Sanding and Polishing light woods

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ngeb528

ngeb528

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Does anyone have a tried and true method to keep the black that comes off the bushing from staining the end bits of light colored wood when you sand, clean using denatured alcohol and polish?

The only thing I've found that works ok is putting masking tape around the bushings at either end and in between the blanks.

Thanks,
Nancy
 
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If you don't want to turn between centers (there's pros and cons to it) just start in the middle (light touch) and sand towards the ends, not coming back into the center. You only need to do this with finer grits. I do it with my Abranet pads, 1000 to 4000 and it works great. Not a speck. I wouldn't think tape would work that well, either you end up to high or you sand into the gunk. Either way wouldn't work for me.

Dale
 
spiritwoodturner said:
If you don't want to turn between centers (there's pros and cons to it) just start in the middle (light touch) and sand towards the ends, not coming back into the center. You only need to do this with finer grits. I do it with my Abranet pads, 1000 to 4000 and it works great. Not a speck. I wouldn't think tape would work that well, either you end up to high or you sand into the gunk. Either way wouldn't work for me.

Dale
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I don't like turning between centers so much. I've skinned my knuckles on the chuck end and messed up a couple of chisels on the tail end.

The tape isn't so bad. I make sure I turn down to almost the size I need at the ends first and then make sure the tape is going the same way as the lathe. The inconvenient part is when I'm using denatured alcohol, it tends to make the sticky part of the tape go away so it starts to unpeel from the mandrel.

I'll give your idea a try. Thanks.

Nancy
 
Nancy,

Basically on a mandrel, Bushings are usually considered as "consumables" because the occasional hit they take from the chisel edge, not to mention the very thing you are talking about - sand paper. Even going from the center outward, you will wear the bushings down over 10 to 30 pens - to the point that correctly sizing the blank by the bushing will be impossible. If you are proficient and meticulous you might be able to postpone this scenario.

For sizing, with calipers - measure the fittings of the pen (nib, center band, clip end) mark them down and turn to size without the bushings. Learning to do this will result in a much more consistent fit than turning to size with bushings. Even worn bushings can be used if you size by measuring with calipers.

I wrote the above to suggest the mandrel-less method but you don't like it. I have big hands but haven't bumped them on the dead center or live center yet.

There is one other way to avoid bushing dust, but it is a little controversial because a few people don't think it can't be done. Proficiency with a skew or even with a very very sharp gouge with small bites produces clean cuts to the point that sanding is not needed. But a good bit of experience is usually necessary to accomplish this. I made one pen (and subsequently several more) in which ANY sanding would produce dust smearing that was impossible to remove without drastic measures. I used this method and it worked wonderfully.
 
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When sanding and finishing modified slimlines, I remove the bushings and replace with short segments of brass tubes. I have flared the ends of the tubes by pressing between live centers.

There is no problem with either the sanding or with BLO/CA finish.

I have used the same bushings for hundreds (maybe thousands) of pens. I do check with calipers.

Larry
 
I know this is the wrong answer but...having already sanded all of the balck off my bushings, I no longer have this problem!

Sometimes the K.I.S.S. principle really does work! :rolleyes:
 
I had a same problem, but know ever since I started doing CA finish, I always go little on the bushing as well. That way it is protected against sand paper. To prevent too much CA on the bushing, whenever I do dark pens (walnut...), I clean the bushing; I guess I could also use one set of bushing for light woods as well.
 
leehljp said:
There is one other way to avoid bushing dust, but it is a little controversial because a few people don't think it can't be done. Proficiency with a skew or even with a very very sharp gouge with small bites produces clean cuts to the point that sanding is not needed. But a good bit of experience is usually necessary to accomplish this. I made one pen (and subsequently several more) in which ANY sanding would produce dust smearing that was impossible to remove without drastic measures. I used this method and it worked wonderfully.
Click to expand...

This works well, but takes a lot of practice.

A method I've had good success with is using lots of sanding sealer. As soon as you're finished with your tools, apply two coats of sanding sealer. Then sand as usual, but apply sanding sealer between each grit of sandpaper. I've done holly this way and not had any black residue show up.

I use thin CA as a sealer on really white woods that I want to keept that waysince it is crystal clear. Other types, like Mylands, are shellac based and will yellow over time.
 
This statement could leave the wrong impression with some newbies. Even with the black coating sanded off the bushings, you can get a gray or black staining by sanding across light colored wood onto the bushing and then back onto the wood.

KiltedGunn said:
I know this is the wrong answer but...having already sanded all of the balck off my bushings, I no longer have this problem!

Sometimes the K.I.S.S. principle really does work! :rolleyes:
Click to expand...
 
hilltopper46 said:
This statement could leave the wrong impression with some newbies. Even with the black coating sanded off the bushings, you can get a gray or black staining by sanding across light colored wood onto the bushing and then back onto the wood.
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Absolutely true. You can (and likely will, if you go from the ends back into the wood) get staining with silver bushings (like CSUSA uses) that have never had black paint applied.

And I'm super light on the bushings with anything with grit on it. I go from the middle out and am not too light on the bushings only with my Abranet pads, 1000 to 4000 and my micromesh sheets, 6000 to 12000. I go a long time on 1 set of bushings.


Dale
 
On a video that I got from PSI it said to use a dap of CA on the ends of the pen barrels to prevent tear out and chipping at the ends. This may also seal the ends so they would stay clean. I use this but only to keep the end from chipping but i've not had any black line either.
 
Make a set of bushings out of corian or some other non-metallic. Replace the metal bushings with the corian, just for sanding and finishing. These "home-made" bushings have to fit the inside (10mmish) properly to hold the tube, but they can be very undersized so you never hit them with your sandpaper.

After all, you ARE measuring with a caliper as you sand, right???

(IF not, you're really close anyhow, so it's not a big deal)
 
Same here as Hank....learned (present tense maybe:smile:) penturning recently and use roughing gouge, spindle gouge if needed. Have the skew and many other tools but since surface is as smooth as with sandpaper, why use them, or the paper? Keep gouge very sharp and take dust off the last several (actually numerous) passes. Box elder looks clean and beautiful sharp patterns remain. Here is a maple top.
 

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Chris Bar said:
Keep gouge very sharp and take dust off the last several (actually numerous) passes. Box elder looks clean and beautiful sharp patterns remain. Here is a maple top.
Click to expand...

Chris,
That does look great and a lot can be said for a smooth "cut" versus sanding.

In flatwork, a few people use a "scraper" instead of sandpaper and the "cut" grain from the scraper's edge looks clean versus sanding even with 400/600 SP. The difference is not always apparent, but when it is, it stands out. Different woods seem to allow for sharp cuts but some don't.
 
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