John Mentioned this, and it is not rocket science, with a little experience and sharp tools, you can make all the segments you want and it will be very smooth. Then apply the finish without sanding it. I am like Mark James - He uses carbide inserts and shear scrape cuts. That is what I use. The two caveats are: the tool must be sharp and take light cuts/touches.
You could make the worst smearing possible on a segmented blank, give it to me, or JohnT or Mark, and in less than a minute, it would look sharp with no smears.
I show the pen below because it was the one that I learned what a shear scraping cut could do. The little dots on the pen smear like black pencil lead when sanded. But with a sharp scraper for me, and Mark's carbide insert and John T's skew, the smear is gone. No sandpaper. Sandpaper SMEARS segments. Alcohol wipes are so-so at the very best. It is easier to prevent than to sand and clean up.
Elegant Beauty TI Gold Bloodwood, BOW, Holly core solder CA finish
www.penturners.org
I did add a thick layer of CA and sanded the CA, but did NOT sand through to the wood. I have since learned that I can use the same scraping shear on a good thick layer of CA and get a very nice shine. I do polish after that.
