When NOT to use #0000 steel wool

[Dengue]

I am trying to finish a small box lid using koto (West African ash) and decided to wipe on Wattyl Teak Oil ( Scandinavian) with fine steel wool on the bare timber - big mistake - lots of grey in the grain, so abandoned that one, not prepared to risk future staining of the lid

Cut out a new lid using same koto timber, this time did two coats of oil, allowing 24 hours between coats, wiping on with an old sheet with 50% cotton. Looked good.

With the third and final coat, decided to wipe it on with #0000 steel wool from Bunnies ( SIFA brand). Wiped off the excess with a clean cotton rag again, and the rag contained a lot of dark grey wool dust - very, very fine particles. Quickly flooded on more oil a couple of times with a rag before it dried and wiped each coat off with a rag- no problems there.

My next step was to wipe on EEE Ultrashine with #0000 wool, buff it off, then with #0000 wool apply Traditional Wax. I now have doubts about doing this.

My questions are:

Q1. What went wrong with using the #0000 wool to wipe on the oil
Q2. Should I use #0000 wool to wipe on the EEE Ultrashine and the Traditional Wax?

I would appreciate any help and suggestions with this, please.

[FenceFurniture]

Dengy, I'm not a fan of steel wool or wet &dry for the same reason. Unless the timber is supersmooth it always seems to leave that grey residue. Perhaps you could rub a fairly strong magnet over it?

[Master Splinter]

Try one of 3M's sanding scotchbrites.

[LGS]

Hi Dengy,

Like Brett, I am not a fan of steel wool for application of oils. However, I am a fan of wet and dry sandpaper to give an excellent oil finish. Better than Poly IMO.
Most likely, you have had an oxidation/reduction reaction happen between the oil, or some component of the oil, and the steel wool.
By far the best way to apply Scandinavian oil is to use my burnishing method, which I have outlined many times. Look through antiphile's posts on oil finish and you will find the way to do it.

There is absolutely no need to use steel wool with UBeaut EEE cream and Traditional wax. Use a cotton cloth! And remember that EEE is not a finish, but a fine cutting compound. You should use wax or something else over the top of it.

If you decide you want to burnish the Wattyl oil, don't use steel wool to apply it, use a cotton cloth. Also Use a Random Orbital Sander, not an orbital. This will give you the results you seek.
You should be able to go back and rescue the original lid.

This is what you are aiming for.

Regards,

Rob

[Wongo]

The only time I use steel wool is when the wood is protected by at least one coat of polyurethane. With the polyurethane protecting the wood there is no chance for the grey stuff to get into the grain.

Do not use steel wood to apply wax or oil. Use scotch pads for wax and a piece of cloth for oil.

I will not use EEE for open grained woods. EEE is grey in colour and when it gets into the grain you end up with the same problem. Use Ubeaut traditional wax instead. EEE is a cut and polish wax, but you can get the same result by using a scotch pad and clear wax.

Now go steal one from the kitchen while the wife is not watching.

[AlexS]

I've never had problems using 0000 steel wool, but I'd never use it to put a first coat on. I usually do as you have, use it to put on the 3rd coat on top of two coats that have gone off. Don't worry about the grey steel wool dust that comes off - it's not going into the wood, it's coming off with the oil.
I've never used it to apply wax, but can't see why it wouldn't work.

[RETIRED]

https://www.woodworkforums.com/f8/usi...llawax-131234/

[ubeaut]

Never use steel wool on bare timber it is for use on metal and over a surface coating like polyurethane, shellac, lacquer, etc. It can also be used with metho for cleaning up stripped furniture but not as an abrasive on raw timber.

I have a feeling that Kotop is a tannin rich timber and the graying may be because of a reaction with the steel wool and the tannin in the timber rather than the steel wool in leaving colour behind. In any case there should be no reason to use steel wool with the oil. Best thing to do is follow the manufacturers instructions and if they stipulate the use of steel wool spend a few dollars and get really good steel wool.

Wattyl's instructions for the product say to apply 2 coats of Estapol at 12 hr intervals and allow 48 hrs before sanding. Then you can apply a couple of coats of the oil with steel wool. In Wattyl's own words - Wet the surface with the oil and rug (their word not mine) vigorously with steel wool. I guess they mean rub.
Here is a link to their Data Sheet.

You are wasting your time using steel wool with EEE as the EEE is way more finer than the steel wool and EEE loves to cut metal as much as it loves to cut a finish.

By the way EEE is not gray and boes not leave a gray pigment or any other colour pigment in timber unless it is an extremely open grained timber or used wrongly, even in an open grained timber it's pretty well nigh on impossible to get it to leave anything visible in the pores of the wood. EEE Data Sheet

Hope this is of some help.

Cheers - Neil

[Dengue]

Many thanks for the truly excellent replies above - they have been a real eye opener, and I will be leaving the steel wool alone in future, unless the manufacturer of the finish stipulates its use.

[Horsecroft88]

I think as all have tried to advise, there are different products and different techniques for good reason.

Personally, I have absolutely no problem in using 0000 grade steel wool as part of my finishing process, but as Neil quite correctly says it shouldn't be used on bare timber and I am not convinced that it really should be used either with oils. The only time I use such a material is for for the final cutting back in French Polishing/Shellac wiping, which when thereafter polished off with Bees Wax is perfect in providing the silky smooth/gloss finish as for antique furniture and joinery.

Coarse grade steel wool from my experience similarly has a purpose, which is for cleaning off the residual paint after heat gunning off old paint and when used with paint stripper.

So my advice is that it should be considered a part of the wood workers' finishing tool box but used appropriately.