# micro-mesh



## ahoiberg (Apr 18, 2007)

how long, in general, do your micro-mesh sheets last? and is just rubbing them on your pants really a good way to clean them? i also read something about washing them in soapy water... any harm there?

also, my CA technique is becoming better by the application and i've got one quick question regarding it. do you like to "rough up" (i.e. micromesh) your last coat of ca before applying plastic polish or buffing it?


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## ctwxlvr (Apr 18, 2007)

so far my MM sheets have lasted until I goofed and let them over heat. they can be washed in soapy water and rinsed in clean water and hung to dry, or washed in a washing machine in a undies bag and hung to dry, or just rinsed under the tap and hung to dry, see a pattern here do NOT put in the dryer. the key is to keep them clean and cool, my first set  I overheated and "burned" the adhesive and grit onto the blank I was turning what a mess, they are very heat sensitive the adhesive used is a latex base which has a very low melting temp.  I now own three sets, two padded and one sheet set(cut in half) that I rotate every few pens, I like the padded ones for wet finish sanding of CA and plastic finishes, and the sheets for dry sanding of wood, enduro and CA(sealer coats).


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## SteveRussell (Apr 18, 2007)

Hello,

I have ten sets of Micro Mesh (MM)... I use two sets regularly and the other eight are unused back-ups. I have only ever worn out one set of MM, it lasted eight years. Since I'm a production turner, that's saying something! To keep the MM clean, hand wash it and air dry, or place in a garment bag and toss it into the washing machine. If you do this, make sure you use cool water, no bleach and no fabric softener in the load. Either way, air dry the sheets flat for the next use. 

When using MM on a CA finish, I apply the MM grits from 1800 - 12000 and then apply Ren Wax to prevent fingerprints. I rarely use plastic polishes with CA and never buff the barrel since the MM at 12000 grit leaves a superb optically clear finish. Take care and good luck to you!


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## ahoiberg (Apr 18, 2007)

how often would you say you wash them? every 3 pens, 5 pens, 100 pens??
also, have you subscribed to the paper bag after 12000? i tried it the other night and it seemed to work quite well... does anyone know approximately the grit on such a surface?


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## Pipes (Apr 19, 2007)

The stuff seems to last dang near forever I never have worn any out in many years I got about 5 sets all in use been washed and it just keeps on going .. []


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## SteveRussell (Apr 19, 2007)

How often I wash the MM is a difficult question to answer... It really depends on what I have been using them on (substrate) and how dirty the surface looks. I blow the face off after each pen and that helps to extend the interval between washing, but it's really a subjective thing to me. If it looks dirty, I wash it. 

Otherwise, I just blow it off and go on to the next project. If I had to guess, I would say my MM gets washed once to twice a month, but I'm a production turner, so YMMV. I wish I could be of more help. Take care and all the best to you and yours!


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## ctwxlvr (Apr 19, 2007)

it depends on what I am sanding, if it is wood/ca I won't wash, why because I wet sand the CA finish. If it is wood/enduro I wash after each pen, enduro tends to clog the MM rapidly and is to my knowledge not wet sandable for me the dust/slurry turns to a wet mush.


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## ctwxlvr (Apr 19, 2007)

I do not "rough" up the final ca coat before buffing it, but I do wet sand from 1500mm through 12000mm then buff and polish, the better the finish before buffing the better the buffing, as buffing will bring out the GOOD and the BAD of a finish


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## ahoiberg (Apr 20, 2007)

interesting... do you just use water for your wet sanding? and just apply it with a squeeze bottle or something? a constant stream or just a few drops?


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## ctwxlvr (Apr 20, 2007)

I place a piece of plastic over the lathe bed and have a small container of water, I dip the MM pad into and then sand the blank finished with CA dipping as required to keep the MM wet.


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## ahoiberg (Apr 21, 2007)

so you wet sand with both CA and water? what consistency of CA are ya using?


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## ctwxlvr (Apr 21, 2007)

no no no the finish is ca, sand by dipping MM in water


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## mpauly (Apr 24, 2007)

I'm a micro mesh noob, so forgive the stupid questions. I've been using wet/dry automotive sandpaper up to 2000 grit and am getting OK results.  After seeing some of your results using the micro mesh, I think it justifies giving it a try.  

Where's the best place to buy micro mesh kits?  
Which kits are best suited for pens?
The one's I've seen seem to come in roughly 3"x6" sheets and most use a separate backing pad, do you trim into strips or use the whole sheet at once? 

Thanks,
Michael


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## exoticwo (Apr 25, 2007)

Michael,
 There are several places to get Micro Mesh, the best thing is to "GOOGLE" and find who has the best price for you. You can also look in the Group Buy section and see if anyone is hosting a buy for M.M.  M.M. comes in small sheets, sanding disc's and foam pads.
 I personaly do not cut M.M. into strips, that will be your personal preference as to how you like to sand.
 M.M. comes in the following grits: 1500, 1800, 2400, 3200, 3600, 4000, 6000, 8000 & 12000.


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## ctwxlvr (Apr 25, 2007)

I like the foam pads and get better results with them but again it is personal preference.


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## thewishman (Apr 25, 2007)

> _Originally posted by ahoiberg_
> <br />how often would you say you wash them? every 3 pens, 5 pens, 100 pens??
> also, have you subscribed to the paper bag after 12000? i tried it the other night and it seemed to work quite well... does anyone know approximately the grit on such a surface?



If I recall correctly, a paper bag is approximately 2500 grit. 

I wet my MM with a squirt bottle, so wetting also cleans the sheets. If a sheet is noticeably dirty after sanding, I spray it again to clean the slurry off.

Charles Martin, Wood Chips in the link section, has the best price for  MM.

Chris


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## mpauly (Apr 25, 2007)

> Charles Martin, Wood Chips in the link section, has the best price for  MM.
> 
> Chris



Thanks for the tip, his prices are fair, though he seems to be out of stock at the moment.

Michael


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## mdburn_em (Apr 25, 2007)

> _Originally posted by mpauly_
> <br />....I've been using wet/dry automotive sandpaper up to 2000 grit and am getting OK results.  After seeing some of your results using the micro mesh, I think it justifies giving it a try...



I don't think you will see drastic changes by switching to MM.  If you're sanding to 2000 grit, MM isn't going to add much.  IMHO, it won't take you from "ok" to "wow".  For that you'll have to work on your finish technique.


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## edman2 (Apr 25, 2007)

The second best price I've seen for micro-mesh is from Wood-n-Whimsies if you don't want to wait for Wood Chips to re-stock.


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## ahoiberg (Apr 26, 2007)

woodturningz is where i got mine, seemed a fair price to me.

another mm question...

are you supposed to use enough pressure just to barely touch the sheet to the wood? the grits up to about 3200 or so seem like they take the color of the wood, etc. and don't seem 'melted' but the ones above that, particularly 4000, 6000, 8000 and 12000 seem like they have a shiny spot where i've used them. i thought i was using a very light pressure, but can anyone tell me if i've ruined them? i haven't had any melt to a blank or anything...


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## TAld (Apr 26, 2007)

Andrew, I'm not sure what you mean by "shiny spot". As you move up through each grit (3200-12000) it should get shiny. Just think of MM as a type of sandpaper and just use enough pressure to be effective and keep it moving to avoid heat build-up. When your finish with the 12000 it should be like glass with not sanding marks and ready for the final finish. I hope this helps a little. Let us know.
I'm sorry, I just re-read your question. If you are referring to the shiny spot left on the MM after using it, yes, that is OK!!!


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## ahoiberg (Apr 26, 2007)

i mean shiny spots on the micro mesh sheets. it's definitely improved the "shiny-ness" of my blanks, no question. i'm just seeing some shiny spots on the MM sheets and wondering if i messed them up.

i washed them last night and they look a lot better, probably waited too long to wash as my piece of holly that i was working on kept getting dirty.... but i digress, but there's still some shiny spots on the higher grit MM sheets. 4000-12000 specifically. just hopeing that i didn't melt them out or something. i guess i'll try using them and see if they still work! []


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## TAld (Apr 26, 2007)

Andrew, mine look the same way but does not affect their ability to work properly and I used this set for the past 4 months.


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## ahoiberg (Apr 26, 2007)

rock n' roll. thanks!


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## mdburn_em (Apr 26, 2007)

> _Originally posted by ahoiberg_
> just hopeing that i didn't melt them out or something...



Trust me, you'll know if you melt them.  That shiny part is from normal use.  If you want to see what melted ones look like, <s>I've got</s> er, I know someone who has some.[]


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## Paul in OKC (Apr 26, 2007)

Always alot of questions about this stuff. My answer to all of them is........I STILL do not use micro-mesh,so I don't have any troubles or wonders about it at all []


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## ahoiberg (Apr 27, 2007)

c'mon Paul, everyone's doing it! []


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## Paul in OKC (Apr 27, 2007)

> _Originally posted by ahoiberg_
> <br />c'mon Paul, everyone's doing it! []



Yeah, and if every one was jumping off......(sounds like something I heard my mother say)[]


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## richstick1 (Apr 27, 2007)

ok, so Paul - what DO you use?? []


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## Paul in OKC (Apr 27, 2007)

> _Originally posted by Richstick_
> <br />ok, so Paul - what DO you use?? []



Sandpaper[]
Ok, I sand usually starting with 220 and a light touch with something wide and flat underneath. This helps even the barrel out. Then work up to 600, then burnish with shavings. Apply a few coats of CA and sand. If the CA gets 'lumpy' when applying, I'll take a light cut, then sand up to the 600 again. I use something a cuemaker friend gave me, probably the equivelent of plastic polish, called Finnisse it II I think. Then TSW. Works great.


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## richstick1 (Apr 27, 2007)

Ok, I walked right into that one! LOL!  Thanks for the outline - sounds like a good technique too.  More than one way to skin a cat, or finish a pen []


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## pilot1022 (May 10, 2007)

MM pads were made for the aircraft industry to polish aircraft windows. Scientific Instrument Services, Inc. www.sisweb.com This company has the full line of MM. The 2x2 soft pads variety pack 1 ea of all grits is under 10 bucks.


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