Tuesday, October 11, 2016

Wooly ideas for abrasive


As my dad continues his Bismark build, he's reached the stage where wooden decks need to be treated. 

The instructions say to spray them with matt varnish and then smooth with fine wire wool. 

It works a treat. The varnish raises the grain very slightly but a rub with wire wool renders it smooth as a the proverbial babies backside. I suppose a mild abrasive would work just as well but this is certainly effective and so simple. Best of all, wire wool is cheap and readily available from the decorating sections of DIY outlets. 

2 comments:

Tanllan said...

Phil,

Steel wire wool is commonly used as an abrasive as part of the french polishing process. It is available in various grades from 0000 (very fine) through to 5 (very coarse).

More info here (there plenty of other merchants)


Regards,

Geoff aka Tanllan

Phil Parker said...

I'd forgotten French Polishers used the stuff. One of those old techniques that are worth re-visiting occasionally.