"Greying" help plz.

[RAdams]

Is there a way to keep the bushings from turning the paper towel grey? on some blanks it doesn't hurt, but in some woods, it kills the whole blank.

Am i sanding the bushings too much? Thanks for any help. And sorry if this is on the wrong board. I will learn my way around eventually.

 

[hewunch]

You are probably sanding the bushings. And you should avoid doing so as not only will this happen, but you will also change the size of the bushings over time. There are some ways around this.
1. use Denatured Alcohol sprayed on a towel to clean the bushings first, then do whatever it is you are doing (finishing I would guess).
2. Try very hard not to hit the bushings with the sand paper
3. Switch to Delrin bushings before you finish, this is especially good if you are doing a CA finish.

 

[Rum Pig]

You can wrap them in clear tape this should do 2 thing.
1 stop the chemical you are using to polish coming into contact with the metal.
2 if you do accidentally hitting them with the sand paper you have a small protective layer that will stop wear and tear.
And it is a lot cheaper to buy clear tape than new bushes.

 

[mick]

Ron are you talking about when you are buffing a pen after the finish...or when you're applying a friction polish?

If it's buffing after a finish then the black produced by the polish getting on the bushing shouldn't matter....unless your finish isn't thick enough.

If it's when you're applying a friction polish then you can do as Justin
suggests .....or stay away from the bushings :biggrin: