"Safety" cloth for applying finishes?

[John Coloccia]

So I keep hearing (well, reading) about using some sort of "safety" cloth when applying finishes. Apparently it just tears instead of getting hung up in the chuck. I have my first cloth get hung up today. Wasn't a big deal because I've been around machinery my whole life and just naturally avoid letting anything wrap around my fingers, but it got me thinking about this cloth again.

What is this stuff, where do you get it, and does it work? I've searched and searched and can't seem to find it anywhere except in documents admonishing me to use it :)

Does anyone know what this stuff is?

[Ron Lynch]

Paper towels work just fine.

[Jeff Fagen]

While Finishing pens I use small bits of dish towel cloth not big enough to rap around fingers.for glue finish I use a very soft paper towel.

[Curt Fuller]

Wasn't a big deal because I've been around machinery my whole life and just naturally avoid letting anything wrap around my fingers

Famous last words!

I've never heard of "Safety Cloth" but paper towels are so cheap they're hard to beat.

[Greg Just]

one more for paper towels

[Alan Trout]

I was running a very old metal lathe in a machine shop when I was 16. My shirt was untucked. Needless to say my shirt got caught in the lathe I could not reach the stop. I leaned back as hard as I could and it ripped the shirt clean off my back. One of those few times I have been really scared. I came out pretty much unscathed except for the significant amount rash from the shirt ripping off and over course the dirty underwear.

I use only paper towel and never wear jewelry watches or necklaces when I am at the lathe.

Alan

[Steve Schlumpf]

Another vote for paper towel!

[Scott Hackler]

paper towel

[Don Alexander]

paper towels are pretty cheap insurance and they work real well too

[Dennis Simmons]

The Mechanics Blue Paper Towels work very well for any wood shop use. $2 a roll at the dollar store. They are strong and leave no lint. I cut 'em up into small pieces, I'm stingy.

[John Coloccia]

So no one else has ever heard of safety cloth either? Paper towels are what I use but I'd prefer to use a cloth.

[Salvatore Buscemi]

I've seen Liberon saftey cloth, looks like it would only be 100 times more expensive than paper towels.

[Joe Herrmann]

Paper towels work great and I think Viva brand is the best--soft and strong.

[Jim Silva]

Paper Towels here. I've used cloth in the past just to see if it left a better finish. There was no discernible difference and paper towels are much cheaper and far, far more safe. Just use a decent paper towel to avoid lint and they're usually softer.