# Naptha.



## bagpipe (Sep 19, 2006)

I need to clean the gunk from the fingerboard of an old Washburn acoustic that I have. I've read about using naptha for this. My question is: where do I get naptha? Do I just ask for naptha at Home Depot or Canadian Tire? I dont want to have to buy a 23 gallon can to clean the fingerboard of one guitar. I know that it's used in lighter fluid but I dont know if its pure naptha or not?


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## Ripper (Jul 1, 2006)

Camp stove and lantern fuel is naptha. You'll also hear people refer to it as white gas.


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## hollowbody (Jan 15, 2008)

Yeah. What they said.

Just to be different, I use Pure Artist's Grade Turpentine. Again, it's available in 1-Litre bottles, and just a dab'll do ya, so you won't have to buy it again for a whikle. This is available at Home Depot too.


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## Guest (Nov 10, 2008)

You want this stuff:


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## keeperofthegood (Apr 30, 2008)

Just be sure to not work near this:


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## allthumbs56 (Jul 24, 2006)

Or you could end up with this:


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## Guest (Nov 10, 2008)

*THIS THREAD IS AWESOME*

:rockon:


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## allthumbs56 (Jul 24, 2006)

iaresee said:


> *THIS THREAD IS AWESOME*
> 
> :rockon:


So .... let's make a story :smile: What comes next?


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## shoretyus (Jan 6, 2007)

allthumbs56 said:


> So .... let's make a story :smile: What comes next?


I looked but came up empty. There was a recent thread on TDPRI about restoring a scorched Tele. 


Story...... Bob and Doug , two Canadian guitar players where in the basement, hanging out noodling on their guitars. Dreaming of being as big as Geddy. Doug says to Bob 

" I could play faster if my fretboard was cleaner"


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## devnulljp (Mar 18, 2008)

allthumbs56 said:


> So .... let's make a story :smile: What comes next?


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## devnulljp (Mar 18, 2008)




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## devnulljp (Mar 18, 2008)




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## devnulljp (Mar 18, 2008)




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## devnulljp (Mar 18, 2008)




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## devnulljp (Mar 18, 2008)




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## devnulljp (Mar 18, 2008)

Can't you just use some Fret Doctor like everyone else and save bambi?


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## keeperofthegood (Apr 30, 2008)

Well.. what came to mind for me was this two parter:

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZbsCnV2XvdM]ZbsCnV2XvdM[/youtube] [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LKwasgm1Y3g]LKwasgm1Y3g[/youtube]


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## lyric girl (Sep 4, 2008)

Are you sure you want to do that to your fretboard? Won't that be corrosive to the wood?


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## keeperofthegood (Apr 30, 2008)

lyric girl said:


> Are you sure you want to do that to your fretboard? Won't that be corrosive to the wood?


 which? Naphtha, linseed oil, or fret doctor?

And yes, hydrocarbon cleaners do strip oil and can cause wood to dry. Causes skin to dry too. And it is an inhalation risk as well, not just a combustion risk. 

In my art safety course that was mandatory to take, one of the experiences used to illustrate the dangers of aromatic hydrocarbons was the house that exploded. An illustrator using lots of rubber cement, left the lid off, left the house. The house left the foundations when the vapours made it to the the basement and combusted.


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## fraser (Feb 24, 2007)

lyric girl said:


> Are you sure you want to do that to your fretboard? Won't that be corrosive to the wood?


i wouldnt say corrosive, but yes it will remove the oils of the fretboard, at least those at the surface. thing is, these are mostly oils left by fingertips, and the greasy atmosphere that we live in. naptha is not a fretboard conditioner or revitalisant, or a treatment- it is merely a cleaner, nothing else.
it breaks down the built up crud, and the unwanted oils and green stuff that builds up, and then it simply evaporates- it cant really penetrate the wood and break down the good oils, it just gasses off.
ive seen real old guitars, that after a good cleaning, had an almost bleached look to the fretboard. thats because the wood was old and dry, and once you cleaned the gunk off the surface, the wood was dry- but it was dry before, just covered in gunk. in those cases i condition with lemon oil.
i squirt a bit of naptha on a toothbrush, and scrub with that. after a warm damp rag to wipe all the crap off.
as to the combustion theory, ive been using naptha as my sole guitar cleaning agent for 25 or so years- usually with a smoke in my hand or mouth- never had a fire- im talking the little zippo fluid can pictured above- not a 10 gallon can.
i have seen rosewood boards actually go pulpy and rotten from repeated use of fretboard conditioners and lemon oil types of things- not to mention loose frets etc- i only use oil as a conditioner very sparingly- i figure its far more damaging long term than a naptha wipedown once in a while.


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## keeperofthegood (Apr 30, 2008)

fraser said:


> i have seen rosewood boards actually go pulpy and rotten from repeated use of fretboard conditioners and lemon oil types of things- not to mention loose frets etc- i only use oil as a conditioner very sparingly- i figure its far more damaging long term than a naptha wipedown once in a while.


 It is still a hydrocarbon, and ventilation is good to have when working with a hydrocarbon, and not letting vapours build, just safety sence XD Naphtha is quite stable compared to some (hair spray is fun in a flame XD) just still a bit of a chuckle to use lighter fluid to clean with. But I have been to enough antique shops to have an idea of multiple years of grunge and getting serious with that is a serious job.

On the flip side; yes I have heard that over time oil can impregnate wood and cause it to breakdown, go soft etc. Linseed oil has been used for generations for wood (antique cleaner being a mix of linseed oil, vinager and turpentine) so I would suspect for an anual cleaning that it is good. As the fellow said, the goal isn't to marinate the wood LOL! I was more surprised that the fellow used steel wool  whenever I use steel wool it's steel wool splinters for months aftwards! Meh maybe it is just my luck...


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## fraser (Feb 24, 2007)

> I was more surprised that the fellow used steel wool whenever I use steel wool it's steel wool splinters for months aftwards! Meh maybe it is just my luck...


steel wool is a good tool- though it didnt look like the one in the video was filthy enough to truly warrant it-
if my naptha toothbrush doesnt do enough for me, or if i have rusty frets as well to deal with, steel wool is great. but only the 0000 grade- anything heavier will leave marks. as to the filings, wee bits of steel wool all over, i use a little blow gun, run off a compresser- give it a blow off after the work. i also have a canadian tire shop vac - you can connect the hose so that it expels air, a blower- that works awesome.
if there are pickups, i mask them off with tape.
its cool to see that guy from taylor recommending it- ive suggested it before and recieved less than enthusiastic responses. like naptha, ive used steel wool for guitar work for many years- never once had a "wish i didnt do that" moment- but again, the taylor guy is recommending the lightest grade of steel wool- #0000 grade. and in case anybody reading this gets any ideas, dont use that steel wool on any of the shiny finished parts of your guitar- itll take the shine off. unless you want a satin finish.
steel wool is also nice in the summer if the back of a nitro finished neck gets sticky-

and keeperofthegood- for sure, an annual oiling is good, its when folks oil the fretboard every string change, or once a month or so, that its not good. thats why products made specifically for guitar fretboards are scary- they allow people to assume its cool to use all the time


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## kat_ (Jan 11, 2007)

I'm a bit too late for the fire pics but thought this needed to be in there - http://www.glguitars.com/factorytour/tour-page5/tour5.asp
Scroll down about half way on that page.


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## devnulljp (Mar 18, 2008)

kat_ said:


> I'm a bit too late for the fire pics but thought this needed to be in there - http://www.glguitars.com/factorytour/tour-page5/tour5.asp
> Scroll down about half way on that page.


I wonder if they replaced it?


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## allthumbs56 (Jul 24, 2006)

devnulljp said:


>


All because Johnny didn't think it was worth paying for a professional setup.


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## devnulljp (Mar 18, 2008)

allthumbs56 said:


> All because Johnny didn't think it was worth paying for a professional setup.


Read in the _Reefer Madness_ voice...


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