Best way to finish ebony

I have used 0000 steel wool in my shop for 40 years. I have used it on wood, stainless and carbon steel, horn, Micarta, acrylics, and darned near anything else you can think of. Not once- not ONE time, have I ever had it imbed into anything I was using it on. I have never had it cause rust, either.
I use it after sanding to at least 400 grit.
 
Bill, I use 4 ought steel wool on many of my projects and love the stuff. I used to grab a wad and put it in a plastic sandwich bag for camping trips to use as a fire starter for hard to start kindling. Wonderful stuff with many uses. Larry PS petroleum jelly on cotton balls will burn hot for several minutes as well and can be lit wet. LL 4 O Steel wool takes the the gloss off a matte finish rifle stock as well. LDL
 
I was taught back in the old days that steel wool should never be used on wood. I don't think they even had stainless wool back then . Anyway I've never used the wool AFAIR !
 
I guess if you used it on a rough surface, and used a lot of force, you might be able to embed some of it in whatever you're polishing.
As long as you aren't an idiot about surface finishes you shouldn't have a problem. I never have in all my years as a gunsmith, cutler, and craftsman. I have no problem using the proper steel wool on a museum-quality restoration on a very expensive antique knife.
 
Bill DeShivs said:
I have used 0000 steel wool in my shop for 40 years. I have used it on wood, stainless and carbon steel, horn, Micarta, acrylics, and darned near anything else you can think of. Not once- not ONE time, have I ever had it imbed into anything I was using it on. I have never had it cause rust, either.
I use it after sanding to at least 400 grit.
Click to expand...

Thanks good to know.
Funny how we can get this idea in our head and be so sure. Like I said I don't know it to be true; it just seemed logical.

I have been trying to convince some one for years that two aluminum parts won't corrode between them from electrolysis like say a steel and aluminum pair up (which can create just awful corrosion and seize the parts to where you can't separate two telescoping parts). Greasing them prevents the corrosion yet can usually be clamped tightly.
Problem is the aluminum to aluminum very often slips and slides even when tightly clamped if greased. Customers often come back and ask "why are my parts getting out of adjustment ?". I remove the grease . . . no slip and slide and I have never seen alu. to alu. corrode in 40 plus years.
Then from the boss comes "you MUST grease the parts. They will corrode together !" He / they just blindly assume / "know" that the aluminum to aluminum joint should be greased the same as the steel to aluminum joint and refuse to look at all the evidence to the contrary,.
 
Last edited:
I agree with Bill. Decades upon decades master Gunsmiths have used 0000 steel wool on stocks and I think their results speak for themselves. They even had me use it in gunsmithing school in the late 90s.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top