RATS

[blackalex1952]

I have had some winter rats find their way into my humidity controlled space and there is some disturbing staining from their urine on two completed soundboards and also on a couple of soundboards which need thicknessing, especially a lovely light (coloured) piece of Alpine spruce. The issue? Has anyone found a way to bleach, clean or whatever without removing too much wood? The rat urine has penetrating properties....Cheers! Ross
ps: the rats have since been dispatched to rat heaven. An unpleasant clean up job in the dehumidifier department has been completed....

[kiwigeo]

Yes best you fix this problem..otherwise you're going to end up with a "ratty" sounding guitar

[demonx]

You could try scrubbing with deck cleaner/oxalic acid.

I’d definitely do a test piece first.

I’ve used this before to get mineral staining out of Blackwood.

[blackalex1952]

oxalic acid

Yes, of course!!!

otherwise you're going to end up with a "ratty" sounding guitar

Well, a recent build rattled due to a loose brace! Ha ha! I now check all brace gluing with a feeler guage prior to assembly.
Rats love a warm environment in winter. Where I live there are many rats, in summer they forage and in winter they sit around in places like my rh controlled environment. The reason it got out of control is because I took time out due to illness. I just bought some expanding foam filler to finish blocking up a few access points.

[demonx]

They like warm engine bays too.

A while back I had one decide to make a meal out of the fuel injection wiring harness in my ute. Plenty of rodent bait went into the shed after that incident!