Steel Wool

[COOPES]

Hi Forum

I notice in many finishes in the forum steel wool is used - is this the rusty type or is it stainless - can bits and pieces become embeded in the timber and stay there ?

Also I notice different grades are used - I can understand a very fine grades being used but when would you use a course grade.

Cheers

COOPES

[Neil]

G'day Coopes - Dopn't use steel wool on timber. It is for use on metal and over finishes. The only time it should be permitted on timber is to help with cleaning up after stripping and then care should be taken to remove all traces of it prior to applying a finish.

Cheers - Neil

[COOPES]

Thanks Neil

Just looked up a synthetic steel wool - I guess something like we scour our pots and pans with: http://www.nortonconsumer.com/pdfs/synth.pdf

I am intending to use Danish Oil and 400 grit paper to restore a "country style" kitchen table over its existing mat "varnished" finish - is it OK to sand the oil in over the existing finish or should I get back close to the bare timber?

Cheers

COOPES

[RETIRED]

Gooday.

If you are applying any oil you will need to remove any previous finish (unless it was oil) or it won't penetrate but just sit on top.

[Fuzzie]

Cranking open an old thread for a somewhat different purpose.

Where can I buy stainless steel wool?

I have been looking around Bunnings etc and even the local wholesale cleaning products shop, but they only stock ordinary steel wool. There are stainless steel scourers available but not stainless steel wool.

Ebay has some listed as Muffler wool, but it is quite $$ey.

Before you ask, there are a lot of voids in the first course brickwork around our house and I want to stuff these with steel wool to keep various four legged things out, but I don't want to seal them completely because they probably still have legitimate weep hole functionality. I figure the steel wool scourers probably could be used, but might be more likely to be pulled out that finer steel wool. Ordinary steel wool would probably rust away fairly quickly.

[Woodwould]

How about using shade cloth? It would last well and be a darned sight cheaper than stainless steel wool.

[Fuzzie]

How about using shade cloth? It would last well and be a darned sight cheaper than stainless steel wool.

I don't think shadecloth would pack well into tight orifices and I'm not sure it would be rodent proof anyway. The SS scourers are pretty cheap, $3.60 for a pack of 6 at Big W.