How To Age/Relic Guitar Hardware

Cheapest and easiest way to age hardware.
always test this method on a spare tuner or whatever your aging

MURIATIC ACID

Gloves

The tuning machines

If you are to scared to age tuners buy these

We are building a relic guitar for 500 bucks

Follow me on Instagram _ronald_jr_

#Guitarbuzztalkshow #RonaldJr #relicguitarbuild

[opforgeron]

Another great and maybe safer tip for aging metal with nickel plating, is to use Lysol toilet cleaner. The blue liquid stuff. Put your metal parts in the liquid for 5-10 minutes then rinse off with clean water. I use this trick on furniture hardware that I need to look more aged than a new nickel plated steel. It doesn't rust, it just removes the plating and leaves a greyer color which look a bit like rough stainless steel. After its cleaned and dry, apply some wax or whatever sealant.

[Ray-Angel]

Doesn't the acid get inside your tuners?

[slapitman]

As a working luthier I see a lot of these home relic'd parts. They all look fake, the reason is this. Patina is one thing (ie corrosion), the second part is natural wear in the correct places. In order to get an effective and distinctly real relic'd part do the following....1) Do as Ron is suggesting to corrode metal then 2) make a 3m pad and gently rub the part again on the areas that would get human contact - tuner buttons, saddles etc. Then place the part in a zip lock bag that contains light stone gravel and a healthy dose of the gunk you get from an engine block. Shake the part in this bag mix.. If you are doing klusons then fill the oil hole with blue tak/plastic tack before the bag trick as it will get gunk in the gears. Clean off and you're done. It's identical to real ageing. Oh yes, wear gloves.

[joshuacohen]

Have you considered using naval jelly which is a weaker acid but you could dab it onto the metal parts and then wipe it off with a basic solution and then avoid destroying the internal components.

[hushpuppykl]

What’s difficult to do is to get the hardware to age like the real thing.

Naturally aged hardware has a nice dull, dirt like layer of oxidisation to it along with micro-pitting.

[kaskas]

I think this would corrode the internals of the tuners as well? What can be done to prevent it?

[eliaskaff]

And what about wd that we have chrome hardware on our guitars?

[moose]

Dose the machine head gear workings not get damaged, good video thanks 👍🏻

[ericosanvicente]

What if the bridge is nickel but the saddles are in bronze? Will it still work?

[eliaskaff]

Man please can you tell me precisely what do I have to buy as a product to make my kurt cobain jag hardware look like yours? What are the products and how to do it? Excuse me I'm Lebanese and I have a problem concentrating on what have been said orally in the video. Thank you so much

[blanejohnson]

Can you toss everything in that cup at the same time just make sure fumes have access meaning don’t burry the group of parts?

[fredtimelessfinishes]

Looks real good! I'm going to do this to my nickel Kluson tele tuners . I do want to oil gears afterwards. What oil do you recommend ?

[luvbasses]

What do you do with the acid after you’re done, reuse it by simply pouring it back into its jug?

[anthonyjones]

Hey great stuff Ronald, looks amazing man! Can I use the same process for Wilkerson brass compensated saddles?

[Smeryyyy]

hi man, what percentage of acid did you use?

[richthetrashpicker-upper]

Thanks for the video love the background very professional explaining all that

[brentthomas]

So I had to get original likeness Kluson machines with the plastic knobs for my 65' Stang. What process ages/browns the plastic knobs? Will the Muriatic work?

[dartman]

That stuff does work! It makes some nasty fumes too!👍😎🎸🎶

[jordanprysmiki]

I tend to vent things with my breath and lungs for the most natural approach. What I do is I stick my face right up to those little tubs and then I huff it all in and hold my breath and then walk to a window (or my chimney) and blow it outside. that way it doesn't infect the air on the inside of my bedroom.

[santacruz]

Why do you not explain that you are not actually submerging the hardware in the acid, or how much acid to use, or why you are using two tubs.