Removing bug dust ... is there an easy way?

[Dorm]

I've been using some oak for small furniture pieces, which has the typical bug holes, tunnels and resulting dust. I'll selectively fill in some of the tunnels and/or bug damage with epoxy for a decorative finish, but the dust is difficult to remove. I've made some small needle sharp tools to help, but wondered if there might be a chemical process to more easily soften or remove the dust. If anyone has an easy method to remove the dust, I'd appreciate the help.

Yes ... I sanitize the wood before building the piece!

Ciao ... Dorm

 

[Wyatt Co.]

Compressed air, blower nozzle, and a vacuum. Any chemical that will break down the "dust" will further damage the wood. The dust is wood too.

 

[Bill Clemmons]

Compressed air, blower nozzle, and a vacuum. Any chemical that will break down the "dust" will further damage the wood. The dust is wood too.

+1. I've also found a dental pick can help get into the tight little tunnels.

 

[Jeff]

Why does the PP beetle frass (dust) have to be removed from these small individual pieces? Bill's suggestion (compressed air, vacuuming, etc) should be sufficient for most of it and the rest it is wood "character" like wormy chestnut used to be in vogue and premium priced.

 

[Dorm]

Thanks for the responses, and to date I've pretty much used all of the suggested methods. I was hoping someone had successfully used some type of solvent to soften and/or remove the dust. A lot of the dust tracks in the wood I'm using has hardened such that it's almost impossible to remove ... it is very tedious work to pick it out. I've used a SS wire brush as well with limited success.

On the "why does the PP dust have to be removed" - simply put - to get the appearance I'm after. Leaving small holes and/or bug tracks works into the 'look' I'm going for, as I can in-fill these as desired. But the finishing process I'm using doesn't get the results I'm after if there's dust left in a track or hole.

Ciao ... Dorm

 

[Wyatt Co.]

For giggles, I'd try denatured alcohol. Nothing to back that up other than a whim.

 

[sawman101]

We're talking worm poop here!

 

[Jeff]

Leaving small holes and/or bug tracks works into the 'look' I'm going for, as I can in-fill these as desired. But the finishing process I'm using doesn't get the results I'm after if there's dust left in a track or hole.

Ok, does that mean it fits the look or detracts from it? Just curious. Can you post a few pics of a work in progress highlighting the good/bad places that have to be cleaned up?

But the finishing process I'm using doesn't get the results I'm after if there's dust left in a track or hole.

Ok, same question with your finish before and after pics for comparison. What's your finish that's so finicky?



Have you tried plain old distilled water or real turpentine and a few brass bristle brushes to clean up the bug channels? The brass bristle brushes are less stiff than stainless steel and may do a better job in the channels.

How about using shellac on the wood as a barrier coat to cover the ugly stuff and then followed by your finicky finish?

 

[Berta]

I would try white vinegar. It can do some amazing stuff.

 

[Dorm]

Ok, does that mean it fits the look or detracts from it? Just curious. Can you post a few pics of a work in progress highlighting the good/bad places that have to be cleaned up?

How about using shellac on the wood as a barrier coat to cover the ugly stuff and then followed by your finicky finish?

I haven't thought of using a brass bristle brush and will definitely give that a try ... white vinegar too - Thanks Berta.

On the finish and/or 'look' I'm going for ... it's hard to put into words other than some bug damage looks fine to me; some I will fill in with epoxy; some I will plane or sand smooth. The one dynamic I don't like is having the dust soften and crumble out of a 'track' after I've filled in spots and moved on to the final finish stage. I'd like to have a clean surface to work too when I pour in epoxy, otherwise the dust sometimes crumbles out around an edge.

You can see the pic here and how after sanding, filling and such - where the dust crumbled out along the left side of the in-fill and spot along the bottom edge.

 

[KenOfCary]

That picture looks more like carpenter bee damage rather the PPB. But maybe its just me.

 

[Gofor]

Looks typical of Bess Beetle larva damage.

Go

 

[Endless Pursuit]

Several years ago I got my hands on some wormy hickory that was structurally sound and I had Scott Smith run it thru his kiln to sterilize it. I was after the same "look" you are, tunnels, holes etc, but none of the loose dust to compromise the finish. Being in the industrial painting industry I am very familiar with numerous surface preparation technologies including abrasive blasting. This outfit (https://compomat.com/type-vi-clear-cut/) makes and sells just about any kind of blasting media you will ever need. I have a small Sears siphon blaster ($39) that I connect to my air compressor. The link above will take you to their Clear Cut series of plastic blasting media and they offer a -100 grit which is small enough to abrade away the "worm poop" but not tear up the wood too badly. The mesh sizes correspond to our sandpaper grit sizes. I'd get my surfaces to the 80 grit sanding step and then lightly blast with this stuff and then finish sanding 100,220,320. I liked what it did.

My New Years resolution was to do a better job of photographing all the things I make so in the future I'll have pics I can refer to.