Hello. I bought a tack rag for removing the dust from my planes before covering and I now have the wax or whatever it is on the tack rag stuck on my framework. What did I do wrong? I have read in many books that suggest to use a tack rag on our models. How can I remove this? Will this ruin the covering? What is the best way to remove dust and clean the balsa for covering? Thanks for your input.

The stuff from the tack cloth won't hurt anything. But instead of buying a tack cloth, I just spray an old rag with spray adhesive.

That's why I don't like using tac rags - especially if I'm going to paint. For bare wood I use a shop vac with a brush attachment. I have a brush dedicated to nothing but bare wood and another for general clean-up. That way I don't get oil on the wood or gouge it due to whatever I happen to pick up with the vac.

Before I vacuum I spend a fair bit of time blowing dust out using my air compressor.

I will use a tac rag when it's gotten some use on something other than my models. By the time it's been sitting around for a while the wax has dried somewhat and I feel better about using it because it won't transfer the wax to the model.

I vacuum and blow out the model first, and then use paper towels and denatured alcohol as a 'tack cloth'.

Here's a trick I learned from a furniture refinisher....instead of a commercial tack rag treated with whatever that goo is, you can make your own using a wad of cheesecloth with a little bit of polyurethane varnish worked into it. That way anything that's left behind is a finishing material and not some sort of wax or whatever.
Keep the rag stored in a ziplock bag between uses and it doesn't dry out for a very long time.

You simply pressed too hard.

Gunny

Avion,

But at least you used one!

Jerry

To properly use a tack rag, unfold it completely. With it unfolded, drop it onto the surface to be cleaned and lightly pass the rag over the surface. DON'T rub it or the wax will transfer to the surface and leave fisheyes on your finish. It is only intended to pick up the dust, lint and etc that has collected on the surface. Then, if you feel necessary it can be cleaned with "prepsol" or any generic paint cleaner.

It is NOT absolutely necessary to use a tack rag before painting, Only if you think it has been sitting long enough to have collected dust and contaminants.

Chip Mull
F&M Enterprises

[not wax...its lindseed oil isn't it?

Right you are Crook....most tack rags are made with boiled linseed oil.....Avion..you are rubbing too hard. Rub the plane down with balsa dust, brush it off with a paint or counter brush and do it again lightly. When it no longer works, unfold it and refold it to a new side. You could wipe it on a piece of paper before you use it, but you are just rubbing to hard. BTW..same thing applies to sand paper. When its new it has high and low granuals, wipe it on a piece of pine before you go scrubbing on you plane. Hope this helps. from an old professional woodworker.

I thought tack rags were made from a combination of varnish and something else...?

BTW if anyone is thinking about making tack rags from boiled linseed oil I wouldn't. I use boiled linseed oil and varnish for finishing all the time. Any cloth that get's linseed oil on it must be sealed airtight after use or soaked in water, gotten rid of etc. right away. My soaked paper wipers go outside in a wire "composting" circle AWAY from the shop. I've added many cartons of towels to this pile over the past 5 years. It just keeps reducing itself. Once in awhile in the summer if the top gets wadded too tight it'll set itself on fire.[X(]

I've known of too many shops lost to spontaneous combustion of oily rags. This goes for Watco etc. Mine was one of them because of another woodworker in the same building I was in. Sorry for the preachy rant, but if this saves someone this nightmare it's worth it.

Woodbutcher..I believe you are right, Seems like I have an old finishing book that says to make a tack rag you add a touch of varnish and turpentine. I have experienced the same effect with Watco, but no fire, just got hot. Thats why most have a metal container for finish rags, BTW...Maloof Oil, sold now by Rockler, is a combination of tung oil, urethane and boiled linseed oil. He lives near by, and in college we used to make our own Maloof Oil. Bottom line is you don't need to make a tack rag, I buy them for 70 cents. Keep an eye on those rags Butcher and dont get burned. Dave

Dave
Sam Maloof is the greatest. Took a one day seminar with him back in the 70's. What he did free hand on a bandsaw was inspiring.

The shop fire that got me was started by another woodworker in the building using WATCO. He had an oiling table and the oil dripped down through a small hole onto a pile of paper wipers below. Over some time the oil and all those layers was the right combination for spontaneous combustion.

Even cloths that appear dried can go under the right conditions.

Out of all woods I think I like balsa best

Butcher....I'll have to go with Koa....I used to buy it in So. Cal. for about 3.00 a board foot and I could pick out all the wavy, curly boards I wanted. Now it is sold by the pound, and I paid 118.00 in Hawaii last year for a 6 1/2 inch by 6 foot piece, but it is spectacular. Sometime progress sucks! Dave

It is possible to buy a tack cloth that's reusable. They are made of a nylon type of material loaded with static. When they get dirty you throw them in a washing machine and then in the dryer without a "Bounce" type cloth. This will recharge the cloth.

Tack rags have been used in auto refinishing and painting with out any problems. There purpose is to pick up surface dust by running over the surface lightly not for rubbing over the surface hard trying to clean out the grain.