Tear-out and oil finishing

[White House Workshop]

Reading the discussion on oil finishing the Ikea tabletop (off topic forum) got me thinking about the problem I have with some woods, depending on grain pattern when oiling and rubbing out with 0000 wire wool. The iroko tabletop I just sanded down has this problem in a few spots - I removed all the varnish and grunge and then started sanding, ending up with a 320 grit on a random orbit sander using very light pressure. It 'feels' completely smooth to the fingers, but tears 0000 wire wool and raises grain. Darned nuisance as I have to work it again, and again.....

Any suggestions? The only way round I've found is to not rub the wool against the direction where the grain pulls up. Would a synthetic rubbing pad be a better option?

 

[Chris Knight]

Brian,
I gave up using wirewool ages ago and in most cases where I once used it, now use the 3M scotchbrite type pads which are available in several degrees of fineness. They are never oily, don't leave fragments of steel behind (hence avoiding black stains on oak as an additional benefit) and won't catch fire if a few sparks hit them - all problems I have had with steel wool in the past.

With modern abrasives so capable these days, I can't really think of a woodworking use where wire wool is the best tool for the job.

 

[White House Workshop]

Thanks Chris. I just happen to have a supply of 0000 wool and it seems a shame to throw it away. Of course it doesn't get used on oak... I think I'll have to invest in some scotchbrite pads.