Strange Dark Mold on Binding

[marcellis]

On my D60, there was a scratched part on the upper-bout binding. It's the result of a tumble
it took one evening.

In time, I noticed this scratched part would turn very dark, blue/black. I attribute this to some
kind of mold. I live in a hot tropical climate.

The mold comes off with rubbing, fingernail, sand-paper, or nail file.
But it keeps coming back. And each time I remove it, I'm removing some
of the binding surface.

Is there a fluid or a friction-free way to prevent this from growing back?

I have no pics right now, as I just got done removing it again.

But in a couple of months, it will be back.

It is not on the wood finish. It appears to be isolated on the binding.

 

[Taylor Martin Guild]

Strange.
You might give some Naptha a try.

 

[taabru45]

Clear nail polish is lacquer. I'd try a little layer there, should seal it from temping opportunistic little life forms.... you could also probably clean it with a little ammonia on a cue tip... that will kill the mold on contact....Steffan

 

[RussB]

I got nothing for the mold, but I just want to say you did a fine job on the D-25! 8)

 

[marcellis]

Thanks everyone. I will try naptha & then seal it with nail sealer.

It's a very strange thing, some kind of fungus maybe. I don't know why.
If the binding is some kind of plastic, why would it be susceptible to organic fungus?

Strange.

 

[taabru45]

Thanks everyone. I will try naptha & then seal it with nail sealer.

It's a very strange thing, some kind of fungus maybe. I don't know why.
If the binding is some kind of plastic, why would it be susceptible to organic fungus?

Strange.

With all the biological 'research' going on behind closed doors....for weapons etc, I'd not be surprised to see more and more weird 'lifeforms' like that escaping out of the lab...I know there are some very weird skin conditions that are barely being acknowledged except by those who suffer with it....(Morgelleons is a condition like that)
Now if you are feeling brave here is something else you can do....get some Food Grade diatomaceous Earth, and put a tiny amount of superglue into the crack then sprinkle some of the light tan colored earth on to it and wipe it off...this is a natural substance that is microscopic skeleton of plankton...and it is a natural 'killer' of insects, etc....I've done this to raise the groove in my guitar nut...makes almost invisible repair....its a fascinating product... I've even cleared some skin problems by adding some to a moisturizer....there you go....and I'm sounding crazy.......again... :lol: :lol: Steffan

 

[capnjuan]

Bleach ... it kills mold ... fungus ... fungii; use a q-tip. I can't guarantee it won't melt finish lacquer on the binding but if it did, it could be touched up with fingernail polish.

 

[davismanLV]

At the risk of ruffling feathers, I will say that bleach is a highly corrosive agent and though somewhat effective with molds, a much better and safer solution is to use vinegar. Plain white vinegar. Better for people and things. I have a gallon under my bathroom sink and use it for cleaning, which it excels at. It's great in laundry too. Makes your clothes white and clean and fresh-smelling. If you use a chlorine bleach on your whites, add some vinegar to the rinse water to neutralize the pH. Vinegar is like a miracle cleaner and it's safe and non-toxic. Strange that the mold would attack a non-porous binding material, but whatever you use must also touch the wood, so you'd have to be careful. I have had a lot of success with vinegar in the past. I have an idea that once it's sealed off from the air, the problem will stop. Just one guys opinion..... Tom in Vegas

 

[capnjuan]

Bleach/chlorine: if it were so hard on plastics, why is it sold in plastic bottles?

I agree that vinegar is easier on the nose than bleach ... I mean, if I had nose mold, I'd probably squirt vinegar up there and not bleach.

 

[davismanLV]

HAAAAAA HAAAAAA!!! That's true, capnjuan!! But I was thinking about any that might touch the wood. In the final reckoning, both items are a bit toxic. It's just that one is at the BASE end of the pH spectrum, and the vinegar is at the ACID side of the scale. Anything that's pH neutral would probably just serve as mold food..... :shock:

I guess in the end you just have to choose your poison. I hate to think what would happen to any wood with bleach left on it, or vinegar for that matter.

Maybe we should look for a mold preventative that's sold in WOODEN bottles?? :lol:

I guess you have to just be careful either way. Tom in Vegas

 

[capnjuan]

Hi Tom; we have a lot of mold in So FL ... I pretty much said the first thing that came to mind because it's what people here use to deal with it. If the mold wipes off but comes back, it suggests some contamination in cracks or crannies in any/all of the finish, binding, or wood. If the protection of the finish has been compromised, then half-measures aren't going to do much good.

Hi Marc; if it's a mold or fungus, I'd want to know that it was completely gone before I risked entombing it under lacquer where, if it blossomed again, I'd have trouble getting at it.

 

[davismanLV]

Well, capnjuan, living where you do, you have WAY more experience in it than I do here in the land of single digit humidity levels, although we do get some.... but certainly not much. I must defer to your expertise in this area. Plus being a boating captain and all, I figure you've dealt with this before. Thank GOD scorpions don't infest guitars...... DO THEY?? :shock: Awwww, jeeze.... now I've gotta go inspect the guitars for scorpions!!! Sheesh..... why do I do this to myself? Tom in Vegas

 

[capnjuan]

Hi Tom: Marc's an ex-pat and he lives closer to the equator than I do ... but we have high heat and humidity in common. Next to a radio, bleach is a captain's best friend for cleaning cockpit decks, cabins, and heads.

The stuff in indispensable around the house for cleaning stucco, fences, patios ... and ... heads :wink:

 

[taabru45]

John, what strength do you use it, and do you follow with a clean damp cloth to prevent any bleaching? Steffan

 

[capnjuan]

John, what strength do you use it, and do you follow with a clean damp cloth to prevent any bleaching? Steffan

Hi Steffan; for jobs outside, I cut it to 25-30% to save a buck or two on the bleach but used occasionally at full strength and provided you hose it off, bleach does less damage to painted surfaces here than the sun does. It does a good job on fiberglass gel-coat although oxalic acid does better.

 

[charliea]

I'm sure sorry I read this thread. I've always shaken my shoes for the nasty arachnids, and wouldn't reach under a rock in my yard on a bet, without looking first. Now I've gotta start checking my guitars for scorpions! Bummer, but beats a surprise in my lap, I guess.

 

[fronobulax]

I'm sure sorry I read this thread. I've always shaken my shoes for the nasty arachnids, and wouldn't reach under a rock in my yard on a bet, without looking first. Now I've gotta start checking my guitars for scorpions! Bummer, but beats a surprise in my lap, I guess.

You are aware, of course, that several people have reported finding rattlesnake rattles in their guitars. Curiously they never explained how they got there...

 

[davismanLV]

I assume you remove scorpions the same way you remove a pick dropped inside the guitar..... just make sure you're wearing shoes when it falls out..... :wink: Tom in Vegas

 

[adorshki]

Bleach ... it kills mold ... fungus ... fungii; use a q-tip. I can't guarantee it won't melt finish lacquer on the binding but if it did, it could be touched up with fingernail polish.

Bleach=sodium hypochlorite=equals hyper salted water. Same effect on NCL as acidic salty sweat. I'd excercise extreme caution if I couldn't think of something else guaranteed to wipe out mold, then seal with nail polish as quickly as possible. Make sure the nail polish lists NCL as an ingredient, Sally Hansen's does. :wink:
It does sound like mold, perhaps something in the binding is yielding nutrients for it.
Or it came from outer space and eats plastic.
Hmmmm....maybe we could domesticate it?

 

[adorshki]

Now I've gotta start checking my guitars for scorpions! Bummer, but beats a surprise in my lap, I guess.

You are aware, of course, that several people have reported finding rattlesnake rattles in their guitars. Curiously they never explained how they got there...

Prob'ly went in there chasing a mouse. THERE'S a good reason to keep 'em in their cases! :lol:

Next to a radio, bleach is a captain's best friend....the stuff in indispensable around the house for cleaning stucco, fences, patios ... and ... heads :wink:

Remember what the dormouse said? "Clean your head....clean your head...!!" 8)