Scotch-Brite Pads

[BobUrban]

I've read here quite a few times about people using Scotch-Brite pads as a substitute for 0000 steel wool, saving the hassle of the wool particle cleanup. Are we talking about those standard issue green Scoth-Brite pads you buy at the grocery for cleaning pots and pans? I just want to make sure before I go to down with one of those bad boys...

 

[Jeff_K]

I've read here quite a few times about people using Scotch-Brite pads as a substitute for 0000 steel wool, saving the hassle of the wool particle cleanup. Are we talking about those standard issue green Scoth-Brite pads you buy at the grocery for cleaning pots and pans? I just want to make sure before I go to down with one of those bad boys...

Yep, that's the one. And don't try no-name brands...they haven't worked for me. They just slide around and do nothing. But the Scotch-Brite worked perfectly. I even used it to turn the neck pup cover from shiny chrome to a brushed aluminum. I used the SB to relic a guitar and it was perfect. I don't know if it would subsitute for 0000 in other applications.

 

[River]

If you're using steel wool, stick a magnet inside it. No cleanup required.

 

[Vizcaster]

No. 3M Scotch Brite is a brand they use for several different products. Check for the abrasive pads in the paint section of the big box store where they have sandpaper. There are color codes (maroon, grey, and white) for different grits of abrasive (it's like sandpaper only the abrasive is glued to the strands of the woven mat). I use maroon for smoothing out or de-whiskering wood after raising the grain, and grey as a substitute for fine steel wool. There's a white one with almost no abrasive in it at all, but you probably have to go to a woodworking catalog to get it. They also have it in the paint section of auto parts stores.

I would suspect that the kitchen scrubber would be too coarse, and it wouldn't last as long.

 

[BobUrban]

I see...seems like there are some conflicting thoughts here. The safe bet is probably to get the ones dedicated to finishing work, but it seems others have had luck with the good ol' green kitchen ones. Hopefully some others will chime in.

 

[sjtalon]

If you're using steel wool, stick a magnet inside it. No cleanup required.

who'd a thunk !!

 

[KokoTele]

I think this is one of those things that we've all been guilty of from time to time... you read something on the interweb, interpret as best you can, and go try it out with what you can find. Then you come back here and say how well it worked, even if you have nothing to compare it to.

Viz is right, you'll get much better results with the products made for finish work. The green pads are much coarser than either 000 or 0000 steel wool and will not give comparable results.

 

[Colt W. Knight]

That scotch brite pad will not substitute as fine steel wool. It is probably closer to sand paper than steel wool.

Our local lowes sells green pads that look like scotch brite pads, but they are actual 000 steel wool analogs. It even says so on the packaging.

 

[tonewoods]

I like the White Eraser for this sort of thing....

 

[BobUrban]

I like the White Eraser for this sort of thing....

LOL...classic response.

Thanks for the info, everyone. Oh, and that magnet idea is pure genius! I've got a small lil' neodynium magnet that will work great for that!

 

[River]

Thanks for the info, everyone. Oh, and that magnet idea is pure genius! I've got a small lil' neodynium magnet that will work great for that!

I must give Roman Rist credit for that one. I was, like, "duh...".

 

[mellecaster]

These are what some have mentioned above....I Love em

 

[Colt W. Knight]

I have one of those super duper magnets on a stick designed to pick up nails I use for steel wool slithers and dust.

 

[Jeff_K]

Regular old kitchen SB worked perfectly to scrub up my relic Tele. Certainly not as fine as 0000 but depends on what you want to use it for. It didn't seem to leave nearly as much obvious swirling in the finish as the steel wool. I actually thought it was more controlable for what I was using it for than the 0000.

 

[Ringo]

3m Scotch Brite pads

We buy the green 3M pads at a local auto paint supply house, they seem to be exactly the same as the ones that you can buy to scrub your pots with except they are much larger.
They do sell red ones and gray ones too which as mentioned are different grades of abrasiveness.

 

[HOBBSTER01]

These are what some have mentioned above....I Love em

Great stuff.

 

[Agave_Blue]

And yet a lot of us less knowledgable folks have used the green 3M ScotchBrite and found them very effective.

Although it's good to have alternatives (and know when you need them), sometimes simple is good enough.

 

[OuttaspaceMan]

These are what some have mentioned above....I Love em

Very cool, thanks for sharing. Looking forward to find some of these in our local hardware store =)

 

[BobUrban]

I went to Lowe's today to get some of the grey Scotch-Brites. They also had maroon, and get this, the green ones too, all in the finishing section. They are the exact same green pads you get for scrubing pots and pans. They had them an aisle over in the cleaning section, simply repackaged.

Anyways, the grey polished up the frets on my Taylor acoustic something fierce...I can almost see myself in 'em.

 

[RodeoTex]

I've never used ScotchBrite pads for guitar work but the other day I glued a piece on a 1.5" disk and did some great looking engine turning finish on aluminum.