I just saw a video by Carl Jacobson on pierced wood boxes and in it he tries a product called Yorkshire grit as a final "sanding". I decided to look it up on the web, I found the description bore a resemblance to the EEE-Ultra Shine I've used for years when doing pens. The EEE-US is sold by Penn State Industries in the US, in conjunction with another Australian product (Shellawax Cream).
PSI, like some other vendors, is oriented toward "project turners" - the EEE-US is sold specifically for pens and such. I don't fault them, that is their market, and for those who don't know PSI they are a great source for low priced tools of decent steel - I use them for tools I know I'll be continually re-shaping for specific purposes, that way I don't cry as I regrind them and lose steel <g>.
Carl's video made me take another look at the paste grits. In his video he uses it as a final sand, although it also imparts a shine tone to the wood due to the paste - his overlay finish in the video is a beeswax paste. Conveniently I happened to be at the point of final sanding of the innards of a small semi-enclosed bowl, so I tried my EEE-US on it. Looks good. Feels good. And with a beeswax paste (2 lb mix with mineral oil, home made) it might make for a good finish.
OK, I've rambled on with the background, let me address the issue. Yorkshire grit is described on their web site as a mineral oil and beeswax and un-named grit (which wears down as it is used). EEE-Ultra Shine is described as a paste that contains Tivoli grit (which wears down as you use it). Both say to sand to about 240, or high 300s, then apply a finish (for the PSI ad the finish is the Shellawax). The Yorkshire detailed descriptions also suggest a finish before use on some surfaces.
Wow, it is getting confusing. The one thing I know is that I'd like to experiment with this a bit, the other thing I know is that I don't have the time or money to stock both and test them in many ways.
One major difference is that the Yorkshire comes from England (and Yorkshire Grit is the title of a book on the toughness of the Yorkshireman), and EEE- Ultra Shine comes from the Aussies. In both cases we have single US suppliers (PSI for EEE and Walnut for Yorkshire).
Cost is another question. The EEE comes in a tub of 250 ml. at about $25, the Yorkshire in a tub of 227 g. (if my memory is correct) for about $22. Typical of the Aussies and Brits, they speak a different language <g>. And for any who call me chauvinist, I'm the senior US citizen in my family, the older members are spread between England and Australia. If I knew the density of the pastes I could equate the ml.to the grams, but the tub in Carl's hand looked about half the size of the EEE tub I have.
Pardon the ramble, I confess I'm having a bit of fun. But there is a real question. Have any of you had experience with one or the other of these paste grits? Have any of you tried a comparison? I'm tempted to buy a small tub of the Yorkshire (and it does look a lot smaller than the EEE) From the little I can see from Carl's video the Yorkshire looks to be a harder paste than the EEE. For comparison, I make two beeswax pastes - a 2 lb mix and a 4 lb mix - for different purposes. The EEE is like the 2 lb in consistency, the Yorkshire on Carl's cloth looks more like the 4 lb.
Enough, enjoy,
Best, Jon
PSI, like some other vendors, is oriented toward "project turners" - the EEE-US is sold specifically for pens and such. I don't fault them, that is their market, and for those who don't know PSI they are a great source for low priced tools of decent steel - I use them for tools I know I'll be continually re-shaping for specific purposes, that way I don't cry as I regrind them and lose steel <g>.
Carl's video made me take another look at the paste grits. In his video he uses it as a final sand, although it also imparts a shine tone to the wood due to the paste - his overlay finish in the video is a beeswax paste. Conveniently I happened to be at the point of final sanding of the innards of a small semi-enclosed bowl, so I tried my EEE-US on it. Looks good. Feels good. And with a beeswax paste (2 lb mix with mineral oil, home made) it might make for a good finish.
OK, I've rambled on with the background, let me address the issue. Yorkshire grit is described on their web site as a mineral oil and beeswax and un-named grit (which wears down as it is used). EEE-Ultra Shine is described as a paste that contains Tivoli grit (which wears down as you use it). Both say to sand to about 240, or high 300s, then apply a finish (for the PSI ad the finish is the Shellawax). The Yorkshire detailed descriptions also suggest a finish before use on some surfaces.
Wow, it is getting confusing. The one thing I know is that I'd like to experiment with this a bit, the other thing I know is that I don't have the time or money to stock both and test them in many ways.
One major difference is that the Yorkshire comes from England (and Yorkshire Grit is the title of a book on the toughness of the Yorkshireman), and EEE- Ultra Shine comes from the Aussies. In both cases we have single US suppliers (PSI for EEE and Walnut for Yorkshire).
Cost is another question. The EEE comes in a tub of 250 ml. at about $25, the Yorkshire in a tub of 227 g. (if my memory is correct) for about $22. Typical of the Aussies and Brits, they speak a different language <g>. And for any who call me chauvinist, I'm the senior US citizen in my family, the older members are spread between England and Australia. If I knew the density of the pastes I could equate the ml.to the grams, but the tub in Carl's hand looked about half the size of the EEE tub I have.
Pardon the ramble, I confess I'm having a bit of fun. But there is a real question. Have any of you had experience with one or the other of these paste grits? Have any of you tried a comparison? I'm tempted to buy a small tub of the Yorkshire (and it does look a lot smaller than the EEE) From the little I can see from Carl's video the Yorkshire looks to be a harder paste than the EEE. For comparison, I make two beeswax pastes - a 2 lb mix and a 4 lb mix - for different purposes. The EEE is like the 2 lb in consistency, the Yorkshire on Carl's cloth looks more like the 4 lb.
Enough, enjoy,
Best, Jon