Sanding brass pin darkens wood scale

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rjedoaks

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Sep 15, 2009
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What is the go to sandpaper for sanding pins w/ light colored scales so as to not darken the area


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The pins should'nt darken the scales but I would say it is the paper, Always use "clean" paper that has not been used for anything else but sanding your handle. Whatever you sand will contaminate your paper and transfer to the wood.
 
Just to make sure if you're sanding with a belt sander you could be discoloring the wood due to heat. If you're doing it by hand this shouldn't be an issue. Reaction of wood and epoxy? Using the paper too long? Tough to say.
 
Not a heat issue. This was done finish sanding. The pin is a stainless tube w/ a brass insert. Never was an issue in the past.


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use light colored sand paper if you are using black now. i have had black sandpaper leave color behind in the past. common wood sandpaper would work, rhynogrit is red and i have not had it leave and color behind.
 
What handle material are you using? Light colored paper is good but if I understand you correctly then you're getting brass sanding dust imbedded into your scales? I have eat sanded with wd40 and it did a great job of preventing this but it was on ivory micarta.

Edit: After sanding use some acetone and a rag and see if that will remove the discoloration.
 
The pin is brass and stainless with unstablized maple.. I gave it another try making sure everything was clean. Same issue using 600/1000 black / ryno red wet/ dry. Using wood sandpaper seems to do the trick, but I have none past 220 to try. Also tried using AO belts in the higher grits by hand with the same outcome.


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Take one swipe with a fresh piece of sandpaper, move to a fresh spot, take one swipe, move to a fresh spot, take one swipe, etc., etc., etc. This stops the dirty sand paper from getting the scales dirty.
 
A good trick is to sand toward the pin. Take a stroke up the handle toward the pin from one direction, and then the next from the other direction.
 
rjedoaks said:
What is the go to sandpaper for sanding pins w/ light colored scales so as to not darken the area


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I had a heck of a time with a scandi I was working on. I was using stacked birchbark and a brass bolster and some decorative shims between layers. What a mess. I ended up having to finish the bolster then shoeshine the stacked bark, but any contact with the brass and bark at the same time discolored the bark.
 
I'm wondering why this is not a more common problem? Maybe most here use stabilized scales which is not so much an issue.



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rjedoaks said:
I'm wondering why this is not a more common problem? Maybe most here use stabilized scales which is not so much an issue.

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Click to expand...
Bingo! The natural maple stains very easily. Will it clean off with acetone? It's still an issue with some stabilized woods but usually it will clean off.
 
I tried alcohol to remove the smudge which didn't work. It's just the higher grits. 400 will remove it quickly


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Unstabilized maple is your problem. Sealing it with renwax or something several times as you go helps. Also Mr clean erasers help clean it.
 
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