Finishing screw-up

[kelLOGg]

I applied tung oil to a pine cookie and the sand lines from the drum sander became more visible. I usually re-sand with fine grit in my orbital sander but this time I must have omitted that step. I tried sanding after the tung oil application and, as I expected, the sand paper gummed up. What are my options other than using a LOT of sand paper? Will tung oil "harden" or become sandable over time? I applied the oil this AM and tried to sand this PM.

 

[Martin Roper]

Hand plane?

 

[Graywolf]

Let the oil cure, and use a card scraper once you are down a little you can return to the sander.

 

[Mike Davis]

The oil should cure a week before you can sand it. Paper will still clog but not as bad.

Richard and I agree on card scraper use.

 

[Roger45]

The other option is to tell everyone that it was a design choice And they need to think out of the box. I don’t think you will get away they it.

 

[kelLOGg]

I will wait a week and re-try. I have scores more cookies if it doesn't work.

 

[Graywolf]

Well you can always have another cookie

 

[kelLOGg]

Yeah, but have you ever tried sanding an oreo?

 

[Mike Davis]

Yeah, but have you ever tried sanding an oreo?

No, but I've finished off a few...

 

[Graywolf]

Yeah, but have you ever tried sanding an oreo?

I usually just polish off my Oreos with a glass of milk!

 

[joec]

When I use my drum sander on a project, I normally drop down to a lower grit on my ROS to get rid of the vertical lines left by the drum sander. Love my drum sander, but that is always a problem area in finishing for me.

 

[kelLOGg]

When I use my drum sander on a project, I normally drop down to a lower grit on my ROS to get rid of the vertical lines left by the drum sander. Love my drum sander, but that is always a problem area in finishing for me.

It’s a hassle for me to change the sandpaper on my performax but it would have been better than what I have to do now.

 

[Rwe2156]

@kelLOGg -- >

Depending on the humidity it could take up to a week for the oil to dry enough to re-sand. You need to allow at least 48 hours. Pure tung oil or did you thin it?

How old is this cookie? You think it is dried enough? I say that b/c its has no cracks, which would be extremely unlikely. What are your plans for this? Every single cookie I've ever seen has several cracks and big splits extending to the center. Pine is going to crack pretty good.

Anyway, I'd start with 60 grit and go no higher than 100. Change frequently. Gummy stuff stuck to the sanding disc can sometimes be removed with a scotchbite or scrub brush. Stock up, you may go through 6-10 discs in each grit.

IMO you should never think of a drum sander as a finish sander, even when sanding with the grain. I don't use anything higher than 100 grit. Anything higher than that you risk burning + you still have to final sand anyway. Me, my methods, my experience.

 

[kelLOGg]

Pure tung oil. Cookies came from a 30+ inch leaning pine I had cut down about a year ago. Botton 80' were sawn into lumber and the top smaller logs were sawn into 1" cookies about 6" to 11" dia. Air dried for 6+ months and kiln dried to 8% and sterilized at 133 degF. Very few cracked cookies. I have given them to friends and neighbors and to an organization that awards people on earth day. I usually fine sand after the drum sanding with 80 grit but some slipped by.

 

[Rwe2156]

Maybe b/c it was cut from further up the tree.

 

[kelLOGg]

Yesterday I undertook the "repair" of my cookies. There are 9 of them. I re-sanded them with 60 grit in my palm sander followed by 120 grit. It took 1 to 2 pieces of each grit per side of each cookie but the sanding went pretty fast in spite of changing so many pieces of sandpaper. The dust was sticky and ruined the rotating platform that holds the sandpaper so I ordered a new one. I re-coated with tung oil and was pleased with the appearance and the absence of sand lines. The pictures look lighter than the original; I assume it is lighting because the cookies look the same as I remember.
I thank everyone for comments and advice. I will certainly be more attentive doing this in the future. I can't believe I overlooked the fine sanding.

 

[kelLOGg]

I’m resurrecting this thread because I screwed up more than I thought and I want to pass on something I learned about my Ridgid 5” r2601 palm sander. I pulled it out to sand something and when turning it on the rotation was labored. Uh oh - I bet the sticky tung oil- laden saw dust from the previous sanding accumulated and is impeding rotation. As it turned out I was right but figuring out how to take the sander apart for access to the impacted saw dust was not immediately apparent. There is a flexible rubber disk near the sanding disk which cannot be removed by itself. The plastic housing has to be disassembled and the rubber disk will fall free. Reassembly requires simultaneously putting the 2 plastic parts and the flexible rubber part together. This is probably hard to follow unless you have this same sander. Just an FYI.

 

[iclark]

Thanks for that heads-up on sawdust with uncured finishes getting into the sander mechanism.

I will keep that in mind if the Grex ROS that I use on the lathe starts acting up. Wet sanding with walnut oil is something that I use to improve the finish while reducing dust in the shop.