Residue Removal??

[Kim Maitland]

Can someone suggest a faster method of cleaning the residue off stained wood after engraving. We have tried pledge after engraving. It takes off some but not enough, and a VERY slow process. We have tried sanding with a fine sandpaper. It works faster than pledge but lots of work sanding it. We have also tried running another quick pass. That helps but still not getting it all off.

[rich shepard]

have you tried spraying on a finsh before you engrage it. I use Deft spary cans and for lage stuff use my paint gun. Then I find the residue comes off easy with alcohol.
Rich

[Bruce Volden]

Kim,

After 10 years of doing this I find the BEST way is, ready? water. Dampen a rag and wipe off the smoke / soot. I do this for everything from gunstocks, plaques, cabinet doors etc......You do not have to "soak" the wood, just wipe it off.

[Rodne Gold]

Mask the wood with paper based low tack Vinyl transfer tape and laser thru that .and you wont have to do any clean up at all barring removing the tape which is a snap.

[Laura Zaruba]

I usually put a thin coat of Johnsons Paste Wax (for floors) on my raw wood plaques before lasering. Then wipe down with a cloth dampened with water or alcohol.

[Chuck Burke]

Kim,
Use the pledge or a similar wax BEFORE you engrave. That will help seal the surface a bit from the "residue".
I also will use rubbing alcohol after I am done. Used in small amounts and not rubbed to hard, it does not appear to damage the finish.

chuck burke
American Pacific Awards

[Jerry Allen]

I use Behold or Pledge on unfinished oak, poplar and birch with no problems using an old tooth brush. 15 seconds max.. It is definitely faster than sanding and gets into the corners better.
I have used alcohol but it seems to warp the work sometimes.

[Robert Stremcha]

What kind of finish do you then apply? Does the paste wax mess it up?

[Laura Zaruba]

I've never had the paste wax mess anything up.

[Jerry Allen]

The wood is just cleaned up, not finished. You can apply anything that you normally would. I rub on a couple of coats Formby's Tung Oil finish usually. Depends on the job. Deft laquer is okay and fast but I find that it tends to get shiny spots around etched corners when brushed. Maybe if sprayed it would look better. Formby's is easy and looks good but requires considerably more time to dry. Sometimes depending on the customer and the price, I just use orange oil which cleans and leaves a light oil finish.
Wax should not be a problem.

[Lee DeRaud]

The wood is just cleaned up, not finished. You can apply anything that you normally would. I rub on a couple of coats Formby's Tung Oil finish usually. Depends on the job. Deft laquer is okay and fast but I find that it tends to get shiny spots around etched corners when brushed. Maybe if sprayed it would look better. Formby's is easy and looks good but requires considerably more time to dry. Sometimes depending on the customer and the price, I just use orange oil which cleans and leaves a light oil finish.
Wax should not be a problem.

I'm starting to wonder if we've got a couple of separate conversations going on here. Depending on whose post is being replied to (and assuming I'm reading them correctly):
1. Finish, engrave, wipe off residue with water or alcohol. (Rich)
2. Finish, wax (Pledge), engrave, wipe off residue with alcohol. (Chuck)
3. Wax (Johnson), engrave, wipe off residue with water or alcohol, finish (or not?). (Laura)
4. Wax (Pledge), engrave, wipe off residue with water or alcohol, finish.

#1 and #2 sound ok (or at least match up what I've been told by others). I read #3 and my first thought is, how am I putting on a finish over Johnson paste wax? I have somewhat the same reaction to #4, except that I have absolutely no idea what's actually in Pledge.

I don't know if Kim got her/his question answered, but now I'm confused...except by Rodne's suggestion, because that's how I do it too .

[Barbara Buhse]

We use a wet cahmois cloth, it works great for us, and does not leave lint. (as a matter of fact, I think we got that idea here in saw mill creek).

Barbara

[Laura Zaruba]

Lee,

I apply the wax, laser, and wipe off. I do not apply any other finish.

[Lee DeRaud]

I apply the wax, laser, and wipe off. I do not apply any other finish.

Ok, that makes sense. Thanks, thought I was losing it there for a minute.

Now we just need to clarify some of the other responses.

[Jerry Allen]

Lee,
My last reply was to Robert's question about what finish I then apply. He then went on to ask if paste wax does not mess it up. I never said anything about using paste wax. Behold and Pledge are not wax. They are petroleum distillate cleaners and funiture polish. They do not seal bare wood like paste wax would.