Pros and Cons if you would

[rkimery]

I consider myself still somewhat a newbie. This is why I have so many questions I guess. I am talking about "sanding down" the blank to ready the new creation for a finish. Yes, I want to get to a point where very little sanding is needed using better tool technique. I also know there are different ways to finish. Questions about finshing maybe later...

Here's what I am getting to:

What are the thoughts about using 0000 Steel Wool vs. 600 grit Sandpaper (or finer) or MM before say a CA finish on wood?

Steel Wool on any pen making or sanding?

Do I need the 0000 Steel Wool at all?

I have seen on some posts on IAP that "No Steel Wool touched this...". I have darkened some and/or ruint some lighter woods with the 0000 Wool and have learned lessons from that. I feel I have better results using the 0000 Wool on acrylics and plastics, even antler and bone. Perhaps some of you may use sandpaper to a higher grit? Especially on woods and again before the untimate finish. Let me know...

You replies are very much appreciated.
Thanx,
Randy

 

[Drstrangefart]

I use a Woodturner's Sanding pack. It had 5 different grits of sandpaper. If I don't have a substance that I can sand, I use a skew to smooth the surface, and then build up a really thick coat of CA and then polish it smooth with the MicroMesh.

 

[sbell111]

I never use steel wool, but my wife swears by it for some materials.

To each his (or her) own...

 

[Rick_G]

I sand wood to 600 grit, apply my CA finish then smooth it with 1500 grit then plastic polish. Acrylics I just wet sand to 1500 and then plastic polish.

 

[Tage]

Well take my response with a grain of salt since I'm a newbie myself. I sand 220 (if needed) through 600. Apply finish and micromesh through 12000.

You asked for pros and cons....I can't really see any pro to steel wool. Possible cons are: 1) Possible bits of steel wool in your blank, 2) Safety - I could see the steel wool getting wrapped around a spinning blank.

 

[ctubbs]

I believe you can get the surface too smooth for a finish to adhere well. Others are just as firm in their belief that I am dead wrong. That said, if the final surface is not smooth enough, every scratch will show in the finish. A finish does not hide anything, it only serves to highlight any imperfection in the surface.
Personally, I do not use steel wool on anything wood. Some woods, Oak in particular, will stain if any ferric metal stays in contact for a time or gets wet. Rather than take that chance, when I really need some SW, I use a 3M pad. It will not cause the staining problem and does not stick in your fingers.
Sandpaper comes in many versions. For rough sanding, I use Nortons or some other light colored grit paper, for finish sanding, above CAME 600, I use MM. I have heard very good things about Abranet, probably spelled wrong.
Charles

 

[Holz Mechaniker]

I was taught to NEVER!!!!! EVER!!!!!!!! Bring a Rag or Steel Wool to a lathe.


That is all.

 

[Sylvanite]

I use steel wool to shine up metal turnings, but not wood. It can stain bare wood. Steel wool is sometimes preferable to sandpaper to knock down high spots on a finish. I use it on flat work, but prefer to sand CA finishes on the lathe.

Regards,
Eric

 

[IPD_Mr]

I was taught to NEVER!!!!! EVER!!!!!!!! Bring a Rag or Steel Wool to a lathe.


That is all.

Amen

 

[KenV]

I will confess -- I use non woven pads == red, light grey, and white. to prep the wood.

One approach I use with great regularity - I learned from a really good turner (Robert Rosand) he takes all wood to 600 grit and then moves to finish. I get to 400 or 600 and go to the non-woven materials -- and then to finish. Flat light across the surface for scratches is good before finishes are applied.

 

[AultMan]

Sand Paper is not your enemy

It is true that good techniques can help you use less sand paper on some turnings. But, there are also a lot of types of wood where the grain tears a lot no matter how talented you are. Just get used to the idea that you are going to have to sand. Once you learn good techniques with sand paper, and which sand paper to buy, it takes hardly any time at all. I'm pretty aggressive with sand paper. I wear a glove to reduce heat and wrap the paper most of the way around the blank.

A sharp skew chisel held of top of the pen provides a delicate cut that is easily controlled. Just put the edge perpendicular to the pen blank and then roll the tool gently until it starts to cut. Imagine if it were a knife blade making a slice, not a scrape.

I have found that going back to wood working basics can reduce sand paper use. Remember being taught to sand with the grain? That is the opposite of what a lathe does. Once I get to 360 grit, I turn off the lathe and sand with 600 grit by hand. If you go with the grain, that is as far as I ever need to go to get a perfect finish.

I also bought a buffing wheel for my lathe. When I turn acrylic, I sand to 360 grit and then let the buffer do the rest of the work. It works perfect every time.

Just my thoughts. Attached is a picture of the skew chisel and buffer.

 

[Rmartin]

I was taught to NEVER!!!!! EVER!!!!!!!! Bring a Rag or Steel Wool to a lathe.


That is all.

Amen

A second Amen to that. If you want to keep your fingers, don't use anything that can wrap around the turning and pull you in with it.

 

[Sylvanite]

If you want to keep your fingers, don't use anything that can wrap around the turning and pull you in with it.

When I use steel wool at the lathe, I cut off a piece that is too small to wrap around the turning.

Regards,
Eric

 

[76winger]

I've used Steel Wool on bowls, but only after a few layers of finish have been applied, and only at a VERY low speed (my Shopsmith's minimum with a speed reducer is 100 rpm).

I've never used it on pens though. With Micro Mesh, there's really no need for it.