removing packed in waste from wormy wood

[Scotty Smith]

Any suggestions for removing the packed in waste from wormy wood? Using a sharp awl takes forever. Thanks

[Prashun Patel]

Wire brush.

[Al Wasser]

Dental pick -- the kind your dentist uses

[Eric Gourieux]

Sometimes I can blow it out with air. Otherwise, I pick it out as mentioned above

[Mel Fulks]

This ain't the plumbing forum but you might try dissolved Draino in medical syringe.....Welcome, Scotty!

[Kyle Iwamoto]

CA. That way you won't have to patch it after. I like the contrast, and it looks natural. Well, I guess it is natural.

Gotta make sure the creature is gone though. Just had one attempt to pop out of a completely finished bowl. I have had a grub pop out of a bowl that I was spinning at 1000 RPM or so, and it looked alive..... Had one come out of a finished bowl I gave to my Mom. I convinced her it ate into the bowl after, but I'm not sure about that.

[Steve Peterson]

CA. That way you won't have to patch it after. I like the contrast, and it looks natural. Well, I guess it is natural.

I agree with this. I have a few pieces with tons of holes. I used to pick it out only to realize that I have to fill them back in with something.

Steve

[Tim Rinehart]

I also use dental pics. It's a good reason to make sure I go twice a year...my hygienist sterilizes and packs away a handful for me on every visit. The ones they use have to be sharpened to maintain good scraping action (pleasant thought) and after so many sharpenings, there isn't enough left to make sure it doesn't break. Still good life for woodworking. They are much stiffer and get into tighter spots than conventional pics you buy from hardware store. After picking a bit...hit with compressed air.

[Reed Gray]

One friend says "pressure washer". I have one of those water pick things for my braces that I am wearing, and it may work, but probably does not have enough pressure for getting all of the frass out. Other than that, the slow process of dental picking out what doesn't blow out, and that seems to be almost all of it. Some times I do flood with thin CA glue, then finish turn. Maybe it is like bark on a natural edge piece, if you want to keep it on, decide you are going to take it all off, them most of it sticks. No easy way to do it.

robo hippy

[William C Rogers]

Interesting, I was turning a piece and found a live worm. The tree it came from was dead when cut down 2 years ago. I just put it all in the burn pile. A couple of nice blanks. Should I get it and pick at these spots and turn it?

[Dale Miner]

A small drill bit (hand held or pin chuck) and compressed air.

[allen thunem]

centrifugal force works for the bugs\
and a pressure washer for the soft wood

[Brian Myers]

Small thin awl , dental pick, compressed air , patience and time works just fine. Why fill the holes back in when it's all part of the natural design ?