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Thread: What are you using for tack cloths?

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Apr 2010
    Location
    Houston, Texas area
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    1,308

    What are you using for tack cloths?

    There are potentially problems with traditional tack cloths and water based finishes.

    So what are you all using? Woodcraft and Rockler sell 'microfiber tack cloths' that apparently have no tackiness, they are just microfiber cloths. Homestead sells tack cloths with a synthetic resin that is supposedly safe for water finishes.

    What are you using?
    Mark McFarlane

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Location
    Northwest Ohio
    Posts
    98
    Compressed air.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Apr 2016
    Location
    Tasmania
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    2,162
    Mark, I only ever use natural fibre cloth, my hand and compressed air. Worn bed sheets are the best if you can get hold of them which can be difficult... Cheers

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Location
    SE PA - Central Bucks County
    Posts
    65,688
    Compressed air and a lint-free paper towel if I need to wipe. I would consider the microfiber towels, but then again, they would require frequent cleaning...the paper product can just go in the trash or be "recycled" for other cleanup duties before it's trashed.
    --

    The most expensive tool is the one you buy "cheaply" and often...

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Feb 2003
    Location
    Doylestown, PA
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    7,551
    Blue shop towels moistened with alcohol or mineral spirits. Brushing first with a soft bench brush helps if there's quite a bit of dust. Compressed air works if open air but may not be too popular with SWMBO in a basement shop
    Last edited by Curt Harms; 02-03-2018 at 9:58 AM.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Jun 2008
    Location
    Lubbock Texas
    Posts
    931
    I also use mineral spirits on a cloth, but I am not using water based finish.
    No PHD, but I have a DD 214

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Apr 2010
    Location
    Houston, Texas area
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    Thanks everyone for the alternatives to tack cloths.
    Mark McFarlane

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Jul 2017
    Location
    TX / LA border.. Toledo Bend
    Posts
    746
    I keep a horse hair bench brush strictly dedicated to dusting after final sandings, and dusting scuff coats of Laquer.

    It NEVER is used on anything else.

    It is only used by me under penalty of death.

    Only touches workpieces, not ever even used for benchtop dusting.

    There's a second brush for anything but the workpieces.

    And yet a third one for metal chips and anything messy.

    Then, prior to spraying, use full psi air that has gone through a Motor Guard "toilet paper roll" filter and blow off project.

    Have not used a purchased tack cloth for years, and seldom any solvent wetted cloth.


    So, just dislodge dust w brush specially in crevices and open grain, blow off a few times... and ready to spray.

    I work just basic Pines and Oak, some exotic oily woods may need different treatment.

    I think Tack cloths had their use before Grandpa varnished, as he had no compressed air or shop vac available.

    Also, I live in a pretty humid yearround area, those in AZ may have some static dust attraction issues that may benefit from tack rag or solvent cloth.

    Marc
    Last edited by Marc Jeske; 02-06-2018 at 5:51 PM.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Jan 2009
    Location
    N.E, Ohio
    Posts
    3,026
    I first wipe with a micro fiber towel then with a cotton cloth dampened with alcohol, gets off the remaining dust and any oils from handling. I do this regardless of the finish. I also use the micro fiber towel, a clean one, to wipe down after light sanding between coats.
    George

    Making sawdust regularly, occasionally a project is completed.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Feb 2010
    Location
    Pueblo, CO
    Posts
    328
    Clean cloth rag and either alcohol or mineral spirits. If really heavy, shop vac with a brush attachment first. Hate blowing dust around with compressed air, seems to settle back on the finish at the worst possible time.

  11. #11
    Vaccuum and blue shop towels.

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Jan 2009
    Location
    Lawrence, KS
    Posts
    594
    Watch for the free microfiber towels 3-pack coupon from H.F. OK towels and work great as tack rags if you damp them with mineral spirits or DNA or even water. Free (well, you have to make some other purchase, usually a box of the nitrite gloves) and can be washed and reused a bunch of times.
    Don't sweat the petty things and don't pet the sweaty things.

  13. #13
    First I blow down with compressed air and then wipe down with blue shop towels. You wouldn't believe how much dust is left after blowing down with air. I make several passes with the shop towels until little or no dust shows on the towels. This is probably good enough, but I have some tack cloths I bought from HF years ago. If you put them in a zip lock bag after use, they last forever. Just before spraying the finish I do a quick wipe down with the tack cloth. It will pick up little bits of grit and dust that you can't get off with the towels.

  14. #14
    Join Date
    Mar 2006
    Location
    Northeast Ohio
    Posts
    582
    After using a microfiber cloth, i wipe with a cloth dampened with naptha. It seems to dries faster than mineral spirits.

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