White Powder, After Sanding Poly with Howard Acheson

White Powder,
After Sanding Poly
with Howard Acheson

Problem:
After sanding Minwax rub-on Poly down to a satin finish, I have white powder on the surface of the wood.

No matter how much I wipe with mineral spirits, the powder still appears; is there a better way to get rid of this?

I am using a green scotch pad; probably too coarse, that's why the powder.

Tried 0000 wool, too slow for me.

Something I'll never do again is rub out to a satin finish.
I'll just use a satin finish for the final coat!
Sanding is just too much of a drag...

Solution:

Green scotchbrite is definately too couse for "finishing the finish".

Gray is the one to use.

The white has no real abrasive and is best for applying wax.

You must vacuum off the dust before you attempt to wipe it off.

All you are doing if you don't vacuum first is spreading the dust around which becomes powder again as soon as the mineral spirits evaporates.

There is too much dust for the rag to get it all if you don't remove almost all of it by some other means.

The process of rubbing out to a satin finish starts with 400 W&D paper on a sanding block.

Then go to a grey scotchbrite pad with either mineral oil or paste wax as a lubricant.

Use both the sandpaper and the pad going with the grain of the wood.

Beware that thinning a full strength satin finish to 50/50, for your final finish, will allow the flatteners to quickly fall out of suspension. You must keep stirring the finish and even then, you may end up with a streaky looking finish.

I do not recommend blowing dust off a project unless you have a separate finishing room.

Using compressed air will cause the dust to become airborne and it will surely come to rest on your nice wet finish.

It should be an objective to lessen the dust suspended in the air, not contribute to it.

This is the best use for your air cleaner.

Finish sanding.

Vacuum off the dust.

Get your finishing materials out.

Leave the area for a couple of hours.

Change clothes.

Go back into the area trying not to raise any dust.

Now wipe off the project with a rag dampened with mineral spirits.

Get to finishing.

Again leave the area until the finish is no longer tacky.

Howie.........