How many times? I've sanded my stock down to 600 gr paper, and have just whiskered four times, each times rubbing with a hot damp cloth, drying it under the angle lamps in my workshop, then sanding with 600 gr where the fibres were standing up. Even after four times there are a few fibres, but it occurs to me that I'll probably be producing a few every time I sand as a result of compressing more fibres, so it becomes a bit of a sisyphean enterprise. Or should I expect to carry on whiskering until nothing appears?
Whiskering
- Thread starter aragorn
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Good golly sanding it down to 600 grit may be a little bit over kill, but I bet it sure is slick. The biggest thing about sanding anything is just make sure all of your scratches are going in the same direction. Whiskering is a great way to sand the stock, but remember you still need to stain. :thumbsup:
Maybe some of our experts can share their thoughts. I was told that steel wool would "pluck" the hairs out of the wood- better than sanding. The only problem was iron fragments from the steel wool could remain in the wood and discolor it. I had heard that there is brass wool to avoid this problem. I use #320 and just give the wood a few swipes.
paulvallandigham
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I would encourage you to stop using the 600 grit paper, as it sounds like you are sanding too hard, and simply raising new whiskers. A couple of times are enough.
Then, bone the wood with either a smooth piece of steel( the shank of a screw driver can work, if you must), but look around for a polished steel rod, at least 5/8 in diameter, and 8 inches or so long, to use for this. A round rod lets you get under that cheek piece and around those carvings on the stock, or around the lock. Boning smooths the wood, lays down any remaining whiskers, and allows you to have a durable finish.
Some of us also resort to fine scrapers to remove the whiskers, not using sand paper at all! I am not married to this tradition as much as others, but scrapers do remove the whiskers without pulling up more wood.
After you bone the wood, apply the stain. Both water based and alcohol based stains do occasionally cause new whiskers. Use sandpaper only if you are wanting to lighten up the color of the stock, as when you put too much stain, or it comes out too dark for your tastes. Otherwise, just bone the wood after you stain, again. Then apply your grain filler, and then finishes to your taste. Once in awhile, I will have whiskers after applying a filler, ( you fill the pores of the wood so that the stock takes the finish evenly), and even after rubbing in my first coat of oil finish. I then use 0000 steel wool to lightly take out the whiskers. You have to wipe the finish off with a rag that has alcohol in it, to get all the bits of steel wool and the oil that is in the steel wool out of the finish, but it works. After that first coat of finish, I have not had any problems with further whiskers. Typically, the finish will require 6 or more coats of finish rubbed in to build up the finish so it covers everything, and can be hand rubbed with coarse cloths, such as burlap, to give it the dull sheen that most of us like.
Then, bone the wood with either a smooth piece of steel( the shank of a screw driver can work, if you must), but look around for a polished steel rod, at least 5/8 in diameter, and 8 inches or so long, to use for this. A round rod lets you get under that cheek piece and around those carvings on the stock, or around the lock. Boning smooths the wood, lays down any remaining whiskers, and allows you to have a durable finish.
Some of us also resort to fine scrapers to remove the whiskers, not using sand paper at all! I am not married to this tradition as much as others, but scrapers do remove the whiskers without pulling up more wood.
After you bone the wood, apply the stain. Both water based and alcohol based stains do occasionally cause new whiskers. Use sandpaper only if you are wanting to lighten up the color of the stock, as when you put too much stain, or it comes out too dark for your tastes. Otherwise, just bone the wood after you stain, again. Then apply your grain filler, and then finishes to your taste. Once in awhile, I will have whiskers after applying a filler, ( you fill the pores of the wood so that the stock takes the finish evenly), and even after rubbing in my first coat of oil finish. I then use 0000 steel wool to lightly take out the whiskers. You have to wipe the finish off with a rag that has alcohol in it, to get all the bits of steel wool and the oil that is in the steel wool out of the finish, but it works. After that first coat of finish, I have not had any problems with further whiskers. Typically, the finish will require 6 or more coats of finish rubbed in to build up the finish so it covers everything, and can be hand rubbed with coarse cloths, such as burlap, to give it the dull sheen that most of us like.
Bountyhunter
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I hear horror stories about using steel wool to dewhisker, but I personally do not recoginize that I have had any problems using it. I do use a tack rag after any dewhiskering. I get them at the auto supply store, they come a dozen or so in sealed packages in a box. They take all the fuzz and dust and wool particles off the surface. I have one rifle that I put a deep gloss finish on that has over 30 coats of hand rubbed Tru Oil. It doesnt have a spot in it from steel wool whiskers.
I also like scrapers. They shave the whiskers off, and dont seem to pull any more up.
I have used Tru Oil for a filler on some maple stocks, but on Walnut, I usually use something like the Birchwood Casey stock filler, and dewhisker it between coats with steel wool. Actually, though, my favorite stock has about 30 hand rubbed coats of BLO and beeswax. I like a lot of heat putting it on and cold to set it.
You can use Burlap or 0000 steel wool very cautiously to put the satin finish on after you build up enough coats to begin to get a gloss.
I also like scrapers. They shave the whiskers off, and dont seem to pull any more up.
I have used Tru Oil for a filler on some maple stocks, but on Walnut, I usually use something like the Birchwood Casey stock filler, and dewhisker it between coats with steel wool. Actually, though, my favorite stock has about 30 hand rubbed coats of BLO and beeswax. I like a lot of heat putting it on and cold to set it.
You can use Burlap or 0000 steel wool very cautiously to put the satin finish on after you build up enough coats to begin to get a gloss.
Guest
Use those white scotch-brite pads from the paint section at the hardware store. No steel to stain your stock like steel wool will do. It tends to burnish the wood too.
IMO, sanding to 600 weight paper is kind of a waste of time on wood.
I think it is also counterproductive when it comes to whiskering.
I mean, you can only get a naturally rough surface so smooth because as you sand, your opening up new pores on the surface.
As for whiskering, IMO, you want to use something that will actually cut off the whisker, not shove it back down into the place it popped up out of.
I don't feel that a super fine paper like 600 grit will cut off the fiber. It only pushes it back down.
This is the reason it keeps popping back up when you re-dampen the wood.
I also think that whiskering is (or should be) a seperate issue from boning or burnishing.
This process, IMO also just pushes the fiber back down. Because of this, I feel the processes will work best if they are treated seperately.
First, sand to remove all traces of forming, and cross grain sanding.
Second, whisker the surfaces using NEW, sharp paper.
Third, burnish (bone) the surface if desired. This process does not remove any wood. It merely smooths and polishes the surface.
As for using steel wool prior to staining, I can say I've been there and done that.
After whiskering, I decided to steel wool the surface so it would be nice and smooth. I applied a stain which had some water in it and it looked great! 15 minutes later it had developed thousands of red freckles. They were everywhere! :cursing:
I ended up resanding, rewhiskering and restaining to get rid of the dam things!
Zonie
I think it is also counterproductive when it comes to whiskering.
I mean, you can only get a naturally rough surface so smooth because as you sand, your opening up new pores on the surface.
As for whiskering, IMO, you want to use something that will actually cut off the whisker, not shove it back down into the place it popped up out of.
I don't feel that a super fine paper like 600 grit will cut off the fiber. It only pushes it back down.
This is the reason it keeps popping back up when you re-dampen the wood.
I also think that whiskering is (or should be) a seperate issue from boning or burnishing.
This process, IMO also just pushes the fiber back down. Because of this, I feel the processes will work best if they are treated seperately.
First, sand to remove all traces of forming, and cross grain sanding.
Second, whisker the surfaces using NEW, sharp paper.
Third, burnish (bone) the surface if desired. This process does not remove any wood. It merely smooths and polishes the surface.
As for using steel wool prior to staining, I can say I've been there and done that.
After whiskering, I decided to steel wool the surface so it would be nice and smooth. I applied a stain which had some water in it and it looked great! 15 minutes later it had developed thousands of red freckles. They were everywhere! :cursing:
I ended up resanding, rewhiskering and restaining to get rid of the dam things!
Zonie
I will add a caution about burnishing. After some experience I now do it after staining and sealing the stock. Burnishing it down before staining can limit stain penetration and sealant penetration. Try it on a stick of stock wood sometime- sand one end, and don't burnish, sand and burnish the other, then see how they take stain and sealant. I've had water bead up on a well-burnished piece of wood. This really matters if you want to get good contrast in curly maple. A scraped finish will give the best contrast, sanded next best, and burnished before staining, less contrast between striped and "in between the stripes".
320 grit is quite sufficient and is also good for whiskering. Usually 4 grain raisings using water and a heat gun does the job. The last LR was first stained w/ AF and then rubbed down w/ degreased 0000 steel wool. A few coats of LMF Lancaster Maple were applied and again the steel wool was used to eliminate any whiskers and the residual surface stain that imparts a cloudy look. After every 2 coats of Permalyn sealer the steel wool is used to thin the sealer until all the pores are filled. Using steel wool before staining w/ AF could yield brown spots.....Fred
paulvallandigham
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Rich: I have also had different experiences with different pieces of wood when burnishing. I do like to burnish, as it collapses the wood grain, and makes a harder surface. In some cases, you have to stain and fill before you burnish. Your recommendation of testing the wood with samples with and without is the correct way to go. It is hard to teach someone else all the things you do when finishing gunstocks after doing for many years. I find its even harder to get it all down when writing. I am sure I have forgotten other things I do without much though, just because they help me take short cuts, and get the finish I want. I am also a fan of Tru-oil, although I would not hesitate to add some alcohol to thin it if I thought I needed on a given piece of wood.
Excellent point rich - I tried this and you're right.
With the burnished test piece, I watched as most of the stain was absorbed, then found after drying I could knock off the excess that didn't penetrate using a pad (see below). It then looked much the same as the unburnished piece after a light rubbing. But from now on I'll be staining after sanding to 320/400, and will do the burnishing after sealing.
For burnishing, in my experiment I found that crocus cloth seemed pretty good - too fine to take anything significant off the wood, but good for burnishing, and with various dowel backings gets into all the curved areas effectively.
In his video Jim Turpin uses a 'scuff pad' - what exactly does he mean?? I've got some unnamed pads bought in the sandpaper section of my hardware store with sponge on one side and the other side with a surface almost like a rough crocus. Is this what he means?
With the burnished test piece, I watched as most of the stain was absorbed, then found after drying I could knock off the excess that didn't penetrate using a pad (see below). It then looked much the same as the unburnished piece after a light rubbing. But from now on I'll be staining after sanding to 320/400, and will do the burnishing after sealing.
For burnishing, in my experiment I found that crocus cloth seemed pretty good - too fine to take anything significant off the wood, but good for burnishing, and with various dowel backings gets into all the curved areas effectively.
In his video Jim Turpin uses a 'scuff pad' - what exactly does he mean?? I've got some unnamed pads bought in the sandpaper section of my hardware store with sponge on one side and the other side with a surface almost like a rough crocus. Is this what he means?
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