Keeping a bleached laminate clean/bright during sanding

[Eric Perry]

I'm about to start my first build, and I'm having a small doubt. My plan was: light colored body wood - 1mm black laminate - 1mm bleached white laminate - darker 5/16 top. I've made other wood projects in the past and have had some issues where when multiple strips are used, during sanding the darker wood dust stains the lighter woods. Is there something I can do to mitigate this or clean it up after the fact? I don't want the white coming out gray or blotchy.

Thanks in advance!

 

[Will_White]

I'm about to start my first build, and I'm having a small doubt. My plan was: light colored body wood - 1mm black laminate - 1mm bleached white laminate - darker 5/16 top. I've made other wood projects in the past and have had some issues where when multiple strips are used, during sanding the darker wood dust stains the lighter woods. Is there something I can do to mitigate this or clean it up after the fact? I don't want the white coming out gray or blotchy.

Thanks in advance!

You can scrape it with a cabinet scraper.

 

[Eric Perry]

You can scrape it with a cabinet scraper.

I would have never thought of that. Thank you!!

 

[klyph]

Shellac the exposed edges of the lighter woods before gluing.

 

[Will_White]

Shellac the exposed edges of the lighter woods before gluing.

That won't work if they have to do any shaping of it after glue up, though it could protect it if the black dye bleeds through the glue, with it only being a 1mm laminate I would worry about shellac yellowing it. A test piece or two is definitely recommended.

 

[Jazzdogg]

I'm about to start my first build, and I'm having a small doubt. My plan was: light colored body wood - 1mm black laminate - 1mm bleached white laminate - darker 5/16 top. I've made other wood projects in the past and have had some issues where when multiple strips are used, during sanding the darker wood dust stains the lighter woods. Is there something I can do to mitigate this or clean it up after the fact? I don't want the white coming out gray or blotchy.

Thanks in advance!

Glue-ups like those you're describing benefit from a trial run. If something turns out bad, you haven't ruined your project.

For example, I remember laminating ebony, paduak, and maple and finding that the ebony and paduak "bled" into the maple, discoloring it. That's something I'd prefer to learn about with a test piece than a critical project.