end grain and BLO

[Jake Helmboldt]

Every time I use BLO on a light colored bowl I get little dark brown blotches on some of the end grain. It is a case of minor tearout that won't sand out (unless I sand, and sand, ....)

It only seems to happen with BLO (or at least it is worse).

a) is there any easier way to get rid of that other than sanding it out?
b) is there a way to avoid it without endless sanding? I've had this happen now with hickory and beech when using BLO to wet sand bowls.

[David E Keller]

I think your best bet is to cut it out rather than sand if possible. You can try applying a coat of shellac before your final cut... Sometimes that helps stiffen the fibers a bit before cutting.

Another trick is to blow off the piece between grits... Sometimes dust will fill the small areas of tear out and prevent the sandpaper from working. Often I think I'm finished with my first grit then I blow the piece off and realize that I some areas to go back and sand more.

I haven't notice BLO being any worse than other finishes for highlighting my mistakes, but I haven't paid much attention to the idea either. I'll keep my eyes peeled next time I use it.

[Nathan Hawkes]

Hey Jake. We're kinda neighbors--I lived in Richmond for a few years, then back to Cville. Anyway, as David said, the best way to get rid of tearout is to turn it away before ever sanding. That said, sometimes its impossible to get rid of all of it with even the most skillfully executed shear cuts with gouges or scrapers. The best advice I ever got about this was to utilize coarse sandpaper! Professional turners DO use 80 grit paper, and sometimes even 60 grit. Yes, they try and keep from using it but sometimes you can't avoid it.

I'm not a professional, but I do sell a lot of bowls, and frequently, even when you remove all traces of tearout, you can't see the bruising left underneath until sanding is "done" and you oil/varnish the bowl. BOOM!!!! Dark compression lines appear as if magically, and you have to sand again! You are not alone. I'm headed to the shop right now to spend the day sanding the bowls I turned this week.

[Bernie Weishapl]

Jake I agree with David. The best way to get rid of it is to cut it out. What I mean is use some shellac, oil, or spritz it with water then take a final cut or two with a freshly sharpened gouge. I watched Mike Mahoney take care of this with a final cuts with a conventional gouge. I bought 2 from P & N. One was a 1/2" and 3/8". I use these for the final cuts and have had excellent luck following his advice. If bowl are going to be finished with his walnut oil that is what I put on the tear out then do my final cuts. Have had no trouble using walnut oil or BLO since.

[Harvey Schneider]

I agree with everything said. I want to add some of my recent revelations. I had problems with tear out which causes the effects you described.
I recently replaced the wheels on my grinder with good quality 100 grit wheels and added a balancing system. My tools are now scary sharp. Accidentally brushing against the tool edge results in cut skin. With light cuts and truly sharp tools the problem is almost nonexistent. A cut with a truly sharp tool leaves a better finish than anything else I have see. Much better than scraping and even better than shear scraping.
I hate sanding, and my focus recently has been to have good enough control of my tools that sanding is almost unnecessary. A gently cut surface finishes more evenly than a sanded area that was previously damaged by a dull tool.
The only time that I see tear out now is when the wood is so soft (and usually wet) that it is almost uncutable. For these rare situations I use sanding sealer thinned with turpentine (mineral spirits will not work). This stiffens the wood enough that it can be cleanly cut, and it does not interfere with the appearance of the finish.

[Jake Helmboldt]

Thanks guys. I was afraid that was the answer (ugh, more work).

Beech is nice looking, but so unstable that it just keeps moving and makes for a difficult clean surface across the whole bowl; especially a big one.