Sounds stupid but....Sandpaper question

FlaMtnBkr

FlaMtnBkr

Joined
Oct 20, 2004
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I am working on my first knife and I am in the process of finishing the handle. I just moved up to a 600 grit sandpaper and it is making the wood 'dirty.' It is some paper I just had laying around and I think it is a wet/dry paper that is a dark gray. Is it just the sandpaper that is staining the wood or could it be something that was on the paper (looks like I might have used a section of it before on something). I am assuming that I will need to go back to a lower grit to take off the stained part and resand with a different paper. Any help or insight would be greatly appreciated. Maybe one day I'll get to actually grind blades as I am using a blank and just putting on the wood and bolster along with some mosaic pins I made. Thanks!

Ryan
 
That should come off easily enough, if you are dry sanding it, try throwing a litttle water to it and wet sanding the handle. Should clean it up nice. That is how I do it, I am sure someone will have another or better way. Frank
 
If you sealed the pores of the wood, it will wash off.
If not, you may hhave a problem, especially if you used a porous wood such as oak. A
t 600 grit, the grit is small enough to fill the pores, hence a permanent grey. Don't wet sand until the pores of the wood are filled.
Shellac is your friend. Fills pores and is good under any top finish. ;)
 
Hi and thanks for the reply. I actually did that first using a damp cloth to try and wipe it off and then putting a little water on the paper. I think the water actually made it worse because it was like it made a dark gray paste that ground into the wood. :confused:

The only thing that I sealed it with was linseed oil so that really isnt a sealant. I was going to try and get it smooth and then seal it with something like super glue but now not sure what to do...

PS its spalted maple burl
 
I would take it to 240 grit, the superglue it, then sand, finish, sand, finsh, till it gets smooth and filled, then proceed to the finer grits.
 
I have tried a number of things while finishig certain woods it has been my experience that on blonde woods it is a lot easier not to use wet dry sandpaper but to et a high grit sandpaper of another type. I get mine from Royce Sales. Sealed wood or not it is the safe bet when dealing with light coloured woods.

Abe
 
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