There is still confusion about the correct way to use sanding sealers. Looks like my work here isn’t done yet!
I spoke to someone this week who was applying it before sanding (supposedly to raise the grain, but this isn’t what it does). Then they’d sand this back, apply another coat of sealer, sand that back with a finer grit, and so on, until they reached their desired finish.

Sanding Sealers are a coating, not a sanding aid. It’s meant to be applied AFTER all the sanding has taken place, not before each abrasive grit.

The process should be to sand to the desired grit (320, 400 etc), clean off with a Tack Cloth, then apply a coat of sealer. This will seal the pores of the timber and bind any minute, friable elements together, to give a solid foundation for the final finish.
The sealer should be sanded using the same abrasive that was used on the bare timber (or, subject to compatibility, Cut’n’Polish or Burnishing Cream can be used).
It might mean we sell less sealer, but we’d rather it was used correctly!

I was also asked about the equivalent grit grades of Steel Wool. Which it isn’t really possible to answer. There doesn’t seem to be a recognised standard for Steel (or Wire) Wool. I’ve seen bundles for sale graded as 0000 that are so coarse we wouldn’t sell them as Grade 0. Our Grade 0000 is the finest we can get, and we’re happy that it meets a good standard. But to give it a rating? There are simply too many variants. Something like NyWeb contains a defined abrasive (either Silicon Carbide or Aluminium Oxide), which means we know exactly what grit they cut at.
That’s fine for the first three, (Green – 400, Red – 600, Orange -1000) but the White version doesn’t contain a grit – the texture of it gives it an ultra-fine cut, but, like the Steel Wool, we can’t realistically give it a rating.

Finally, question-wise, we were asked about using Food Safe Finish on a pepper grinder. Our caller had been using it on the inside to seal in any dust etc., but they also wanted to use it on the outside. What did we think?

I wasn’t sure it was a good idea, or even necessary. The outside of the grinder won’t come into contact with food (unless someone drops it when using it – something I’m liable to do!), so food safety isn’t required, and, frankly, I don’t think it’s hard wearing enough. Our caller usually used Melamine Lacquer as his top coat, and I suggested he stay with that.

After several months (far too many) preparing, we gave our first online livestream demo this week for Dorset Woodturners. It was strangely nerve-wracking, and despite all of our rehearsing, there were still a few hiccups, but fortunately all minor.

Encouraged by this, we’re doing another one this week, featuring Nathanael’s Christmas Decorations demo. It’s on Tuesday 10 December at 2.00pm. Don’t worry if you can’t make it on the day, you’ll be able to view the recording afterwards. To join us, just click HERE.