Sawdust Diaries: Wood Cleanup

Hello and welcome! Marching along in our journey toward building out the reclaimed lumber; we’ve covered design (here) and wood selection (here) and now the real fun starts! Today we get to see what our lumber is “made of” when we clean off the decades old layers of dust, debris and sometimes “doo”! Let’s dig in and get dusty!

HUMAN POWER!

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When talking tools, let’s first look at the main workhorse if we go with good ole fashioned elbow grease to complete the cleanup! That’s right, a steel bristle brush (or ideally, an assortment of them in varying sizes) is the best method for cutting into that grime. Brushing predominantly with the grain, covering every square inch of each board… will probably make your arm fall off BUT will eventually reveal that rustic beauty hidden underneath! 

NYLON WHEEL… FOR REAL??

 

I see two main wheel attachments for cleaning the bulk of the dirt off: Nylon or Steel Bristle. My favorite attachment for the Restorer I have to say the nylon wheel. It is slightly less aggressive than the steel bristle and is more forgiving if you don’t go perfectly with the grain of the wood. The steel bristle tends to leave deeper lines and can really dig in if there is a slightly softer spot. For that reason, I tend to use it sparingly. Also, as it spins the bristles sometimes fling off and you end up finding little steel quills embedded in your clothing later and in your dogs’ paws… no joke, it’s happened twice to yours truly!

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If you have a mountain of lumber to work through or are considering building multiple items, it probably makes sense to up your game to a powered approach! This will save the skin of your palms and the sanity of your brain cells! Two common choices we’ll briefly discuss here are the Makita 9741 Wheel Sander and the Restorer. The latter has a better overall entry price point and seemingly a wider array of attachments but does lack a little power. The Makita is more expensive, is a bit bulkier in size but can power through a bit faster than the Restorer. Personally, I have the Restorer and feel it is more than adequate.

SMOOTH SAILING… ER, SANDING!

 

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After bulk grit and grim removal with the steel bristle or nylon wheel, you’ll most likely want to sand everything a bit to save yourself on slivers down the road! I use three main tools at this step: (1) an angle grinder with sanding disc, (2) an orbital hand sander, and (3) a Restorer with a sanding drum. We won’t go into too much detail here as sanding pretty much explains itself, but we will touch on a few points for clarity. 

POWERED POSSIBILITIES

First, if the project you are building is “low traffic” (i.e. a wall décor item or mantel) you may not need to sand much at all. Something to consider to save time! Secondly, how much you sand is a fairly important decision to make as well. In my experience, “extra” sanding can be a good thing! Sure, you are taking more charm and character away but there are several good reasons. One, taking the roughness down a bit more means less filler/epoxy later (if that is the way your project is headed…). We’ll be discussing that step in a later post so we’ll leave it at that for now. Finding the right amount to sand takes a few projects to zero in on your preferred “texture”. Just dig in, try a few methods, and enjoy the discovery process!

Depending on how much lumber you must clean, this way will definitely test your grit and determination but keep at it and you’ll be rewarded! Secondly, sanding sponges of varying grits (60, 80, 120) will also be a nice addition to the hand cleaning approach. Having a chisel or two as well as a utility knife won’t hurt either as there are larger slivers and such that are better off completely removed to avoid them resurfacing later in the project.

SAFETY FIRST (& LAST)!

 

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In a bit of reverse psychology, we’ll now emphasize what most of the time would be said up front: Safety First! Even if you opt for hand tools, some of this applies to you so don’t check out now! In my opinion, tied for first in this category are eye and lung protection.

Talking lungs first, having a good respirator should be non-negotiable especially if you are going to be doing a lot of reclaiming.

The decades old dust, dirt and doo that becomes airborne during the cleaning stage are not something you want to experiment inhaling with! (Another pro tip: Do the bulk dust removal outside with the wind or a fan at your back for another layer of inhalation separation!)

A forced air setup such as the Trend AirShield Pro (www.trend-usa.com/airpro) looks like the next level up but admittedly I have not tried one myself. If I hadn’t already spent my tooling budget for the year, this is the one piece of personal protective equipment I would be buying!

Regarding eye protection, I like doubling up with standard glasses as well as a visor. I’ve tried both the headband and cap brim style visors; both are a nice for stopping those stray splinters from hitting everywhere where your eye glasses don’t cover!

Lastly, ear protection is a definite must when going the powered approach. The Restorer I use often squeals intermittently and it is those certain high-pitched tones that can really have a lasting negative effect on your ability to hear the dinner bell when you are out in the shop! That alone should be reason enough to put in the squishy plugs or don the earmuff style hearing protection!

CLEAN CONCLUSION

 

While the process of cleaning reclaimed lumber does not have much to offer in terms of enjoyment, it is a necessary and important step that should not be glazed over! If done right, this process will save you headaches later by ensuring any glued surfaces have proper adhesion and sealants/finishes bond correctly, to name two important benefits. So, go get yourself some protective equipment, line up your lumber, and get after it! The resulting beauty and charm of whatever reclaimed masterpiece you build is always worth it!

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