Sanding inlays

[bioprof]

Will "dust" from German silver inlays cause problems when using aqua fortis stain? How do you keep the dust out of the wood when sanding down small inlays?

 

Bioprof, I sand the stock down to about 240 grit before putting in inlays and then what sanding needs to be done on these inlays is done with 300 grit emery packed with a mill file. What dirties the stock then is just dust. I use acetone on a clean cotton rag to lift out any residual dirt from sanding the inlays and have had no problems with AF discoloring the stock around these inlays. The inlays get discolored from the AF but that comes off when you whisker the whole stock after heating up the AF with 0000 steel wool or the green then white Scotch -Brite pads. I have been using the Scotch-Brite pads almost exclusively now for the last few rifles I have built and I think I like them better than the steel wool when using AF.
Don
Don

 

[LSU TIGER]

I wondered about that with brass from a patchbox. I carefully and lightly sanded around the patch box to remove the darkened areas.

 

[bioprof]

The only area that I am having trouble with is an inlay that is below the cheek rest of the stock. I'm having a hard time draw filing that area because the cheek rest is in the way. When I try to sand, I get a dark smudge in the wood.

 

[paulvallandigham]

The dark stain is an oxide, and you are sanding it into the grain of your stock. You may have to switch to using a Dremel Tool to sand, and polish the inlay, after taping the stock around the inlay so you can polish to the edges without worry about overruns. Steel wool will take the stain out of the wood, if you are careful. I would tape the inlay before working on getting this out of the wood, unless you remove the stain before returning to polishing the inlay. Try wetting the wood where the stain is with hot water in a rag, so that it lifts a little. Then let it dry, and then use the 0000 steel wool lightly until the stain is removed. If the wood is smoothed before all the stain is out, rewet the wood, and repeat the process.