Thread: Problem With Light colored Wood

Jim, I am watching this thread in anticipation of some excellent answers, because I also suffer the same with "white" woods. Definitely, tried avoid sanding the bushes, but we all nearly always do that. Sometimes I get ready with some metho and a cloth and after each sanding quickly wipe off/out the blank so the dark stuff doesn't imbed itself, though this is not fully successful it has helped greatly. Amos

Personally I don't have the problem, I simply sand from the middle of the blank out towards the bushes so that at no time does grit from the bushes get tracked back onto the timber.

But there are a couple of methods I know of. One is to apply a coat of CA or wax to the bushes (before putting on the mandrel or positioning blank, of course! ) to give 'em a temporary protective coating... but that'd be way, way too fiddly for me.

Another method is, well... you're a turner, ain't ya? So, why not simply turn some bushes out of scraps of corian or something that won't stain the timber as badly and, after sizing the blank on the steel ones, swap to these bushes just for sanding and finishing?

I think I prefer my method best, of course. As I keep saying, I'm inherently lazy.

Jim,
I have not had a problem with metal from the bushings staining the wood, however, I have had the problem with sanding too aggressively and actually burning the wood. The only other thing that has caused this problem is using EEE ultra-shine. I will put too much on and it will discolor on the metal of the bushings and when I wipe back towards the wood, it can discolor the wood.

Cheers

Rick

A method I use that I learnt from Frank, a mate in the States is to finish your pen blanks using a dead centre in your head stock and live centre in the tail stock. You turn the pen as normal but when it comes to finishing, I remove the blank from the bushes and mandrel and put the blank between the dead and live centre. If you can buy a dead centre it is easy enough to make one out of a piece of hardwood, I think mine was from a piece of Lignum. Make it approximately a 60 degree centre point, because it is a cone either end that is driving the blank it self centres. With my live centre I have the option of the centre cone being removeable, so if I need a larger cone for the live centre to finish the larger pens I can turn one to suit. You only need enough pressure to drive the the blank as you are only lightly sanding. You can sand a light wood without any hassels of getting that grey smut from the bushes onto the timber. You can the put it back onto the mandrel to polish or CA finish.
Darren

Are you using 'used' sand paper which may have darker dust in it?
New paper might help, and / or blowing the dust as you go with a compressor.

JD

G'day Darren,
I don't know how else to put this other than "that is freaking brilliant"! I will be trying that this weekend. Thanks for the tip


Cheers,

Rick

Now that was helpfull! Thanks for all the advice... im going put your ideas to action.

Jim

I would say that unless you make yourself a set of bushes out of hard but very light coloured wood you are always going to have some contamination as metal filings from sandpaper are most probably the culprit - although it's pretty tricky to avoid getting dark matter into the pores of lighter coloured wood heres how I do it
firstly I use a skew chisel to finish the pen thus I get a pretty smooth finish and dont need to use such course sand paper that might eat into the bushes
Secondly a bit if masking/stick tape over the bushings when using EEE
Thirdly clean & new sandpaper working up to the bushings and no further before cleaning the paper in the suction vent of the dust extractor so that the paper flaps around rapidly this gets any metallic bits and pieces out of the paper

thats it

A-Marks great idea about the masking tape, stuff that I have at hand all the time but didn't think of using it. Thank you.

Rick as I said it was Franks idea and I give credit where it is due, it may seem a bit of mucking around but the bushes seem to last longer due to them not being sanded and the bushes are more accurate. I don't use bushes for exact measurements, only as a guide to get close to final size. I measure all components for accuracy and perfect fit.
darren