Questions about dings in the back of Sterling neck

[Jim Dandy]

I have a Sterling which has a couple of dings in the back of the neck that just happen to be where my thumb goes when playing. I was wondering if anyone has had any luck repairing them? If so, what do you recommend? Also, what kind of finish is on the back of the neck? It feels like bare wood now becasue most of the wax has worn off. Was the neck wood sealed before the oil/wax was applied?

Thanks for looking!

 

[five7]

Sometimes a soldering iron on a wet towel will lift the ding back up. An old carpenters trick I learned when I was younger and we left a hammer track on a piece of trim.

 

[bassmonkeee]

Sometimes a soldering iron on a wet towel will lift the ding back up. An old carpenters trick I learned when I was younger and we left a hammer track on a piece of trim.

Yeah, what he said. A regular clothes iron over a wet cloth will work, too, if it'll get hot enough.

 

[J Romano]

What 5-7 and Monkey said. What happens is the wood fibers get compressed, but using a damp cloth and an iron you re-hydrate the fibers and the depression lifts. I would definitely use an iron. When we did rifle stocks a low setting would often work, if not gradually increase the temperature to get results. Maple being a harder wood, tighter grain, will probably require more heat. Walnut, pine and softer woods require less heat. Finish on anything is a huge factor. The neck of the Sterling being waxed shouldn't be an issue, just use a rag so as not to get any finish that might come off on something that you might not want to ruin. Hope that helps.........

 

[bassmonkeee]

For the record, a hot iron and a wet cloth/towel is a great way to get wax or melted crayons out of a carpet, too.

 

[five7]

A bass case works as a makeshift ironing board when you are in a hotel room on the road.

 

[Jim Dandy]

Thanks for the information everyone!

 

[Sonnyonbass]

I don't have any crayons to test that....

seriously though. Would that work on small deep dings as well? I don't mind a bit of damage on my bass.
But the back of the neck has to be flawless.

For the record, a hot iron and a wet cloth/towel is a great way to get wax or melted crayons out of a carpet, too.

 

[J Romano]

It all depends on the wood and the finish. The steam created by the iron needs to penetrate. May require repeated applications, all you can do is try. I have seen some fairly deep dings taken out of rifle stocks, but that was walnut which is a softer wood. Just be careful to make sure the rag stays moist, it's the steam generated that does the work and you sure don't want to burn the wood with excessive heat!!!

 

[Sonnyonbass]

It all depends on the wood and the finish. The steam created by the iron needs to penetrate. May require repeated applications, all you can do is try. I have seen some fairly deep dings taken out of rifle stocks, but that was walnut which is a softer wood. Just be careful to make sure the rag stays moist, it's the steam generated that does the work and you sure don't want to burn the wood with excessive heat!!!

Mmmmm maybe I'll give it a try. But I dont think I have the balls.
It's a small but deep ding in the back of my SR5. Just around the 12th fret marker.

Will post results if I have the guts to do it