[ArizonaPaPa]

I have been useing scotchbrite with my dremel to smooth over some of the rough spots and to blend muscletone and such. it never fails that when i get done some of the wood seems frayed at the end of the grain. has anyone had this problem, and how did you correct it?

PaPa 8) 8)

Feeling pretty dumb at the moment, but I don't know what scotchbrite IS :-) What is it...what does it do? (besides fraying wood ends)

Teri

[ArizonaPaPa]

I didn't know what it was up till a couple of weeks ago. it is a pad that comes in varying degrees of coursness like sandpaper does. it is used in place of sandpaper. my wife said she uses something like it to wash the dishes......anyway,i cut off a 1' x 1' piece and place it in the mandrel on my dremel and run it at a slow speed instead of sandpaper. If you use it be sure to wear your goggles bacause small particles of it break off as you use it.

PaPa

[Nancy_G]

ScotchBrite is a fairly soft abrasive pad available in packages in the dishwashing or cleaning sections of stores. I, too, use 1' flat squares in a mandrel to clean up my carvings after woodburning - before painting.
It comes in diferent colors and sometimes people argue over which color is best to use. Green has worked out best for me.

Oooooooooooooooooooh...the dishwashing or cleaning aisles of the store. No WONDER I'd never heard of it :-)

Teri

Teri,

Scotchbrite is 3M's answer to steel wool. It comes in several grits. I buy mine in the paint and sandpaper area of the hardware store.

Good whittlin, Cliff
Charles City, Iowa
http://cliffordparker.tripod.com

It is used on to clean nonstick pots.It is not harmful to the coating as Brillo is.I use it with scouring powder to clean my ceramic stones.

[don]

And it doesn't rust so any residue that you miss before you put on that first coat of water based finish doesn't leave rust spots you can't get rid of.

For all of you who may want to use steel wool, but don't like the little piceces that brake of and show up at the wrong time. I had the same problem, until I found a sure fire way to avoid it. If you will take a large magnet, place it in a bagie then slowly rub it over the carving it will pick up all the little crumbs and hold them. When you have finished hold the bagie over a trash can and take the magnet out, then shake the dust off the bagie, put the magnet back in and you're ready to stain or paint, no fuss or muss.