I finally stopped using a tack cloth before my final coat of lacquer.

For years I wiped every piece down with a tack cloth, thinking it was the only way to get a dust-free finish. Then I watched a guy in a shop in Asheville spray a whole table without one, just using a clean microfiber cloth and a light air blast. His finish was flawless, and I realized my tack cloth was leaving a tiny bit of residue that was actually causing fisheyes. Has anyone else ditched the tack cloth for a different method?

3 comments

3 Comments

xena_anderson2mo agoMost Upvoted

My dad's old woodshop teacher swore by a damp cheesecloth for the final wipe. He said most tack cloths from the hardware store are loaded with wax that messes with modern finishes. I switched to using a clean, lint-free rag lightly dampened with mineral spirits, and it solved so many adhesion problems I used to blame on humidity.

kim.sandra2mo ago

My uncle's cabinet shop switched to microfiber cloths with a bit of denatured alcohol for the same reason @xena_anderson mentioned. I mean, it's crazy how much difference that one wipe makes before a poly coat. I wasted a whole weekend refinishing a table before I tried their method.

sanchez.mia1mo ago

My neighbor's a mechanic and he says the same thing about cleaning parts before painting. It's wild how many problems come down to that one simple step everyone skips. You ever notice that with other stuff too?