CA over sanding dust

[budnder]

For the last several months, my normal finishing process has been to sand 400 & 600, clean with alcohol, then apply a couple of layers of thin CA, then repeat with medium CA, then sand up through the micro mesh grits, then Novus 2, and finally Novus 1. Depending on what it looks like, I might throw another round of thin or medium in if I don't think I've built up enough of a coating.

Tonight I was working with a piece of spalted, stabalized wood that had alot of pin holes and tiny fill issues. Normally I try to fill these with CA right before I make the final passes with my skew, but I either missed them or they didn't emerge until the last pass or two. They showed up when I sanded because the sanding dust filled them in. Instead of cleaning with the alcohol, I just put my CA coats on with the sanding dust on the blank. The sanding dust darkened up when the CA hit it and filled in the holes/cracks nicely.

Maybe it still makes sense to clean the sanding dust off before the last CA application, but I'm thinking that skipping the alcohol cleaning on the first thin application might actually be a benefit.

Anybody else clean or not clean sanding dust before CA?

 

[jttheclockman]

I Always clean after sanding. Any pits are filled between thin and med. I do not want sanding dust to cause specks that need more sanding. To fill holes it is OK to use your method. Just the way I do things.

 

[Ted iin Michigan]

Depends on the wood and what needs done. Have used sanding dust to do what you're doing. On other woods, it's an isssue. Example: Wenge is a coarse, open grained wood. Much like oak. But much darker. I need to clear ALL dust before CA or the pores will sporadically finish up white. Some white, some dark. Looks awful. So I use compressed air, acetone or alcohol first.

 

[budnder]

Yeah, that's what I was worried about - the dust finishing up white. I thought I had that problem happen to me before, but maybe it was on a resin blank rather than a wood blank.

 

[terry q]

Doesn't address your comment but this is what I do for all wood, stabilized wood that is porous. I wet sand with thin CA. Build a slurry, drag it across the spinning blank, wipe/rub the bulk away with a paper towel, sand to finish. I use 180 grit and wear a rubber glove.