Sanding

[Freds]

When sanding a pen, I sometimes get dirty makes at the end. I think this is because I get the sandpaper or Micromesh on the bushing and then bring back metal particles onto the wood. I just messed up a beautiful pen of Manzanita and had to start at the beginning to sand and finsh the pen

My question is how do you prevent these Dirty Marks from getting into the wood?

Fred Saunders
Cottonwood, AZ

 

[Blind_Squirrel]

After turning I put delrin washers on the ends of the bushings to keep me from hitting the bushings.

Others turn non-matal bushings.

 

[ctEaglesc]

Put a thin coat of CA on the bushings before you sart sanding.
Seal the blank before you start sanding

 

[mick]

I put a thin coat of CA on my bushings after my first sanding.....usually 320 grit. On open grain woods I will do this first sanding, leave the dust on the blanks and apply thin CA and sand while its wet, making a slurry to fill the grain. I apply the CA to the bushings at this time. It's very rare that I sand through this in the following grits. When I'm through with the pen a use light touches with an old skew and turn the CA off the bushings.

 

[bradh]

It also helps to clean the blank after each grit or two. I use a couple scouring pads used for cleaning pots. I hit the blank for a couple seconds to clear off any left over abrasive or shavings from the bushings.
On very light coloured woods, I will also clean the blank with alcohol before finishing.
Brad