I would like to thank you all for the spledid job you all do! This is a very good site.

Tom kirkman (Thanks Tom for your promt reply)sent me a URL of a post that Ralph O'Quinn wrote on 06-22-01 on how to color a blank using color pigmant and oil based urathane.

I have a brand new Blank thats just buffed graphite (Dan Craft V river)

What, if any cleaner or solvent should I use to clean blank, degreaser, alcohol? and do I need to scruff up a new blank with scotch bright as well?
Happy wrapping "John"

I would use a combination of Joy liquid soap water and denatured alcohal . 1/2 water and 1/2 denatured alcohal with a dash of Joy soap and lightly buff with a gray scotch brite pad. then reance off with a clean towl and denatured alcohal

If I were doing it, I would use a mild solvent such as denatured solvent alcohol on it FIRST, and then a quick and light scouring with a gray Scotchbrite pad. Do not clean it again after scouring with the pad. There is a reason for this and it has to do with the rearrangement of the molecular structure that occurs when the Scothbrite pad is used. If you just can't stand not to, then go ahead and lightly dust off the surface (not really necessary though) but do not wipe with a solvent again.

As a matter of fact, the issue of RodMaker that is in the mail now has an article on how to prepare surfaces for bonding (finishing is quite similar) and it is going to surprise a lot of people. In an issue early next year, we will have a more in-depth article for those who want to fully understand the science behind surface preparation.


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