When I get a shaft in , and It that has rings simular to what's mentioned, what I do Is use a combination of a steam gun with a good shot of steam & a wet paper towel as others use. I take My time, keep working it around until I get the grain to rise as much as it will, then I try to blend it in very carefully, and try to utilize sealer to harden the grain if needed. The closer you get to the ferrule the harder It seems to be to pull such dents without effecting the shaft. My whole object is to try to sand as little as possible, and save most for last, so I have some left to blend It in after pulling. The only sanding I do prior to steaming, is just enough to break the sealer, so the steamer can work it's magic. I had a shaft that was loaded a couple of months back, had dents out the yang in It, and about three deep rings in It. I was lucky to be able to pull all of them and It felt & looked like a new shaft afterwards. Main thing seems to be, just be aware of how much is being sanded away, It's easy to sand too much off before even realizing It. Also sometimes even though those rings will pull up, they will still be visible even though they are smooth. really depends on the shafts, how much your willing to sand,what kind of discoloring was left by the ring, and how wide the grain of the wood is. I just take them one on one, and take My time until I acheive the goal. Joey mentioned sanding straight at times, I use that method without the lathe on, as well as with the lathe turning at times, and I sand at a angle sometimes If It helps. it all depends on what I am trying to accomplish with it. I am sure there are several ways to do it, I just do what works for Me at the time, and try not to dig myself a deeper rut then I already have. Good Luck With it. Greg
