TR Dockery - Posted - 10/19/2013:  18:22:39

I have an old Rogers Hide Head I would like to restore; can this be done?

Edited by - TR Dockery on 10/19/2013 18:30:07

beegee - Posted - 10/19/2013:  19:17:06

You have to use a dry process. Start with a large art gum or pink pearl eraser and see how much gunk you scrub off it. It will never be pristine and white again. You might try  a dry rub of baking soda dampened with a little hydrogen peroxide. I seem to recall that years ago, someone recommended using an extra-extra fine sandpaper, but that doesn't appeal to me.

Dampening the skin with a little naptha follwed by rubbing with diatomaceous earth may help absorb some of the grease deposited by years of finger contact.

TR Dockery - Posted - 10/19/2013:  19:29:50

Thanks, BeeGee.  I had done a little search in the archives and found references to using a rubber eraser but I didn't know if there might be a technique more suited to this level of discoloration.  As for the oils from contact with the fingers, this head is from a tenor banjo originally; do tenor players touch the head when they are strumming or noting with a pick?  I had assumed all of the dark area on this head was from sweat spray over a period of quite a few years by the original owner of this head and didn't know if it could be removed at all.

pft573 - Posted - 10/20/2013:  05:02:42

Has anyone ever tried taking an old head to a dry cleaner? They can clean suede and leather. The process uses a liquid solvent but no water is used. They can treat the leather with essential oils to replace any lost in cleaning. This is just what I have read on the internet.  It may be worthwhile talking to one.  Paul

beegee - Posted - 10/20/2013:  09:48:56

It used to be that you could buy carbon tetrachloride or Stoddard Solvent to "dry clean" stuff at home. Now the EPA has outlawed everything that works effectively. I would not want to treat a banjo head with any oil product. A wax coating might be helpful, but untreated tanned skin should be fine without any "help." i was just wondering how some of that white sneaker renewer stuff might work to even out the color?

Dan Drabek - Posted - 10/20/2013:  10:04:07

You might try a magic eraser. They can work surprisingly well on some kinds of dirt.

mrclean.com/en_US/magic-eraser.do

DD

tomberghan - Posted - 10/20/2013:  10:29:29

quote:

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Originally posted by Dan Drabek

 

You might try a magic eraser. They can work surprisingly well on some kinds of dirt.

mrclean.com/en_US/magic-eraser.do

DD

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I did something similar recently . . . I used a white eraser to clean up a Hide Head and it worked great!  Now mine was no where as dirty as your old Rogers mind you.  You should also write Dan Knowles here on the hangout (Dan is a well known luthier and one of the finest restoration luthiers in the world.)  Dan posted some photos a while back of how he cleaned a century old head that was filthy and it looked a LOT better when he was finished.  It was still moltled looking but it went from "filthy horrible grimey" to a nice "antique patina."  See if you can find those photos . . . Dan posts a LOT so trying to find them might be a challenge. But yes, there ARE techniques and you CAN clean up that nice old hide head.  Talk to Dan . . . Dan's the man, and he loves to share.

Edited by - tomberghan on 10/20/2013 10:30:39

TR Dockery - Posted - 10/20/2013:  14:11:05

quote:

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Originally posted by tomberghan

...Talk to Dan . . . Dan's the man, and he loves to share.

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Thanks, Tom; I will do that!

Happy trails,

Randy

TR Dockery - Posted - 10/21/2013:  07:36:29

Dan Knowles--

If you see this message, I sent you a PM through the BHO on this subject, if you have time to respond.  I have a had a few e-mails sent to me that way and my computer recognized as junk mail; I didn't see it for a few days, so I thought I would just highlight my interest in hearing from you here in case that happens to your e-mail sometimes.

Happy trails,

Randy