FAQ's/2

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Question;

What is the best way to finish my work?

Answer;

I have a list of top tips which I email to those who request them. Here they are;

1. Always use good dust extraction. This not only protects your lungs, but also helps remove the dust in the air so it does not land on your work.

2. When you buy new abrasive always code mark the reverse of each sheet. I draw lines, to correspond with each grade, along the whole length. This only takes a few moments. When you cut a piece off, its grade is now immediately recognisable.

3. Always work diligently through the grades, beginning with the coarsest to remove tooling marks. Each successively finer grit removes any marks left by the previous one. Going to at least 1200 grit gives a finish that will be much more long lasting.

4. Whilst sanding always keep moving the area of the abrasive in contact with the work to avoid excessive heat build up. Some woods are more susceptible than others to heat shakes caused by this heat build up.

5. Never use abrasive folded double. This may save your fingers from feeling the heat, but the wood may get too hot, also causing heat shakes. Some woods are more prone to this than others.

6. When sanding on the lathe, keep moving abrasive from left to right and back again, and avoid leaving peripheral lines.

7. After final grit, probably 1200, then burnish with a small piece of corrugated cardboard.

8. Make your own discs, if for machine sanding, or blocks to suit the profile you are sanding. With Velcro backing available it is easy to also make your own sanding drums.

9. Abrasive can be cut to size to fit your discs. It is not essential to cut it into a disc, it can be square, for most jobs.

10. Abrasive can be fitted to spindles for sanding inside those awkward places, and to protect your fingers.

11. Use liquid paraffin or very soft wax when sanding to avoid dust.

12. When sanded down to the finest grade apply a thin coat of Melamine lacquer with soft paper, rubbing it on along the grain.

13. Once dry this can be de-knibbed with Webrax or Mirlon. I find this safer and kinder than wire wool.

14. Re coat with Melamine and when dry wax and polish. Buffing with Carnauba wax gives even more shine. If you prefer a matt finish then go over your work with Webrax or Mirlon.

Question;

What are the best woods to use for chasing threads?

Answer;

There are many woods suitable for thread chasing, and those which do not prove immediately suitable can be rendered usable with the aid of cyanoacrylate (ca). I recommend for thread chasing good close grained hardwoods and my three favourites are

Boxwood (Buxus sempervirens),

African Blackwood (Dalbergia melanoxon) and

Mopane (Colophospernum mopane),

however any from the following list, I have used successfully.

Yew (Taxus baccata)

Satine Bloodwood (Brosimum paraense)

Kingwood (Dalbergia caerensis)

Brazilian Tulipwood (Dalbergia frutescens)

Piqia Amarello (Aspidosperma species)

Lignum Vitae (Guaicum officinale)

Red Lancewood (Archidendropsis basaltica)

Cocobolo (Dalbergia retusa)