Sanding/finishing light wood

[Themackay]

Made a pen today from one of my laminated blanks quite a lot of light wood in it I was getting a bit of grey discolouration when finishing I am assumming its from the aluminium bushes when sanding what do you more experienced guys do to avoid this.All the pens Iv made so far have been darker wood.

 

[PhillH]

Try Rhynogrip paper or Abranet.

Pretty sure your getting Aluminium discoloration. I got one of those boxes of papers from Axminster to try, 4 different grits in 1 inch wide strips and had the same issue they mark the wood.

Consigned to the decorating box now :nonono:

 

[Twister]

also try a bit of sanding sealer before sanding

may protect it a bit

Steve

 

[Themackay]

I use either the blue abrasive Axminster sell or Arbranet I used a combination of both today.

 

[Buckeye]

Make yourself some finishing cones so that you won't be sanding the bushes if you still wish to sand with metal bushes in place then plenty of sanding sealer on the wood.

Peter

 

[PhillH]

Oooh good point didnt think of transfer off the bushes.

 

[Phil Dart]

Use a tack cloth. It's the woodturner's best friend and I'm surprised no-one has mentioned it before.

Sorry guys, but the type of abrasive you use won't make a blind bit of difference. It's still transferring metal bushing to wooden barrel no matter who makes it or what it's called. Rub the tack cloth vigorously with the grain with the lathe stopped and as if by magic - no alluminium marks any more. Don't do it with the lathe running or you'll rub it in even more. Also excellent for removing every last trace of dust from the previous grit before moving on, if you really want to up the ante in the smooth shiny stakes.

 

[Themackay]

Thanks Phil not something I have used any tack cloth do or you reccomend anything specific

 

[jameshj]

Im with Phil, Tack cloth. also i make my bushes out of stainless steel, less metal dust
JHJ

 

[Penpal]

I cured this problem by never ever using aluminium bushes especially when using acrylics with brasso or metal polish a bitter lesson I learned in the army polishing the brass on my belts I always did that with the belt stripped so brass bushes for me are a no no also. Search around lots of hollow tube stainless you can make your own from.

Peter.

 

[Themackay]

OK so next job get some stainless and tack cloths then

 

[chas_41_uk]

I'd go with what Phil says

 

[donwatson]

Alan,
You can sand the blank between centres and you won't get a problem. After a demo. from Mark Raby I have always used a tack cloth between sanding with each grit

 

[wm460]

Looks like every thing has been covered here,

 

[Walter]

Looks like every thing has been covered here,

Sure does, to summarise:

The problem is staining from the metal bushes, to avoid it:

Make yourself some finishing cones so that you won't be sanding the bushes

or:

sand the blank between centres and you won't get a problem

and:

Use a tack cloth.

 

[Neil]

My sixpennyworth, I use an orange nyweb with the grain, at 600 grit it gets into the grain and gives it a good clean out. can't see that cleaning between the grits will do any good, but it can't do any harm,

I only use.one grit of paper on a pen intended for a ca finish, there is little point in sanding above 240 if you are going to coat it with glue, but if using friction polish, I take it to 400, exceptionally 600. The bushes get coated with a thin layer of glue anyway so this benefits in that the bushes are not exposed to paper regularity anyway. The bushes are guidelines only and normally you shouldn't be turning absolutely flush anyway. Sanding doesn't have to be a forceful test of strength.

My point above, I think most people sand too much!

I used to get discolouring when turning light walnut or zebrano as the polish was cleaning the bushes and dumping the crap on the wood. Probably did it on other woods but it didn't show. Swapped to a spray sanding sealer and problem went away.