Finishing surface of brass inlay without leaving residue in wood?

[JohnTyg]

Hope this doesn't seem like too dumb a question.

What is the best way to avoid carrying dark residue into the wood when finishing a brass inlay??
I know steel wool and  emory cloth is out, but even fine sandpaper seems to carry a dark residue into any grain openings in the wood around the final of my patch box.

John



PS: Sorry for posting yet another photo of my patch box (although I am admittedly pleased at how it turned out).

[Acer Saccharum]

I use a big pink (or White) rubber eraser.

Also, try to dust off any brass as you work, so it does not get ground in.

[Old Ford2]

Don't appologise for the pic. of your patch box, If it were mine, everybody on this site would have a picture!
Great job!
When polishing your brass apply some green painters masking tape on the wood.
Do yor polishing then remove the tape.
Fred

[T*O*F]

Carburetor or Brake Parts Cleaner will remove it.  Just spray until its all flushed off.  It don't hurt nuthin and evaporates quickly.

[Acer Saccharum]

Geeze, Dave, that's a great hint. I've been using 'Cleanwoode' but of course, it's a liquid, so it's wipe on/wipe off. That may push some particles into the wood.

[Luke]

john try using the 3mm blue painters tape,work it around your brass work and inlays to protect the wood while you finish working on that brass.luke

[JohnTyg]

I'll put the blue (or green) painters tape, along with the erasers and carb cleaner, right next to my  rasps  and chisels, all very useful recommendations, Thanks.

Never would have thought of carb cleaner, clever!

Actually use the painters tape quite a bit to protect areas of the stock and as idiot markers for "please do not sand anymore here".  Also to help in defining boarders such as the architectural line of demarcation between the top of the comb and side of the but stock. Simply sand to the line of the tape (Note: this line left deliberately high at this point).

John

[volatpluvia]

Am I missing something here?  I have always taken the inlays out to polish them.  Did I do it wrong?  Okay, I won't ask how you fit tape around fancy inlays.  Or how it isn't just pushed away or ripped to shreds by your polishing.  ¿¿¿Carburater Cleaner???
volatpluvia

[JohnTyg]

I think I used the word "finishing". 

By finishing I meant filling/sanding to bring the brass inlay and wood flush with each other.  Certainly would "polish" it out of the wood.

I don't think you missed anything, but I could have been clearer with my semantics. So filling/sanding, NOT polishing.

John

[Long John]

If you are into scraping and not sanding remember that a well sharpened scraper will work on the brass.  In my pistol I used only scrapers on the wood, no sandpaper at all.  To bring down the brass stirrups of the buttcap to the wood surface I simply used my scrapers.  The particulate you get when you scrape simply blows off the wood.  Once the fitting was complete I removed the metal parts and used abrasive paper for final polishing.  Its another way to skin the cat.

Best Regards,

John Cholin

[Jim Kibler]

If you don't polish it to a fine grit, it becomes less of a problem.  I'll generally stop at maybe 400 grit and hit it with some fine scotchbrite to even things out.  A super high polish isn't necessary and at times may look out of place.  My view anyway.

[JohnTyg]

Thanks for the comments, from carb cleaner to scraping, all are appreciated, some intriguing.  I'll give scraping a try for some of the final finish.

Expect I will use all the advice to some degree as I finish the build, always helpful advice here!

The wood discoloration was more a problem than usual at the patch box final simply because I have small ares of wood surrounded by large areas of brass.

Thanks again,

John