Wire wool
- Thread starter Garno
- Start date
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Trevanion
Greatest Of All Time
I personally don't like using wire wool for applying it, especially the finer stuff as it tends to leave hairs of steel behind and I really don't want that on a piece of oak for instance. Cotton cloth or paper towel for me, Usually paper towel as it's cheap and disposable but buffs wax to a great sheen.
Everyone has their own opinion on what waxes to use, how to apply them and how to buff them, there really isn't one be-all end-all answer.
Everyone has their own opinion on what waxes to use, how to apply them and how to buff them, there really isn't one be-all end-all answer.
Trevanion
Greatest Of All Time
Garno":20w67v5f said:Looks like paper towels are getting added to my shopping list
Get some kitchen ones from your supermarket of choice, the industrial packs you can buy online tend to have quite thin papers whilst the kitchen variety are quite nice and thick. I usually pick up the "Jumbo" Rolls from Tesco for £1 or so, good for everything in the workshop. They're also safer for finishing lathework as they'll tear rather than being pulled into the machine if they snag!
You can buy dedicated lint free cotton for applying oil based finishes from specialist suppliers like Osmo. If you want too you can.
Or you can collect old cotton where you find it for pennies. Take your pick. Same sh*t. Different day. Bed sheets, old shirts, its literally everywhere when you start looking. Put the word out to family/ friends. It starts appearing in huge laundry bags as women everywherebuy new bedsets with matching pillow cases while they can with a free excuse to buy new sh*t on the grounds they are helping someone out. (hammer)
Regards
Chris
Or you can collect old cotton where you find it for pennies. Take your pick. Same sh*t. Different day. Bed sheets, old shirts, its literally everywhere when you start looking. Put the word out to family/ friends. It starts appearing in huge laundry bags as women everywherebuy new bedsets with matching pillow cases while they can with a free excuse to buy new sh*t on the grounds they are helping someone out. (hammer)
Regards
Chris
Bm101":66ylphes said:You can buy dedicated lint free cotton for applying oil based finishes from specialist suppliers like Osmo. If you want too you can.
Or you can collect old cotton where you find it for pennies. Take your pick. Same sh*t. Different day. Bed sheets, old shirts, its literally everywhere when you start looking. Put the word out to family/ friends. It starts appearing in huge laundry bags as women everywhere find the excuse to buy new bedsets with matching pillow cases while they can with a free excuse to buy new sh*t on the grounds they are helping someone out. (hammer)
Regards
Chris
It's going to cost my mates a fortune in replacement bedding
your post did tickle me though.
woodbloke66
Established Member
0000grade wire wool is quite good for cutting back or denibbing a finish provided it's used lightly but it shouldn't be used on oak as any metal fibres that are shed may find their way into the grain and produce black specks. Safer to apply wax with a grey 1500g Webrax pad which will cut back the finish and apply the wax at the same time - Rob
custard
Established Member
Most of the commercial workshops I know have stopped using wire wool in favour of more modern alternatives like the 3M versions.
https://multimedia.3m.com/mws/media/119 ... re-pdf.pdf
The reasons include,
-wirewool is flammable (you can ignite it with a 9v battery) and in commercial premises wire wool now needs to be stored in locked steel cabinets. These cabinets are expensive and inconvenient, so you want as few things in there as possible
-there used to be reliable brands of steel wool, but now most comes from China and the quality is all over the place. Some are dripping in oil, some rust as soon as look at them, the grading is pretty random, etc.
-wirewool fragments get embedded in the timber's pores, if the timber has any tannin it will eventually stain black.
Wirewool still has a role in metal working workshops, but for woodwork there are simply better options available.
https://multimedia.3m.com/mws/media/119 ... re-pdf.pdf
The reasons include,
-wirewool is flammable (you can ignite it with a 9v battery) and in commercial premises wire wool now needs to be stored in locked steel cabinets. These cabinets are expensive and inconvenient, so you want as few things in there as possible
-there used to be reliable brands of steel wool, but now most comes from China and the quality is all over the place. Some are dripping in oil, some rust as soon as look at them, the grading is pretty random, etc.
-wirewool fragments get embedded in the timber's pores, if the timber has any tannin it will eventually stain black.
Wirewool still has a role in metal working workshops, but for woodwork there are simply better options available.
