Does anyone have a favorite method (or specialty tool) for removing pencil lines/dirt/blemishes etc., from rough sawn timbers? I want the end result to look uniform and clean, and a belt sander just doesn't seem to cut it for me. Thanks in advance!

Brock Smith

Lotsa elbow grease needed if you wanna keep the RS finish. A hard white oversize eraser and a stiff bristle brush.
Good luck
Deralte

Brock,

The Makita wheel brush sander is what we use. It doesn't do very well on pencil lines or bad stains, but it does remove a lot of dirt and loose fibers (splinter opportunities) while retaining the rough sawn look. I like the coarsest nylon brush. The wire brush can leave it's own marks that I don't particularly like.

Otherwise, Emmett is right. Scrub it with a brush and eraser.

Good luck,

Gabel