Help cleaning dark dust out of light wood?

[Exile]

Hi guys,

I looking for some sage wisdom.

I'm starting to learn how to splice cues and have run up againgst a problem.

My splices came out quite nice (realative to it being my first attempt) but when i go to sand it smooth i find that the dust from the darker wood is getting into the grain of the lighter wood and discolouring it.

Do you guys have and magic potions or a good technique that you'd reccomend to "lift" the dirt out of the wood grain?

Thanks in advance,

Karl

 

[Cue]

When sanding you can use compressed air to blow on it at the same time and that will help keep the darker dust out of the lighter wood.

 

[olsonsview]

seal the wood

after router cutting. If your setup is good you should be close to done, then reseal between every sanding, and use the air as well.

 

[JoeyInCali]

220 grit, sand parallel to the ways.
75 psi or more of compressed air.

 

[Exile]

thanks

Thanks for the advice guys.

At the moment my extraction system is an old Dyson that i rescued from the brink of death. It's good enough to clean up the mess but not really strong enough to clear the air while working.

I'll have to invest in an air compressor to try what you say. So are you guys using the compressor on one side of the cue and the extractor on the other? Kind of blowing the dust off the cue and sucking it safely into the extractor before it get all over the workshop?

Has anyone got a good instructional photo that they could share???

Thanks again,

Karl

 

[Lexicologist71]

Try Chris Hightower (Cueman) for DVD, but I won't part with mine.

 

[manwon]

Hi guys,

I looking for some sage wisdom.

I'm starting to learn how to splice cues and have run up againgst a problem.

My splices came out quite nice (realative to it being my first attempt) but when i go to sand it smooth i find that the dust from the darker wood is getting into the grain of the lighter wood and discolouring it.

Do you guys have and magic potions or a good technique that you'd reccomend to "lift" the dirt out of the wood grain?

Thanks in advance,

Karl

You can blow it out with air or vacuum it with a high powered Vacuum.

You can wipe it down with Acitone when your done sanding.

You could also lightly coat the light area with CA before sand the dark portion.

You could tape off the light area before sanding.

There are many ways Karl, good luck buddy.

 

[Michael Webb]

I honestly don't know about the problem you have with the dust that is already in the cue you are working on, but for future cues, I suggest Deft lacquer sanding sealer. I seal with west system 207 before I finish but when sanding, I use deft, it keeps woods from bleeding into one another, dries quick, just requires a little common sense to use, Put in on with a paper towel or foam brush, apply to lighter colored woods first.
Hope this helps.

 

[desi2960]

my method

i always sand from lite color to dark, then clean sandpaper with each pass. i have a centeral vac system in my shop, and i personally have found sucking the sanding dust away is better that blowing it into the wood.

my2c

 

[whammo57]

I found, from my own personal experience, that one of the most important things is never go finer than 220 when sanding. The fine dust from 400 or 600 will get into the pores of the lighter color wood and it won't come out.

I use air pressure blowing on it while sanding to keep it clean. I haven't tried the vacuum but it sounds like it would work also.

Also be careful wiping the cue with acetone or alcohol. Woods like east indian rosewood, cocobolo and a a few others will bleed their oils into the lighter color woods if wiped with a solvent. You don't really need to wipe with solvent as it tends to just suck more oil out of the wood. Some people do this on purpose to get the stain into birds eye and curly maple.

If your setup is really good and you get a smooth cut with the router or whatever you use.... you can just seal the lighter color woods immediately before you continue.

Once you make these mistakes, you learn from them and never do it again. I cut the maple rings off a cue twice and put them back on before I found out how to keep them clean. I hope I live long enough to experience all the mistakes and learn how not to make them.

good luck

Kim

 

[scdiveteam]

I found, from my own personal experience, that one of the most important things is never go finer than 220 when sanding. The fine dust from 400 or 600 will get into the pores of the lighter color wood and it won't come out.

I use air pressure blowing on it while sanding to keep it clean. I haven't tried the vacuum but it sounds like it would work also.

Also be careful wiping the cue with acetone or alcohol. Woods like east indian rosewood, cocobolo and a a few others will bleed their oils into the lighter color woods if wiped with a solvent. You don't really need to wipe with solvent as it tends to just suck more oil out of the wood. Some people do this on purpose to get the stain into birds eye and curly maple.

If your setup is really good and you get a smooth cut with the router or whatever you use.... you can just seal the lighter color woods immediately before you continue.

Once you make these mistakes, you learn from them and never do it again. I cut the maple rings off a cue twice and put them back on before I found out how to keep them clean. I hope I live long enough to experience all the mistakes and learn how not to make them.

good luck

Kim

Kim,

Very good description of a good procedure. I have had my share of problems before I learned also. The lower grit paper is the key.

Thanks for sharing.

Rick

 

[whammo57]

Kim,

Very good description of a good procedure. I have had my share of problems before I learned also. The lower grit paper is the key.

Thanks for sharing.

Rick

Nothing is worse than assembling a really nice cue and then seeing the little black or brown specks in the white maple.... oh shtt!!! (done that)

Nothing is worse than assembling a really nice cue and then wiping it with acetone and seeing the orange and brown cocobolo oil smearing into the white maple.... oh shtt!!! (done that)

I don't do it anymore.........

Kim

 

[cuesmith]

Try one of those large tan art gum erasers. I go over all sanded area with the eraser going lengthwise with the grain before using anything like acetone or prepsol. Does a great job.

 

[Exile]

wow, amazing response

Thanks guys, i'm totally blown away with the openess of everyone.

Bought me some 220grit sandpaper, sealer and i'm borrowing my dads air compressor and i'll rig something up from there.

Great tip on the magic erasers too, it really cleaned up my first effort.

Honestly guys, thanks again, greenie for everyone in the thread. :thumbup: