scotchbrite pad and buff the plastic, rub some Kiwi on it and wipe it off after about 5 minutes. jvc

Steven · July 3rd, 2003, 01:02 AM

I ve had the same experience as Kevin. I mixed 2 parts coffie and one part tea and put an Allparts trem cavity plate into it. It came out after a week looking as new pristine as the day I put it in. It wont work on all types of plastic.

LJ3 · July 3rd, 2003, 04:58 AM

You guys amaze me AND FEMALE PERSONS ARE INCLUDED IN MY GENERIC USE OF THE TERM "GUYS." Seems to me worth trying the Scotchbrite and Kiwi first. I'll keep you posted on progress. Thanks!

Kevin · July 3rd, 2003, 09:23 AM

Only thing with shoe polish is that it will be easy to get it too dark, too fast....

If JVC says it works, I'm sure that it does, but I would personally worry about going too dark..... Most of the people who do this use some form of liquid dye -- coffee, tea, or other...

The coffee thing is much slower, hence much more controllable.... Also, with the coffee/tea it's not necessary to scratch the parts up with a Scotchbrite pad, or anything before dyeing them....

July 2nd, 2003, 11:43 PM	#1 (permalink)
LJ3 TDPRI Member Join Date: Apr 2003 Posts: 77	Using coffee to "age/relic" pickup covers, etc--qu Easy question: how do you do that?!? Just brew some up and drop said plastics into the mug? Scratch 'em up first? How do you guys do this, and with what results? Thanks!

July 3rd, 2003, 12:20 AM	#4 (permalink)
redshoesjim Tele-Meister Join Date: May 2003 Location: california Posts: 197	room for cream ? Ive done this plenty of times and what I have found is that not all pickup covers or knobs are made out of the same plastic . If the coffee doesnt darken the cover or knob in a day or so then its not gonna in a week either . Let me try to describe how you can tell the difference by the feel of the plastic you know the knobs that fender was using on strats up until a couple of years ago they were hard plastic and coffee wouldnt stain them when you shake em in your hand like dice they had a high clanking sound that the softer plastic doesnt have . Its the softer plastic that will stain real nice . This feel of the plastic is hard to explain so I guess youll just have to experiment till you find the stuff that stains with coffee and then compare the feel and sound with the stuff that wouldnt . Now if only I could learn to pick a good watermelon!!!

July 3rd, 2003, 01:02 AM	#6 (permalink)
Steven Tele-Holic Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Sweden Posts: 511	Relicing I ve had the same experience as Kevin. I mixed 2 parts coffie and one part tea and put an Allparts trem cavity plate into it. It came out after a week looking as new pristine as the day I put it in. It wont work on all types of plastic.

July 3rd, 2003, 04:58 AM	#7 (permalink)
LJ3 TDPRI Member Join Date: Apr 2003 Posts: 77	Kiwi sounds more like a sure thing, eh? You guys amaze me AND FEMALE PERSONS ARE INCLUDED IN MY GENERIC USE OF THE TERM "GUYS." Seems to me worth trying the Scotchbrite and Kiwi first. I'll keep you posted on progress. Thanks!

July 3rd, 2003, 12:16 AM	#2 (permalink)
Kevin Friend of Leo's Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Terre Haute, IN Posts: 2,967	Strangely enough, my personal experience has been that it works best with genuine Fender parts. The aftermarket parts that I've tried (Stew Mac, Allparts) are made of a different plastic that doesn't soak up the "stain." Let me put it this way: I soaked some Stew Mac strat pup covers for two weeks in a mixture of strong coffee and tea, and the stain just rinsed off. After two days, the Fender parts looked right. AFA how to do it: just mix some strong (not so hot as to melt the plastic) coffee and drop the parts in. Check them every day, or so, to get the right tint....

July 3rd, 2003, 12:18 AM	#3 (permalink)
MandyMarie Friend of Leo's Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Indianapolis, IN Age: 28 Posts: 2,466 65 Photos	LJ3 - I recently aged up four white chicken head knobs, I'm not a master at this by any means so I know these guys will be able to help you much more than I, but I first gave them a quick rub down with a very fine sandpaper to get some of the gloss off. I tried using coffee first and switched to hot tea which gave me much better results. I boiled some water and then added about ten large tea bags (which stayed in the entire time) to the container, dropped in the knobs and let them sit overnight. That next mornin' I took them out of the tea and set them on a napkin to dry (without wiping any of the tea off). They yellowed/aged very nicely. Your milage may very.

July 3rd, 2003, 12:29 AM	#5 (permalink)
jvc Tele-Holic Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: SOCAL Posts: 524	I ain't no axpert, but have found the brown Kiwi shoe polish trick works better (for me) than coffee or tea. I take a Scotchbrite pad and buff the plastic, rub some Kiwi on it and wipe it off after about 5 minutes. jvc

July 3rd, 2003, 09:23 AM	#8 (permalink)
Kevin Friend of Leo's Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Terre Haute, IN Posts: 2,967	Only thing with shoe polish is that it will be easy to get it too dark, too fast.... If JVC says it works, I'm sure that it does, but I would personally worry about going too dark..... Most of the people who do this use some form of liquid dye -- coffee, tea, or other... The coffee thing is much slower, hence much more controllable.... Also, with the coffee/tea it's not necessary to scratch the parts up with a Scotchbrite pad, or anything before dyeing them....