# Removing Sanding Dust prior to CA/BLO Finishing



## G200 (Nov 25, 2009)

After watching many of the videos and reading even more posts, I'm still in limbo about one step...

After sanding the blank down to 600 how do you all remove the sanding dust left on the blank before applying the CA? 

I ask since there seems to be a consensus that if DNA, mineral spirits, or even water is used to wipe down the blank there is a definite risk of clouding the CA. I know someone mentioned blowing the blank with compressed air, but will that get all the fine dust out? Or does it not really matter beyond a certain point of blowing it out?

Many thanks!

N

I apologize if a more thorough search would have pre-empted the question, but as I'm new to the forums there is sooo much information that I quit reading after my eyes crossed  :biggrin:


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## C. Scott (Nov 25, 2009)

G200,

I just wipe the blank with a paper towel after sanding and then put on thin CA.  I don't use DNA or Acetone to wipe the blank down.  This has been especially effective in getting CA to stick well to oily woods like Ebony, Wenge, & Lignum Vitae.  It works great for me.  You're gonna have to just experiment a little and see what happens.


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## Sylvanite (Nov 25, 2009)

After sanding, and before applying the initial coats of CA, I wipe down the blank with a piece of paper towel soaked with CA Accelerator.  It's tacky enough to collect the dust, strips any surface oil, dries quickly, and doesn't cause the CA finish to blush.

I hope that helps,
Eric


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## bradh (Nov 25, 2009)

I normally wipe the blank down with a dry dish washing scrub pad. They are sold under a variety of names like Scotchbrite. 
 Wipe with the grain and the pad will pull the dust out of the grain nicely.


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## mick (Nov 25, 2009)

After sanding I blow any dust off with a blast of compress air. This gets sanding dust left down in the grain plus you haven't introduced anything like DNA or Acetone into the surface of the wood. From there I go to several coats of thin CA as my finish and I've yet to find dust under my finish using this method


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## Dalecamino (Nov 25, 2009)

Some use compressed air to blow off dust . I just use a soft bristle 2'' brush after each grit . After final brushing , a little Acetone on a clean paper towel takes off remaining dust and oil . Acetone evaporates very quickly , but I don't get in a hurry anyway . It works for me .


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## AceMrFixIt (Nov 25, 2009)

I use acetone and a tooth brush on acrylic if I need to fill in pits with a coat of CA. Have used it on wood also without problems. Turn on the lathe and brush back and forth. So far I havent had any clouding as long as the acetone evaporates. I had a dust problem with teak till I used the toothbrush.

Be very careful, she may start to say her toothbrush has a funny taste...........


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## Steve Busey (Nov 25, 2009)

I'm a mutant - I try not to *have *to sand before CA. 

I use my sharp rounded skew on it's side to make a real light last pass over the blank. I then hit it with 2-3 coats of thin CA. Then I'll stop and examine to see whether it needs any sanding, and usually give it a quick wetsanding with the coarsest MM (3500?) if there are any scratches that didn't fill in well. Then I'll add 3 more thin CA coats, wetsand with MM with the first three coarse grits, then another 5-6 coats of thin CA before the final "all 9" MM sanding.


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## L1Truckie (Nov 25, 2009)

Im the oddball here I guess :question:....Right, wrong or indifferent...I will wipe with with DNA between coats, BUT, after my last sanding and cross sanding I will leave the dust, apply some CA, let dry, then resand with the same grit using mineral oil, wipe that off with a towell and go on about doing my CA finish.

I think I started using that method when I first started out to act as a filler as I was getting some small dimples in the CA finish with the more porous woods.  Its what Ive stuck with and never had a problem since....clouding, dimples or otherwise....

Just MHO and $.02    And bye the way....welcome to the forums :biggrin:


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## leehljp (Nov 25, 2009)

With the many versions available, it is up to you. But as Steve said, the best way is to prevent it. In the end it is up to how clean you want it and also how much the sanding dust shows up. I used very white holly quite a bit and it showed SD up even in the smallest quantities. So I changed my method to eliminate it altogether. Some of the changes involved technique or method, some attitude and some skill. In the end, it really paid off!

Ask this question: If I am going to buy a pen from someone else for my own personal use, how close am I going to inspect the finish. If I am going to pay $50.00 will I inspect it closely for SD? If this pen is selling for $100.00, or $200.00, would it pass muster with me or someone else?

There are several ways to prevent SD and that should be the goal. When you learn to prevent it, then you know that you have just "leveled up" a a notch and increased the value of your future pens across the board in the process.

On the link below, another cause is listed that isn't actually bushing sanding dust but rather black sandpaper:
http://www.penturners.org/forum/showthread.php?t=54166


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## ssajn (Nov 28, 2009)

After removing most of the sanding dust with a paper towel I wipe the blank down with BLO. This removes any remaining dust and helps to bring out the grain. I always do a final inspection after the BLO to check for any small scratches before doing a BLO/CA finish. I only use accelerate after the final coat of CA before I do any sanding just to make sure it's set up. 
Dave


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## G200 (Nov 29, 2009)

Thanks for all of the great replies.  I have plenty of experimenting to do!  So far I haven't had a fog problem and I had been using mineral spirits to wipe down the blank prior to the CA.  I had been letting it dry and makingn sure to remove as much as I could with just a clean paper towel, but I had not been letting it dry overnight.  All good things to think about though.

G


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## leehljp (Nov 29, 2009)

G200 said:


> Thanks for all of the great replies.  I have plenty of experimenting to do!  So far I haven't had a fog problem and I had been using mineral spirits to wipe down the blank prior to the CA.  I had been letting it dry and makingn sure to remove as much as I could with just a clean paper towel, but I had not been letting it dry overnight.  All good things to think about though.
> 
> G



G,

No problem with what you are doing but here is a tip that works fairly well for me:
I (and some others do too) take a folded paper towel and hold it fairly tight against the blank while it is spinning. Do this until it heats up and keep this up for a minute or two. Let it cool down for two or three minutes. Repeat this a couple of times. This heating will help drying/curing/evaporating BLO, mineral spirits, alcohol and other.


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