Dust when sanding

[sandking]

Last night I attempted my third pen. I made it out of a bloodwood blank but have a question.

When I turned a plastic pen, I noticed little white dots in some places. I assume this was dust and I couldn't figure out what to do to get it out.

Last night I tried something. I used denatured alcohol between sanding grits to try and removed dust. It seemed to work on the bloodwood.

My question is three fold:

1) does denatured alcohol on a paper towel really remove the dust in the grain or is it my eyes?

2) is that the proper way to remove dust particles from the blank before putting on a thin CA finish?

3) will using this method work with the plastic to remove the white specs of dust?

 

[tnilmerl]

To verify that you are removing dust, look at your paper towel. Is is clean afterwards? I wash down all my wood blanks with mineral spirits after sanding, but DNA is good too. Based on the wood type, acetone or DNA are better than mineral spirits. Oily woods are best cleaned with DNA or acetone before finishing. Helps with finish adhesion.

Don't know if there is a 'proper' way to remove dust. On furniture, people recommend a tack cloth. Nvered tried that on pens. But, if it works for you, and you get good results, then use whatever method you are comfortable performing.

As far as plastics, I wet-sand all of mine, and simply wipe the slurry off between grits. I wouldn't recommend acetone-based cleaners on some plastics as the material 'may' react with the acetone (i.e. if you used CA to glue up a blank).

 

[ctEaglesc]

The white specs are sanding dust.
I used to use DNA but it also has water in in.
I don't add water to ANY wood blanks.(Its just a thing with me, some get great results with their methodsI just don't like the idea)
I have switched to compressed air with a pin hole nozzle.
If you ever try a CA finish and don't get those specks out you will soon learn to be meticulous in removing them)

 

[sandking]

I was trying to avoid the compressed air as I didn't want to make a huge dust cloud.

 

[Rifleman1776]

There have always been a lot of comments about denatured alcohol, often referred to as DNA. Being curious as to exactly what DNA is, I Googled it and found out precisley that.....it isn't EXACTLY anything. Generally, it is ethanol that has methanol OR OTHER ingredients added to make it unpalatable. Rubbing alcohol is a cheaper product usually diluted to only 70% with water. DNA may or may not have water in it, depending on the manufacturer. Generally, water is not added to DNA but a flat statement that water is never added would be innacurate. Equally inacurate would be a flat statement that DNA does have water in it. What you buy from Walgreen's might be different that what comes from Wal-Mart or Home Depot. What I have does have a tendancy to raise grain on wood, indicating to me that mine contains water or has adsorbed some from the air.

 

[Jerryconn]

I use air with the pin hole nozzle like Eagle, then use DNA and air again, As soon as I am happy with the blank I seal it with CA or SS.

 

[Ron in Drums PA]

Alcohol asorbs water right from the atomshere.
In a perfect enviroment, if you left a can of DNA open long enough, it would turn to water. (ok, maybe I'm stretching that a bit)

Typically, a fresh can of DNA has about 3% water.
You can buy 99% pure DNA at $40-$50 per gallon. (this pure is only used in labs)

The only time I use DNA on wood is when it is mixed it with shellac

 

[johneaton]

Are you wet sanding. I'll bet you aren't. Wet sand plastic. Lay some cloth on the carriage below the mandrel rod to catch the drip. Use the colored pads (I forget what they're called) rather than real sand paper. Most suppliers sell a version of it. I do lots of Corian (a type of plastic). The scrap is free from local countertop makers, and it wet sands beautifully. Good luck. John Eaton

 

[Skye]

Also, when wiping down with DNA, do it with the grain, bushing to bushing as well.