Blank prep.

[jokker78]

What do y'all do after turning a blank before you put ca on it
I've got a double dyed maple burl blank. It looks dusty.
I cleaned it up with a t-shirt. It didn't look like it did anything.

 

[Larryreitz]

I often wipe mine down with denatured alcohol.

 

[wolf creek knives]

I've had pieces of Koa do that where the true pattern doesn't come out. To correct it I finish sand down to 1500 grit paper and it makes the wood really pop and doesn't have the "Dusty" look. Just an idea that crossed my mind.

 

[ramaroodle]

Compressed air gets the dust out of the nooks and crannies. I don't wipe with anything until after using compressed air.

 

[greenacres2]

I think that one is going to finish just fine-and the CA will "pop the grain" and enhance the color. That said, as i'm turning sometimes i get the same feeling you have--or i'm using a new material and don't know how it will behave. I'll often "finish" a barrel with a few coats of CA or friction polish (or something else if i'm testing) while it still well oversized--so i get an idea of what needs to happen in the real finish while there's still room to turn it off. The material is there, and i'm going to cut it off anyway--might as well use it as a textbook.
Even if you're down to finished size already--turning off a finish to build a better one is a great lesson in tool control!!
earl