Cleaning Ink from Guitar

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invisiblenemies

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If I needed to clean some permanent marker (sharpie) from my mahogany Martin D15, how would I go about doing that?

I would really like to avoid sanding the body if possible.
 
Try a product called Goof Off, found in the paint section of most hardware stores. It shouldn't touch the lacquer, but I would test on an inconspicuous spot first, then maybe remove the ink with a Q-Tip...

I also found that Spray-N-Wash works pretty good with your standard ball-point inks...

Eric
 
invisiblenemies said:
If I needed to clean some permanent marker (sharpie) from my mahogany Martin D15, how would I go about doing that?

I would really like to avoid sanding the body if possible.
Click to expand...

I'm dying to know the story behind this.

You might also try WD40. You'd be amazed at all the stuff it does.
 
Try naphtha (zippo fluid is the same thing). I would be careful with WD40. It's a great product for metals but I don't know what's in it or how it would affect your guitar finish or future finish repairs. Light might know more about WD40.
 
don't use goof off or anything with acetone (or obviously laquer thinner) in it. use only naptha...only!
 
CONFIRMED--Do NOT use Goof Off. I just tried it on some old furniture.

I should know better. mineral spirits will not cut lacquer and is not near as hot as naptha...Being a petroleum distillate it can leave a slight oily residue that might need an extra wipe with a clean dry cloth...

I work with lacquers, alkyds, polyurethanes and epoxies in my line of work. Even if the guitar was coated with any of the aforementioned, mineral spirits will not affect the finish if the finish is cured...

Eric
 
lighter fluid is great (naphtha) it removes glue and ink and all kinds of things without touching the finish.......90% alcohol wont take that sharpie off?
 
stetto is right. mineral spirits is more mild than naptha. i should have suggested that as a first try. it should work
 
using a non-permanent marker over it will act as a solvent on the ink and dissolve it. I had a whiteboard in my office and one of my girls wrote on it with a sharpie, another girl traced it with a non-permanent and it wiped right off.
 
freshmattyp said:
I'm dying to know the story behind this.
Click to expand...

It was a bonehead move on my part. I'll leave it at that.

Thanks to everyone for the response. I'll try some of your suggestions & let you know what happened.
 
soundchaser59 said:
90% alcohol wont take that sharpie off?
Click to expand...

Nope. It lightened it - but I can still see it.

I think it was the industrial sharpie.
 
This might sound weird but... try Go Jo, the stuff mechanics use to remove grease from their hands. It will leave a little oily feeling residue but it is easily cleaned off with Windex and a clean soft cloth.
 
Dani Pace said:
This might sound weird but... try Go Jo...
Click to expand...

Not weird, read the ingredients...Contains mineral spirits...I use it all the time... :cool:

Eric
 
The permanent markers have solvent in them, so they will penetrate the paint. The only way to get it off is to sand it.

I once had a strat, and some guy named "Jimmie Hendricks" wrote his name all over it. I showed him...I just sanded it off. :D
 
just go for the naptha, it wont hurt a cured finish. i am a profesional luthier...i do it all the time.
 
normalizer said:
just go for the naptha, it wont hurt a cured finish. i am a profesional luthier...i do it all the time.
Click to expand...

Though, as someone has pointed out, the Sharpie ink may have penetrated the finish of the guitar. If that's the case (and it sounds to me that it is, since alcohol removes Sharpie ink but left some in this case), then it's a tougher problem to remove it without marring the finish.
 
different solvent bases are subject more to their specific base than others...

From the Sharpie website;Sharpie ink in the Fine, Twin Tip, Chisel and Super is permanent ink. The principle solvents are alcohols, but they also contain ethylene glycol monobutyl ether. All other SHARPIE ink colors are Permchrome ink. For these the principle solvents are also alcohols...

The ink will ONLY penetrate a finish subject to whatever solvent is in the ink. I don't remember alcohol affecting lacquer, but some acoustics are finished with hand rubbed oils, which are susceptible to several solvents...

As I said before, the least aggressive solvent, besides water, that I know of is mineral spirits. I just removed a Sharpie mark I made on a lacquered chair yesterday with a rag dampened with spirits...I lightly rubbed the spot for about 5 seconds, no effect on the finish...

Eric
 
Did this a year or few back... In short NOTHING did the trick very well...

Tied rubbin' alcohol... Nothing Fingernail polish remover got rid of some of it, but did a little damage to the finish.. Being determined at this point I went all out and went with straight acetone... The ink came right off, but so did the finish... Went after the entire face after that with 1000 grit sandpaper to smooth things up and leave a satin finish...

--
Rob
 
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