[cedarshavings]

I recently carved the laughing bear that was in WCI a couple of issues. I put in some more fur detail with a stone rather than just the gouge. When I put on the sealer before painting some fuzzies started popping up. What causes this and how can it be prevented?
I was going to attach a picture but apparently that was a little more challenging than I thought.


Thanks

[Lynn O. Doughty]

When I use a stone to create texture I always fire up the Butane torch to burn off the fuz. Then, a quick brush with a brass shoe brush gets rid of the residue.

Just like grain, water will make the wood swell and in the case of fuzz stand up.

[BobD]

I never heard the butane torch method before...interesting!

After sealing, just sand a bit. That fuzz was there before sealing, but like Lynn said, the finish plumped them up. It's standard for woodworkers to plan on sanding lightly after sealing because this happens with wood.

Bob

[Just Carving]

Use plain ordinary brown paper. Ball or bunch it up and buff until all the fuzzies are gone.

[pinefeathers]

Fuzzies from stone texturing vary with the type wood used. After stoning, you can de-fuzz with a stiff bristle rotary brush in your power tool or simply use an old toothbrush and elbow grease. Useing a water-based sealer will raise the fuzz and grain even more. I like to use a 50/50 mix of lacquer and thinner for my sealer.

[Hugh P.]

Well my two cents worth again, grin. With Tupelo for power carving, there is a lot less fuzzing. My experience although limited, with basswood is fuzz, fuzz, fuzz. Cedar is fuzzless, (new word) also. i tell my students to choose the wood for the application, if your knife carving, use Basswood, great wood, if your power carving, use something else. Not critical, just how I see it. A friend told me that if everyone thought the same way, they would all want my wife, Grin.

[cedarshavings]

Well thanks to everyone for their two cents. I was using basswood and I'm glad to see that it wasn't anything I had done wrong. I am just like everybody else, I feel so much better about myself now.

Thanks
Steve

[Marci MN]

Hi Steve, I use the white sanding disks on my dremel to get rid of those fuzzies in beards on my dolls. It works pretty well.

Another thing I've been known to use is cutting many(25+) circles out of a paper bag and putting them into a mandrel for the dremel. Its a good soft cleanup for shallow fur. If you know someone into stamping and they have a circle cutter it will go quite fast to make those circles.

[BobD]

Or sharpen the inside of a piece of conduit or pipe, and hit it with a hammer to cut the circles (a giant circle punch)

Bob

[Kenny_S]

I am with Just Carving, plain old brown paper sack wadded up. No loss of texturing like with sand paper. Sand paper! That is a dirty word, eh?
Ah, before the sandpaper police comes ta take me away, sandpaper has its use for sure.