Pen blanks getting black residue

[PolishPenTurner]

Hello,
I'm new to pen turning (I've only turned 3-4 pens so far) but I'm really enjoying it. I recently turned a curly maple pen blank and it was looking pretty good until I did the sanding and finishing work. I'm not sure exactly when it happened...but at some point in the sanding or finishing process the edges of the pen barrels picked up a black residue and really makes the pen look like crap. Here's my finishing process:
- Sand with strips (from Rockler) from 100 - 400 grit
- Then I use the 3 lowest levels of micro-mesh pads (with water)
- Spread on EEE Ultra Shine paste and work that into the pen blank at between 600-700rpms
- Apply 3-4 coats of Aussie Oil friction finish
I'm certain the black stains were on the curly maple when I applied the Aussie oil so I've ruled that out but I honestly don't recall if it happened while sanding or when applying the EEE.

I'm using the standards slimline bushings that come with the pen turning kit I ordered from Rockler and I'm wondering if it is a chemical reaction with the bushings. If anybody has experienced this please share.
Thanks,
Jeff

 

[alan morrison]

Jeff, it sounds like you have transferred metal when sanding from your bushes onto your pen blank.
If you have enough beef left on the blank you can take a few light turns with a sharp tool and start again.
When sanding something like maple you are better using nylon bushes.
Welcome to the forum, by the way.
Alan

 

[flexi]

Alan's beat me to it!!
I avoid touching my bushes as best as possible especially with light woods.... You can turn your own cone centers out of plastic rod or ptfe for peanuts great for CA finishing too...
Welcome to the forum also... Enjoy your journey

 

[Hallelujahal]

Welcome Jeff the previous answers just about cover it… I found it disconcerting when nearly finished to suddenly discover a horrible dark stain in the wood. Usually it’s transfer of metal debris whilst sanding. All you can do is cut back a little and re-sand.

 

[Bammer]

The 100 grit is causing the problem, far too coarse. You really shouldn't need to go under 240, depending on your tool finish you could start at 320.

With 100 grit you'll be need a new set of bushes every 3 or 4 pens

 

[Penpal]

Heavy handing in there mate ,keep off the bushes,you have used a multi process ,hard to diagnose but transfer between coats etc require cleanliness.

 

[Penpal]

Welcome Jeff from hot Australia enjoy the forum even though you are up to your ears in snow.

 

[Phil Dart]

Welcome to the Forum Jeff.

Others have explained why you're seeing a black residue, but it is often possible to remove it. If you think about it, every time you sand, you end up dragging some residue from the bushes onto the surface of the blank, but by the same token, the action of sanding is also removing from the surface the residue that appeared from the previous grit.

The residue is only less than skin deep. What you are seeing at the end of the process is the residue from the last grit you used - the residue from previous grits has been sanded off by subsequent grits, and in my experience, a rub with a tack cloth or with some of the shavings from the blank before you start your finishing process will often get rid of it.

The caveat to that is your use of water, which will wash that residue into the wood and make it into a stain rather than just a residue.

I'm not sure that wet sanding is necessary on wooden blanks. I certainly wouldn't bother with water on a wooden blank - it causes more problems than it solves in my opinion, and I'm not sure you would be able to tell the difference at the level to which you're sanding, which is the equivalent of about 2000 grit, between one that's been dry sanded and one that's been wet sanded unless it was under fairly strong magnification. 2000 grit is way beyond what I personally would bother sanding to, and you're going to have a super-fine surface in any case, with or without the water.

 

[Bill Mooney]

It’s all been said. Phil beat me to it. Water & wood is a bad combination.
Welcome to the family Jeff, enjoy your journey.

 

[sbwertz]

A little acetone on a cloth will often take it off very hard wood, but if the wood is soft or porous it will make it worse!