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Tutorial on agin a Les Paul knob

nicolasrivera

Les Paul Froum Member
Joined
Jan 8, 2009
Messages
964
As promised, here it is the agin knob tutorial.

This is the new knob, it is a speed knob, i'm out of new bell knobs. :(

New-knob-example.jpg



This are the ingredients:

I use 3 acrylic paints, a gold colored similar to the knobs gold tone, white and a deep green color. Paint thinner is a very important ingredient, brown and black leather dyes, one or 2 fine brushes, some Qtips and some plastic cups.

Ingredients.jpg



I like to soften the hard edges of the knobs a little with sand paper 320 grit first, then 600 and then 1500 grit, juts to imitate the ware your fingers will do to them over time:

Softening-the-edges.jpg


Do a 70% brown-30%black mix in a plastic cup and then use a tip to apply it to the knob let it set for 5 minutes and them use another tip with thinner to take off the dye, this will take most of but some will be impregnated into the plastic given it an very light amber tone.

Leather-dye-mix.jpg


Applying-leather-dye-to-knob-.jpg



Now we need to loosen a little the gold interior paint but be careful not to remove it, to do this just use another tip with thinner and apply it directly to the gold paint in a very light manner, don hurry this and just let it work, use the sun to see thru the paint, you will see how it is loosen, do this to your own liking:

Softening-interior-paint-with-thinn.jpg


The next step and final one is to paint the inside of the know to give it the amber/green aged look. To make the gold paint look a little darker or amber use the leather dye mix and put in 50% of thinner in to the cup, use the fine brush and paint you way inside the knob. After that put the green, white and gold paint on top of a piece of paper and mix green with white to make a lighter green:

paint-mix-for-interior-of-knob.jpg


This is how the interior looks with the "knew paint":

interior-finished.jpg
 
Last edited:

nicolasrivera

Les Paul Froum Member
Joined
Jan 8, 2009
Messages
964
Now for the finished images, this is an easy way to make cool looking age knobs, use a large keychain to hit the knob and make it look more distressed, i did not do this on this knob.

aged-and-new.jpg

Aged-know-and-new-knob.jpg


knew-knob-on-guitar.jpg

aged-know-on-guitar.jpg



Hope you like this tutorial.

Nico.
 

Henk

New member
Joined
Jul 9, 2009
Messages
836
:3zone

Your knobs are pieces of art Nicolas!

This can only be done with gold knobs right?
 

nicolasrivera

Les Paul Froum Member
Joined
Jan 8, 2009
Messages
964
:3zone

Your knobs are pieces of art Nicolas!

This can only be done with gold knobs right?

Thanks Henk, really appreciated.:salude

Mmmm i have one black speed knob, but i haven't seen how those they age with time.

What other knobs do you have in mind?

Nico.
 
R

R9.

Guest
I like 'em better when they looked new but that's just me. :hank
 

SuperReal

Member
Joined
Apr 7, 2007
Messages
372
Well, it's a look. I've never seen a real old knob that looked anything like that. The old ones seem to get amber in the clear areas. I'm not sure the modern plastic formulations will do that. (I left a new set of gold speed knobs outside in the sun for a year, just for the hell of it.....nothing!)
 

Henk

New member
Joined
Jul 9, 2009
Messages
836
Thanks Henk, really appreciated.:salude

Mmmm i have one black speed knob, but i haven't seen how those they age with time.

What other knobs do you have in mind?

Nico.

Ill try and make a few pics of the old knobs i have here when i have the time, most just look less shiny and ambered though.

Yours are just unique, not vintage correct, but me likes anyway!

Ill give it a shot someday, thanks for the turtorial, really appreciate it.
 

DHBucker

Active member
Joined
Jul 18, 2007
Messages
2,367
I think Nico has left the building unfortunatly......I haven't seen him in a while and he deleted alot of his own posts....
 

nicolasrivera

Les Paul Froum Member
Joined
Jan 8, 2009
Messages
964
I,m still here dude, been busy.

Moderators have the power to delete, i dont, my posts have been closed.

But if you want i can repost my extremly super original vintage 1990 les paul!! :)
 

nicolasrivera

Les Paul Froum Member
Joined
Jan 8, 2009
Messages
964
I,m still here dude, been busy.

Moderators have the power to delete, i dont, my posts have been closed.

But uf yoy want i can repost my extremly super original vintage 1990 les paul!! :)
 

Ed Driscoll

Les Paul Forum Member
Joined
Apr 24, 2002
Messages
4,691
Not to necrobump, but is there any way we can get the pics back up on this thread? :)

I'm seeing most if not all of them; you might need to add the photobucket hotlink fix to your browser. Google that phrase to see which add-on it needs.
 
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