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I may be the only one who didn’t know this, but I thought I’d share my experience.
My current project is my study/office. Wainscoting, etc. Where there are outlets I wanted more of a ‘finished’ look and routed recesses for them in the wainscoting pieces, squared up the corners and trimmed with small, mitered quarter round. During the process of leveling the varnish I was using 000 steel wool around these recesses.
At one point there was a burst of sparks and suddenly the steel wool began burning, briefly. Thought I had been daydreaming and had done something stupid like pushing the steel wool into the slot of the outlet.
Later, when I was carefully staying away from the slots, but still close enough, the same thing happened. Apparently, the air becomes so saturated with (almost invisible) steel wool particles that it becomes conductive. I’ve taped off the outlet slots now.
I suppose this is a good argument for using the synthetic stuff, but I’ve never liked it much. Doesn’t seem to ‘cut’ like the wool. I read somewhere that all brands of the synthetic are not equal, and I’ve only used some stuff I ordered out of the Trendlines catalog long ago. Anybody willing to step up and swear that 3M’s Scotchbrite is flat-out better than steel wool?
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Eric,
Now you know why I never use steel wool between varnish coats. These "invisable" steel particles do remain and can cause finish problems. Garrtett Wade sells cooper wool pads. Can't comment about their worth having not used them. FWIW, I use 320 grit aluminum oxide or 400 grit silicon (dry) between coats.
Dano
*I hear what you're saying, Dano. I mainly use sandpaper, too. Used to use lubricated silicon carbide, pain in the neck not being able to see what was going on. Switched to that new gold paper from 3M when it came out and I'm sold on it. But areas like that small, mitered quarter round, or any intricate routed profile just give me fits, especially when I've got a glaze coat down below the finish. Seems like all I have to do is hold the sandpaper about an inch away and a cut-thru appears. That's why the steel wool in those areas. Maybe I just need to practice on the sanding technique a bit more.
*Eric,I know what you mean, the joys of working with wood.:) What I do is use "old" pieces of 220 or 320 that has lost their "stiffness". It is in these pesky little nooks and cranneys where the steel wool really likes to shed. FWIWDano
*Excellent tip, Dano! I should have thought of it. I'm going to stop throwing the used pieces away. Thanks.
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