Another method of dealing with "fuzzies"

[Bill Wilson]

Fuzzies are the bane of every scroller and we all have a variety of ways we deal with them. I think I've stumbled onto one that I haven't heard mentioned before. Many here have used flap sanders. The thought of getting one has intrigued me. The concept seems brilliant and for larger projects they are great, but I've always worried that they were too big and aggressive for very small, delicate fretwork like Christmas ornaments. I'm in the middle of making about 75 ornaments and it dawned on me that I might have something amongst my Dremel accessories that would be ideal. I rooted around and found something, sort of like these finishing buffs.

511E EZ Lock Finishing Abrasive Buffs - 180 & 280 grit (2 Pack) / Model: 511E

I have to say though that the ones I have don't look exactly like the ones pictured in the link. The ones I have are more like a brush, with thousands of tiny bristles, but I couldn't find the exact same thing on Dremel's website. I hope they are still available, because I intend to stock up on them.

Using a light touch and a low speed, these things work fantastic. I can get into all the nooks and crannies and clean off the fuzzies faster and easier than any other method I've tried and there is very little risk of doing damage to fragile pieces. I don't know if any of you are using this, but if you have a Dremel, I encourage you to give it a try. I hope it works as well for you as it is for me.

[PatteM]

Thanks for the tip - I'm going to look for these at Lowe's today. I have what appears to be the Dremel flap sander but it looks way too aggressive for delicate work. These look a lot more gentle - and I appreciate the advice to use a slow speed as well.

[Wood Dog]

Sweeeeet tip Bill, I have a few of those in my Dremel box, and never quite knew what to use them for........will certainly give them a go.

[wood-n-things]

I have some as well I'll for sure give em a try.

[ChuckD]

They look scary. Probably not as scary as my system which is a propane torch. Maybe I will try them.

[oily]

I use a propane torch. On really fine pieces I have a pen torch. Then I sand with a single layer of Norton 3x 220 or 400. Single layer lets it dip into the cut enough to clean the edges.

[Bill Wilson]

In my ongoing test of this new method, I've discovered that these buffs don't last all that long. They are also a little pricey. I wore one down to nothing after cleaning up about 30 ornaments. I stopped at Home Depot on the way home tonight and picked up a few more, but they are a couple bucks+ a piece, so that is a consideration. They work wonders though. It took me about 1/2 hour to clean up those ornaments and it did a better job than I could do with my scalpel, needle files, emery boards and sandpaper. I'm still sold on the concept, but will reserve full endorsement until I've used them some more. While at HD, I saw a mini flap sander for the Dremel. I'm going to experiment with that as well. It was more expensive than the buffs, but perhaps it will hold up better. I suspect it might be too aggressive though. We'll see how this goes.

[Cutting Cathy]

Keep us posted Bill!! Always looking for easier ways to sand!!

[Xray]

I like to blast em with heat. Propane torch is a bit too concentrated for me, but my forced air propane heater works great.

[PatteM]

I'm using the little torch that is supposed to be for things like carmelizing sugar on top of creme brulle. It works well if you pay attention, but I'm also experimenting with actually burning the wood to create an "artistic" effect, since I've accidentally burned it several times.