50 shades of rosewood

[Guido]

Got a rosewood fingerboard on a violin that needs a new nut. Made one from a piece of rosewood I had around. The fingerboard is very dark, the nut very light.

While I can think of several ways to darken the nut, I was wondering if someone has experience with adjusting the shade of rosewood.

[Andreas Preuss]

All sorts of possible solutions run through my head. Just oil seems not enough in your case. Maybe some acid can darken rosewood but could risk to change the hue of the color in the wrong direction. In the worst case you can apply color with a brown marker pen.

[FoxMitchell]

I would go with dyes. Water-based in my experience are easier to control, but may rub off in areas that will be touched regularly. Spirit-based dyes are more permanent, but a lot easier to mess up.

[Mark Norfleet]

Wet sand it, let it dry and then oil it and wait a day or two.  You might be surprised at how much it darkens.

Next time, orient the grain 90% from what you've done so that it's perpendicular to that of the fingerboard.

[Blank face]

I can see no fault in making a usual ebony nut here.

[joerobson]

Call me...I have some rosewood color extract.

on we go,

Joe

[Guido]

10 hours ago, Mark Norfleet said:

Wet sand it, let it dry and then oil it and wait a day or two.  You might be surprised at how much it darkens.

Next time, orient the grain 90% from what you've done so that it's perpendicular to that of the fingerboard.

Rotating the grain 90' makes a lot of sense, thanks for the tip.

I did micromesh/ polish it and that alone has made it look considerably darker.

Then, as I was cleaning the violin with Jacobs violin polish (which has oil in it) I rubbed it over the nut, too, and it got darker again (and has stayed that way since).

I quite like the look of it now and may or may not try to match the fingerboard.

10 hours ago, Blank face said:

I can see no fault in making a usual ebony nut here.

Of course, just aesthetic preferences...