Ebonizing

[Dave Wooten]

Best suggestion for removing old varnish.
Best suggestion to remove paint from those old gray maple Grover cameras.

[Drew Wiley]

Depends what you mean by "varnish". Unless you positively know what is there, you always start with the most mild solvent, namely denatured alcohol, which will
dissolve shellacs. Just apply a dab and see if it tends to soften. Then if nothing happens, you work your way up to paint thinner, then acetone, finally commercial
paint removers. The level of risk increases to glues and things like bellows as you go up the ladder. Maybe somebody out there knows something specific about Grovers.

[Dave Wooten]

Thanks
I have a gray one, I have heard they are maple.

[evan clarke]

I've seen some of them stripped and they are maple

[Tracy Storer]

I've seen some of them stripped and they are maple

I've seen a lot of them stripped and sometimes the wood species varies within one camera, mixed and un-matched, but usually all maple.

[David Vickery]

Can you get a Flat finish with the Black Cat, or is it going to be glossy?

I have never used Black Cat, but I think I need to try it. I have used the ebonizing technique on Walnut, it works very well and the end result is as flat black as your prepping of the wood will allow, unless you add a glossy finish to it. I believe that I used more than one application to get it as dark as I wanted it.

[Jmarmck]

I wonder. Do those traveling overseas with cameras made of "exotic" endangered woods have to worry about customs? I have a decent guitar collection, some of which do contain woods such as Brazilian Rosewood back and sides and several with ebony fingerboards and headstock laments. When one of these guitars leaves the country, upon return customs will confiscate the instrument. The owner will most likely not get the instrument back unless they have a piece of paper as to the origin of the wood......no mater the age of the guitar. The list of endangered woods grow everyday. This includes Mahogany though I am not sure about the items made with it. I do know that customs recently destroyed a number of rare flutes that the musician had made over the years.

[Drew Wiley]

Hmm... My ebony camera is made with true pattern-grade mahogany, as are many other classic view cameras. This material is certainly endangered. In fact, it ain't no more - all old cured stock by now. Then they make cameras out of actual ebony too. But I've never heard of anyone getting their view camera confiscated.

[gevalia]

I wonder. Do those traveling overseas with cameras made of "exotic" endangered woods have to worry about customs? I have a decent guitar collection, some of which do contain woods such as Brazilian Rosewood back and sides and several with ebony fingerboards and headstock laments. When one of these guitars leaves the country, upon return customs will confiscate the instrument. The owner will most likely not get the instrument back unless they have a piece of paper as to the origin of the wood......no mater the age of the guitar. The list of endangered woods grow everyday. This includes Mahogany though I am not sure about the items made with it. I do know that customs recently destroyed a number of rare flutes that the musician had made over the years.

Marty,

I hold that early '60s D28 for you...

Ron

[Jmarmck]

Ron,
ummmmm.........................................no.............lol

I was wondering if anyone has had similar problems. This may not be the thread for such a question.

I do have some old maple tongue and groove paneling that I would like to test the ebonizing process. I also have some old growth pine.
My brother has "recovered" wood form downed hardwoods. I might try to talk him out of some black walnut heartwood.