Bamboo Tips - Tips Area
Planing - Final - Planing Form Groove

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When planing, scraping and particularly when sanding final tip tapers I find that dust gets caught in the narrow groove of the forms where the forms are tight. If this is left it will probably result in too thin strips. I have tried a paintbrush and a vacuum cleaner with not much luck. Gently scraping with the sharp edge of an old plane blade and then brushing almost works but is not ideal.

Just wondered how you guys deal with it (or avoid it). Separating the forms and then resetting them all the time is obviously not a great solution although it does work (for a while!)  (Stephen Dugmore)

I use a small brass bristle brush that comes in a set of three brushes I get at Harbor Freight. I think they are on sale this week, two sets for a dollar. There is the brass, steel and a bristle brush in a set.  (Tony Spezio)

I use high pressure air. Couple of short blasts.  (Don Schneider)

I breathe on it.  My dragon's breath will clean up anything.  (Ralph Moon)

I always just use a toothbrush and clean the grooves a lot when getting towards the final dimension.  (John Freedy)

I have found on occasion that fine bamboo splinters jam into the V near the tip area resulting in an under size tip.  I now check visually and with a depth gauge to avoid this.  I clean the splinters out with a razor, followed by brushing with a stiff stencil brush.  I also keep a can of compressed air handy for blowing dust out  of the groove.  (Ted Knott)

What's wrong with a shop vac?  That's what I use and it's handy since I use it clean up the shavings, too.  (Rick Crenshaw)