How Die Trying Woodworking dusts off a carved willow log bench with BLOWZER
Die Trying Woodworking carves a fallen willow log into a fire-pit bench, re-sands it after a rushed first pass, then uses the BLOWZER X6 to blow the sanding dust off the seat and out of the knots, clean the shop tools and get the evening fire going.
A willow limb with a second life
Die Trying Woodworking and DIY is a home-shop channel built on unhurried projects: a log, a few hand tools and whatever the wood suggests. This one starts with a huge limb that came down off a giant willow on the property. It was cut up, and a few pieces sat drying under a wood rack for two or three years.
The plan was a table. Then the log went out on the driveway and the plan changed. Rain pushed the work into the shop, the vacation was three days away, and the shop was a mess. The log went in anyway.
Chainsaw, hatchet and carving discs
What follows is freehand carving with a chainsaw, a small hatchet and an angle grinder fitted with carving discs. Boards go on the underside, painted black so they vanish against the ground, and two seats are carved into the top, "his and hers," like a loveseat. For the tight curves, an oversized 240-grit pad goes on a small grinder backer so it folds into the corners.
There is an honest admission in the middle of it. Racing the clock, the first pass was rushed: gouges left in, grits skipped. "I should have just cleaned my shop." The bench waited out the vacation.
Back from vacation: sanding it right
Home again, the whole bench gets sanded a second time, stepping up through the grits slowly until the surface is clean, then a coat of spar urethane for outdoors.
That is where the BLOWZER X6 comes in. The video says so plainly: "This company asked me if I wanted to try out their new cordless air duster," with a request to use it on camera and give an honest review. The case opens on the shop floor: the X6, five interchangeable nozzles, a charging cable and small brushes.
Out on the driveway, kneeling beside the log, the X6 goes along the seat and into the knots. Sanding dust lifts off in clouds. "I don't have to get out my air compressor and the long annoying hose," and it "even got into all the tight knots and weird holes in this log."
The shop, then the fire pit
Quick point-of-view shots follow: dust blown out of a wooden tool caddy and off the miter saw. That evening the X6 is at the stone fire pit, aimed into the kindling. "I even used it to get my fire going."
The finished bench now sits by that fire pit. "I let the wood do all the work," is the closing verdict, and the bench is up for sale through the channel's Patreon.
Why it matters if you finish wood
Sanding dust is the enemy of a finish. Any left in the grain, a knot or a check ends up sealed under the urethane. A live-edge or carved piece is all crevices, and a rag can't reach them. A cordless blower, worn here on a lanyard, does the last pass before the finish goes on, with no hose to drag out of the shop.
Wear a mask and eye protection, blow the dust away from you and the finish area, and let it settle before you seal.
Disclosure: the video's description links to the X6 with an affiliate link that earns the channel a commission.
Related
Questions readers ask
How do you get sanding dust out of a carved log before finishing?
Blow it out of the knots, checks and carved curves after the last grit, wearing a mask and eye protection, then let the dust settle before you apply the finish.
Can a cordless air duster replace an air compressor for shop cleanup?
For loose sawdust on projects and tools, it saves dragging out a hose. The X6 reaches 45 m/s of airflow at 130,000 RPM, with three modes: 40K, 80K and 130K RPM.
What comes with the BLOWZER X6?
Five interchangeable nozzles and a USB-C charging cable, in a zippered case. It charges over USB-C with auto-shutoff into a 4000 mAh battery.
About the creator
Die Trying Woodworking and DIY @DieTrying13
Die Trying Woodworking and DIY makes calm, unhurried woodworking videos from a home shop: log furniture, carving and DIY, about 17,600 subscribers on YouTube.