Sawdust in the grain - help!

[Owen]

I am sanding a black walnut body down ready for a tru oil finish.

I have worked my way down to 1000 grit but have sawdust in the grain and cannot shift it. When I damp it down with water it "disappears" but will it do the same when I put Tru Oil on it? I just do not know and do not want to present myself with a project which needs to be re-sanded. I am enjoying it, but not that much! I have "washed" it with Meths which has helped, but it is still there.

[URL=http://s8.photobucket.com/user/peredur/media/Mobile%20Uploads/20140416_111011_HDR_zpsadoovnnm.jpg.html][IMG]http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a49/peredur/Mobile%20Uploads/20140416_111011_HDR_zpsadoovnnm.jpg[/IMG][/URL]

Here is a link to my build thread, but I figure that the traffic in that forum is not huge.

http://basschat.co.uk/topic/128791-shukfellow-i-need-some-sanding-tips-please/

Huge TIA.

[rubis]

Hi Owen
If you have an upright hoover you could try hoovering it!
Take the head off the end, put some masking tape around the tube so that it doesn't mark the wood and place it on the body. The suction will pull it tight against the body and make a seal, then depending on how powerful thevhoover is, it should suck out the dust, which should be very fine if you've gone down to 1000 grade


Have a look on the TDPRI site for all the help you need on tru oil, its best if you sand using it as a lubricant which creates a sort of slurry, this grain fills as you go, especially useful on walnut which is often open grained.
Also be aware walnut is very porous, but looks lush with oil finish
Good luck
Here's a link to a post which might help
Harry

.http://www.tdpri.com/forum/finely-finished/473720-another-newbie-finishing-tru-oil-questions-%3B.html

[Owen]

Thanks Harry. I tried hoovering with a brush attachment yesterday, but the masking tape thing makes a lot of sense.

[Andyjr1515]

If it disappears with water I would think it will also disappear with tru oil. Try a little in a non obvious place...you can always sand it off again.

[Grangur]

[quote name='Andyjr1515' timestamp='1397974056' post='2429049']
If it disappears with water I would think it will also disappear with tru oil. Try a little in a non obvious place...you can always sand it off again.
[/quote] +1 if you're useing 1000 grit and it feels smooth any thing that won't brush off is the grain. What it looks like wet IS what you will get when it's tru oiled.

[hamfist]

[quote name='Andyjr1515' timestamp='1397974056' post='2429049']
If it disappears with water I would think it will also disappear with tru oil. Try a little in a non obvious place...you can always sand it off again.
[/quote]

Good advice.

If the tru-oiled bit does still show the dust in the grain you could literally hose the body down using a good water pressure. You'll need to let the body fully dry out afterwards for a few days but it might do the trick.

[Owen]

Thanks everyone. My gut feeling is that the oil will do the trick, but I am a total noob so needed someone to hold my hand. The idea of giving it some Karcher is quite exciting though

[Diablo]

Compressed air may help, at 100psi it will shift any dust but not require a week to dry afterwards! Just don't use an airline with an inline oiler in or you will have machine tool oil spots on your nice clean bass body.

[ambient]

My brother does car body work, he uses a sticky cloth to remove dust from things.

[url="http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_storeId_10001_catalogId_10151_productId_758163_langId_-1_categoryId_165614"]http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_storeId_10001_catalogId_10151_productId_758163_langId_-1_categoryId_165614[/url]

I know this because he sprayed a P bass body for me last year.

[lonestar]

I think that cabinet makers use something called a tack cloth for this

[Billy Apple]

Tack cloth, and then wipe with white spirt

[Bolo]

[quote name='Diablo' timestamp='1398026147' post='2429723']
Compressed air may help, at 100psi it will shift any dust but not require a week to dry afterwards! Just don't use an airline with an inline oiler in or you will have machine tool oil spots on your nice clean bass body.
[/quote]
This.
And you can use painters tape as sticky cloth. Press it down once on a towel or some felt to make it low-tack, if required.

[Owen]

Again, thank you everyone. The tack cloth does not seem to be shifting it The whole air compressor thing looks attractive, but where do I find one? It feels like I am the only one in the gang who does not have one in the garage for just this sort of occasion.

[Bolo]

Most cobblers will have one in the workshop, see if there is one near you.

[Guest]

If a tack cloth and then a soft cloth and white spirit doesn't shift it then it probably isn't there at all, it may just look that way. You could go finer than 1000 grit though. 1200 w+d but use it dry or 00 fine wire wool to be sure.

[Manton Customs]

I can't say I have ever experienced this when working with Walnut. Have you tried wiping with White Spirit (Naphtha) or Turpentine? Both are better solvents than Meths should there be any kind of binder holding the dust in. Wipe along the grain and not across otherwise you will be rubbing it into the grain which in effect will fill the grain. Even if this doesn't work and you cant shift it, it's not going to be an issue as its a fairly common procedure to fill your grain with a slurry made from the sanding dust and finish. The dust will absorb the finish and darken making it all blend nicely.

Grain filling might be something you may want to look into for a Walnut body, it can look particularly stunning with a black grain filler.

Edited April 21, 2014 by Manton Customs

[Owen]

Thanks everyone for your suggestions. I have been away for a week, but will attack it again with vigour and new suggestions tomorrow.