Can u get sharpie off of your uke?

UkeToaster

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My friend got a sharpie line on his uke and long story short it dried and he wants to be cautious with the wood and is just wondering how to get it off. it is a concert 2010 kamaka.
 
Aloha Uketoaster,
On his Kamaka......depends if he has a satin or gloss finish..I guess..
What was he thinking...MM Stan...
 
As per request:

the rest of this tragedy:
He's an artist, and if you know artists, they are quite messy! he has pictures and ink pens everywhere and art supplies all over his table. So his uke gets into the equation in his "art studio" and from there he doesn't know how the line (about 3/4 of an inch long) got on his uke..although he says he was using a sharpie for work that day...poor guy.
 
I cannot stress enough, Although it is not recommended...I'd try to test some cleaning agents first...maybe on an unnoticable place to see if it reacts with the finish....just a small spot...
if no reaction...you know what to do....Ie fantastic, 409... just lucky it was not bare wood....Good Luck!!
 
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Denatured Alcohol (get it at Lowe's). Mark a tile or countertop or something and try it and watch it work. Like mentioned above if you try it on the uke try it on a unnoticable spot. I use dnatured alchol on wood working projects all the time, all different types of finishes with now problems.
 
does the type of wood differentiate the effect the alcohol would have on it?
 
He's an artist, and if you know artists, they are quite messy! So his uke gets into the equation in his "art studio" and from there he doesn't know

So, not so tragic after all. It was inevitable, and I'm looking forward to more stories about the "art stuff" that ends up on his uke that is lying around, that happens to be a Kamaka.
 
Your safest bet would be to use some fine rubbing compound to remove the mark. They will not attack the finish, in fact the last operation for a gloss finish is to rub it out. I use Mequires #2 fine rubbing compound as a last step in the finishing process. If he gets some, he can use it later to remove fine scratches and other marks,

Brad
 
does the type of wood differentiate the effect the alcohol would have on it?

No, not the type of wood. The type of finish is what you have to worry about. If it is a non-porous surfaces (aka: Glossy finish) then the denatured alcohol will take it off. I make ink pens as a hobby: http://www.smithspenco.com and use denatured alcohol all the time when I apply my finishes to the pens. Lacquer, friction polishes, acrylics. I use denatured alcohol to clean before, during, and after sanding and polishing, no problems.

With that being said if all you have is a small line of sharpie on the uke I'd give it a shot. If the artistic friend tried to put a bunch of sharpie on it trying to create a masterpiece than you probably gonna end up with a mess from the sharpie smearing no matter what you do. Regardless I'd give the denatured alcohol a shot specially since you have a gloss finish on the uke. Test an area on the back for safety and if the finish holds up, give it a go.

Do a web search on using denatured alcohol to clean permanent marker. There's a ton of info.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sharpie_(marker)
 
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I've used 3M rubbing compound to get sharpie off a uke before. I bought a used one for cheap, and it had the person's name written at the base of the neck. Scrubbed it for a few minutes, and it was gone. Magic! It had the side effect of turning the satin finish to a gloss finish though. And not quite a pleasant smooth gloss, but somewhat of a sticky gloss that I don't like on the neck. Could always buff that back to a silk finish with some extra fine automotive sandpaper though...I was just too lazy.
 
He should leave the mark on the ukulele, and leave the ukulele in the studio. In a few years, it will look like a Jackson Pollock.
 
Believe it or not I've taken permanent marker off of a child's guitar with toothpaste! It was abrasive enough to remove the ink and didn't damage the gloss finish at all. Have used #3 fine polishing compound from stew mac to remove slight scratches from guitars, mandolins. That might work too.
 
After you get the mark off, tell him to put that bad boy in a case or this will be a constant process.
 
I had a similar misfortune. I loaned my first uke, my beater, to my girlfriends brother for a while. It was great when I got it back, just havinga uke I could keep at hand again, not worring if it got knocked or banged. Anyway, I decided one day to write how much I loved my girlfriend on it in biro, thinking what a nice thing it was to do. Anyway, I thought it would rub off but it didn't. It's not such a problem as I was gonna paint it anyway, but I thought it was such a nice thing to do I didn't mind it being there. So much so it'd actually be a shame to paint it now. Then again, it's a huge contrast between a cheapie beater and a new Kamaka. Just thought I'd share!...

If all else fails, with him being an artist maybe he could put some design on it!? Atleast he'll have a unique uke and you never know, it may just look awesome!?...
 
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