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Removing char

A

AllanKP69

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I have not yet had the pleasure of removing char but looked for information and wondered what methods the members use. In doing some searching on line scraping seems to be the most common followed by sanding with the inherent problems of control. There were also a couple other methods that sound interesting.

1. Steel wool and mineral oil: For minor burn marks, you can also use steel wool with mineral oil to gently rub the area, lifting the mark and restoring moisture.
2. Use pumice liquid soap and a brush: You can use pumice liquid soap and a brush to clean up laser burnt wood, especially in tiny crevices.

For #1 I wonder if the oil will create problems for gluing.

Allan
 
I simply use a small sanding stick/block with fine grit sandpaper. Usually, the laser burned surface has some slight unevenness, so the sandpaper removes the burn and evens the surface. I also find nail files useful, they come in a variety of grits.
 
Перекись водорода может помочь. Я замачиваю в ней на 15 минут и тру нагар жесткой щеткой прямо в растворе. Then I wipe it dry with a towel and stitch the workpiece on the radiator.
Также может помочь замачивание в концентрате димексида. Процедура похожа. Но вам понадобятся защитные перчатки.
Оба препарата продаются в аптеках. Но вам все равно придется их потом измельчать.
И, кстати, исходный нагар с лазером я удаляю замачиванием. Максимальный срок — 12 часов с момента резкости. Больше экспериментов не встречал.

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rfuh47 said:
Перекись водорода может помочь. Я замачиваю в ней на 15 минут и тру нагар жесткой щеткой прямо в растворе. Then I wipe it dry with a towel and stitch the workpiece on the radiator.
Также может помочь замачивание в концентрате димексида. Процедура похожа. Но вам понадобятся защитные перчатки.
Оба препарата продаются в аптеках. Но вам все равно придется их потом измельчать.
И, кстати, исходный нагар с лазером я удаляю замачиванием. Максимальный срок — 12 часов с момента резкости. Больше экспериментов не встречал.

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(Translated so I could read it):rolleyes:

Hydrogen peroxide can help. I soak in it for 15 minutes and rub the soot with a hard brush right in the solution. Then I wipe it dry with a towel and stitch the workpiece on the radiator.

Soaking in dimexide concentrate can also help. The procedure is similar. But you will need protective gloves.

Both drugs are sold in pharmacies. But you'll still have to grind them later.


And, by the way, I remove the original soot with the laser by soaking. The maximum period is 12 hours from the moment of sharpness. I haven't seen any more experiments.
 
I use Sandpaper of different grits, I like some of the char on wood pieces as it gives the wood personality / weathered look when stained or varnished. My main issue with lasers is the nonflush or straight 90-degree edges which makes parts fit crooked,
 
I have a laser cutter and I use it for nearly everything. I absolutely love it for fabricating parts, but I had to earn a PhD in char removal.

I have found that if you use fine sand paper (220, 240, even 320), it comes off reasonably quickly without changing the shape. If you use coarse sandpaper, it can reduce the shape a little and you can lose tight fits. In fact, the finer paper might be faster in my experience as the char is a pretty thing layer.

If you haven't already, make a collection of little sanding blocks, different shapes, different grits. Using loose sandpaper on it's own won't remove char evenly and will round the part.

Finally, using the back (or front) of an Exacto blade, or a fresh razor blade like a cabinet scraper (or using violin scrapes) removed char quickly and leaves a very nice finish behind as well. Just be sure to use clean strokes or the scrape could stutter and pit your surface.

Key to maintain right angles throughout for any technique. There are cleaver ways to do this with jigs if you are up to it.

I haven't found a solvent or chemical that works completely and they can warp, distort, bleach and/or stain wood. Again, in my experience.
 
This might seem crude, but actually, I always resort to using a simple 'Single Edge Razor blade" scraping back and forth. This removes the burn only - while keeping the original shape of the piece unaffected. Keep the blade as perfectly perpendicular to the piece as you can - going back and forth motion. It doesn't take too many passes. I have also found that depending on the type of wood - like pear, the results are faster and cleaner. Usually, the more dense the wood is, gives better results with this method.

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Hmmm…for actually removing char the above posts are all good suggestions. However, I do not always try to remove char. I only remove char from a part that shows and needs a clean finish. If the edge does not show I leave the char in place. I have not had any difficulty gluing against a char edge. In addition, in some cases the char edge adds depth and weathering when a finish is applied over the char…such as a coating of matte sheen polyurethane. So, I suggest you have options depending on how the charred edge shows on the model. Personally, I rarely try to remove char anymore.
 
glennb17 said:
Finally, using the back (or front) of an Exacto blade, or a fresh razor blade like a cabinet scraper (or using violin scrapes) removed char quickly and leaves a very nice finish behind as well. Just be sure to use clean strokes or the scrape could stutter and pit your surface.
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You confirmed what I have read, thank you for sharing your experience. Always great to find solutions from members. :) This seems like a better way to get the job done without worrying about taking off wood as well as the char.
Allan
 
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