Brown Paper Bag Final Sanding?

In news:ias8jq$71h$ snipped-for-privacy@news.eternal-september.org,

-MIKE- spewed forth:

Yup, an old finisher buddy taught me that trick and it works great. Brown lunch bag or newspaper works well too

They're also good for removing light surface rust without damaging a finish such as bluing, I've been told for forever not to cut cardboard because it is abrasive and will dull a knife. I've been ignoring this for forever and just sharpening the (various) knives when they get dull (from whatever reason).

And speaking of rust, the first thing I try on light rust is a coarse terrycloth rag with some light oil (auto trans fluid works well). This will usually remove rust with a good scrubbing, but won't harm bluing or other finish.

Yep, paper bags works fine. Also, burlap.

Sonny

It's been discussed here a number of times in the past. AAMOF, nothing work like a brown paper bag on the final coat of shellac a week after it cures.

Amazing what I can learn from this site. What a great group. WW

I've never used shellac. What about it makes the paper so good? What's it doing to the shellac?

Is this a variant of the turner's trick of grabbing a handful of swarf to burnish the finished workpiece? I thought that was mainly heat and the resins and sap doing a quick polish. I'm partial to the waxy-string method, myself.

It is abrasive. The guys that do knives use it for final sharpen/ polish, I believe. A "paper" wheel, IIRC.

The friction heats the shellac just enough to burnish it, and it is just rough enough to both cause the friction and then burnish it super smooth.

Newspaper makes a perfect "polishing cloth" for cleaning window glass. Doesn't really mater if it has print on it or not.(but some seem to think the ink actually helps - I've not noticed one way or the other)

Serious? Tell me you're not just making that up (like some guys in here). :-) Makes sense to me.

I learned the newspaper window cleaning trick years ago and I will always use it to clean glass. Just water with a drop of dish soap and newspaper is sooooo much faster than any other method.

No streaks.

So did I, Basic training.

Likewise, a nice clean, new crisp dollar bill makes a fair electrical contact cleaner in a pinch. I would imagine larger denominations work equally well but I've never had one long enough to try.

Serious.

See the "frugal wood-turner" at

It really is worth giving a try. I use it all the time on items like picture frames or furniture that does not get high wear. It is inexpensive, easy to pad or brush (with the right technique) and dries fast.

Or to put it another way, the friction warms the shellac and softens it on the surface. And then the burnishing effect of the paper smooths the shellac.

That won't work the same on a varnish that cures with oxygen.

But did you learn that a chamois skin works even better for the final wipes?

-- Experience is a good teacher, but she send in terrific bills. -- Minna Thomas Antrim

Oak rust, suspended in animal fat and rubbed in with Festool Brownbagpaper=99 is the ticket for me.