Uses for steel wool (post yours)

dnme

I've had a pack of steel wool lying around for ages. I have a PVC door that's badly discoloured by the sun etc, the other day I had a go at rubbing it with steel wool and this is the result. I guess it kind of cut the old coat, also it'll leave a nice key for when I decide to paint it.

What other uses are there for steel wool?

antiskeptic

1) If you don't like varnish finished to wood you've the option of danish-oiling it. It shows the grain off much better. If you give the dried danish oil a rub with wire wool you take the sheen off it and it looks like untreated wood - but with the protective effect of the oil remaining.

2) When hot-air-gun stripping multiple layers of old paint off old woodwork, I found a sticky residue being left behind that solidified when the heat was removed. Trying to sand it just clogged the sandpaper. I found wiping it off with wire wool just after heating it up with the heat gun did the trick. It took me a while to figure out why I was going through heat guns at a rate of knots: when wiping the residue off, small bits of wirewool were falling and being sucked into the gun, shorting it out. Holding the gun above the swiping wire wool did the trick.

prospect

A soft steel wool is great for buffing chrome. I use it on the bumpers of my classic car.

prospect

Some reverse advice.

Do not operate an angle grinder when there is steel wool in the line of any sparks being thrown. Fecking stuff is flammable.

dnme

prospect wrote: »

Some reverse advice.

Do not operate an angle grinder when there is steel wool in the line of any sparks being thrown. Fecking stuff is flammable.

Cool, sounds like fun:D

prospect

Actually it was, but I am trying to be all responsible you know.

Joey the lips

Steel wool is essentially a brillo pad without the soap so just add soap and you have a brillo.

slowburner

prospect wrote: »

Some reverse advice.

Do not operate an angle grinder when there is steel wool in the line of any sparks being thrown. Fecking stuff is flammable.

Done that as well. But it doesn't need to be direcly in the line of fire.
I've heard that it can spontaneously combust too.:eek:

jack of all

Steel wool is great but be careful with it- for example kept it away from electrical devices or even a battery- I've seen it glow and start a small fire in a workshop when it came in contact with the terminals of a lantern battery! Also if used to apply wax etc be sure to bag it when your done as spontaneous combustion is a risk. As for practical uses I use it to flatten varnish finishes between coats (denibs and removes brush marks etc) and for applying paste wax. The finer grades are great for polishing metals and removing rust and tarnish. When using adhesives it's useful for roughening materials to be joined, providing a good mechanical key. Finest grades can be used (with care) to remove light scratches, stains and imperfections from sheet glass.

1chippy

soak it overnight in vinegar. rub the solution the following day on oak and see the effects. it brings out the tanins and you can age the oak to what looks like a really natural looking finish. you can bring it to nearly jet black.

slowburner

1chippy wrote: »

soak it overnight in vinegar. rub the solution the following day on oak and see the effects. it brings out the tanins and you can age the oak to what looks like a really natural looking finish. you can bring it to nearly jet black.

Nice one, 1chippy - wish I had known this when I restored an ancient oak mantlepiece recently.:rolleyes: