sanding

[wayne 673]

after making box using box joints, I noticed after sanding the dark wood had stained the light wood any suggestions to avoid this.

[Lplates]

Hi Wayne,

A picture paints a thousand words as the saying goes.

That doesn't sound right though. What sort of wood are you using for the two halves of the join? Is the darker wood something oily like tallowood? That could account for the staining. Or did you perhaps stain one side yourself before sanding?

Definitely sounds unusual. I've hand planed my box joints in the past and i've also used a trimming bit on the router (not so good as the bearing left marks in the wood, cheap bits what can i say..) so that may be an option if you have the tools at hand. Just be careful to avoid tearout on the edges, a sharp blade is a must and there are some techniques that help like diagonal planing (have a look at Peter Sellers videos on YouTube for some tips).

Cheers
Mat

[LGS]

You could try wiping the joints down with Turps. I am assuming the colour is evident before finishing, but after sanding?

Regards,

Rob

[Tung tied]

Hi Wayne,

I had that too on a toy box I made with Poplar and Redgum. The redgum dust would get into the gaps in the poplar grain. It didn't wash out very well so I had to sand the affected pieces individually with small bits of wood and sandpaper glued to it.

Good luck

Bryan

[AlexS]

It's not an uncommon problem when using contrasting woods. A light coat of shellac will fill the pores and largely prevent it. What dust does remain can be removed using white spirits.

[Afro Boy]

I've seen this happen too, but more in the case of the darker wood filling in the grain of the lighter wood (as mentioned by Tung Tied). Mix us a diluted portion of dewaxed shellac and apply a thin layer or two over the box. A dilute, thin layer will act as a grain filler/sanding sealer and help prevent some of the darker dust grains embedding themselves in the lighter wood (or even the other way around).

[Hermit]

If you have a compressor, a blow with compressed air will help to remove some of the unwanted sanding dust. Followed by a wipe with white spirits or acetone as suggested.
The compressed air can raise the grain a little, but that's easily denibbed after the first coat of sealer/finish.