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[penbros]

i turned an oak pen with bubinga bands i turned the pen fine, sanded to 400 fine and then i went to MM 600 i believe it is blue. i stopped the lathe and noticed blue dust in the open grain of the oak so i tried to clean it with water and then sanded some more. its black now and wont wash off with soap and water. is there any way that i can get them out or should i forget about it?

 

[DCBluesman]

If you have access to an air compressor, let everything dry thoroughly and blow it out good. Re-sand since the grain will be raised and then blow out the dust again. Good luck.

 

[penbros]

i dont have an air compressor though

 

[Ligget]

I don`t have a compressor either, so I use the cans of spray air that people use to blow dust out of their computer keyboards.

 

[clthayer]

Because of the tanic acid in oak, it turns blue to black when it comes in contact with metal. Butternut will do this as well. I have not seen this in dry oak, only in green.

Christian

 

[penbros]

thats pretty cool to know!

wait woulld DNA help?

 

[redfishsc]

Red oak, even kiln dried, will darken on contact with water. You have to be really careful with veneered plywood (like on the cabinets I make) cleaning up glue runs, b/c the water in the rag you use will darken the oak in that spot, and it's hard to sand out.


Grab some black dye and dye the whole pen "ebonized". You can also do this by soaking some steel wool in some vinegar. Rub that concoction on the pen after the stuff has sat and stewed for a couple of days. It'll blacken it right up like ebony.

 

[Rifleman1776]

As you found out, oak has an open grain. That makes it less than desirable for pens IMHO. Nuttin' but trubble. Finish best you can, keep pen in your shop then make another with a different wood.

 

[RussFairfield]

No air compressoe?? Use a stiff bristle scrub brush. An old tooth brush is about right for a pen.

Some of would call the darker color in the open grain an "enhancement" and leave it there, or use black shoe polish to fill in the grain.

 

[airrat]

Im with Russ on this one, I use a new toothbrush, my wife yelled at me when I asked where an old one was.