Tack Cloths

rservices

Im going to start sanding, staining and finishing my flooring aprox 700 sqft
in looking over the post here I they mention of tacking the floors in addition to vac between sandings. the tack cloths that I get at the home centers are about a dollar a piece. Thats going to add up to big bucks.

This mite seam like a dimb question to you flooring gods
Is there a way of makeing your own?????
thanks

Miniroller

we used to make our own in back in the old days-
linseed oil and cheesecloth
real messy but fun and a nice feeling of self-sufficiency

Big Dave

I use water based finishes and tack with a water dampened microfiber rag or actually several of them. I get them at Sams Club for a reasonable price. If your doing an oil based finish then dampen your rags with mineral spirits.

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justin savage

new cotton rags or the micro fiber rags as mentioned above , I use xylene instead of mineral spirits . It dries quicker and some of the mineral spirits are recycled so there can be some contaminents (sp?). justin

Teetorbilt

I'd stay away from the xylene. Most solvents with an 'ene' suffix are known carcinogens.

I remember making tack cloths too. As I remember there was also some beeswax involved. We used to recycle them, Dad was a piece of work!

Going oil-based, mineral spirits will work fine for flooring. So will a damp rag if you have the time to wait for it to dry. I usually haul out the big wet/dry with the bristle head and let it go at that.

It's a floor, not furniture! Stuff will fall into it no matter what you do.

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justin savage

the mineral spirits being recycled can have contamanents that raise havoc with the finish (fish eye) type of stuff . teeter you right it is a floor so it has to more durable than furniture to with stand foot traffic! You should also be taking the proper safety precautions no matter what chemical you are handling- we wear surgical gloves and respirators. justin

ThePaintStore

There are different types of tack cloth available. For your application, I would recommend the Tan colored tack cloth, without getting too technical, that is made for wood and paint particles and won't leave a residue. Hope that helps.

Teetorbilt

justin, I was also pointing out that everything falls down, bugs, dust, body hair, lint. Getting a perfect finish is nearly impossible without going to extremes.

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You can't solve you're problems with the same level of thinking that created the problems.

Albert Einstein

rservices

Thanks for the sugestions, I do understand thats it's a floor. I was just looking for a more cost effective way to deal with the tack cloths. 3 rooms being done at once, and some of it is realy damaged.

after I sand I'll be 1st going over every thing with a sop vac with a hepa filters, hopefully I'll get most of it anyways

Miniroller

I always try to tuck in my pants to my socks and shirt to my pants. I wear a hat and hood. It is the best I can do to not get any hairs in the urethane job. SOmehow they still appear but usually the HO nevers notices a few pubes in the finish- I know they are chest hairs but if seen the HO's must imagine differently!

Also, watch those heating ducts or tops of ceiling fans if the are any. Hope this helps.

justin savage

your right teeter there always seems to be one hair the home owner finds and wines about- and its usually from a pet. water base seems even worse for attracting dust and crap. justin

Teetorbilt

I only work with oils. Waterbased always has a 'plastic' look to me.

I'll never say that I've seen it all but I've had some major malfunctions. Spiders, Palmetto bugs and scorpions tracking and getting stuck. On yachts, I've had to deal with sudden rain squalls, seagull poop and pelicans landing on handrails. How do they always seem to know when it's the final coat?

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You can't solve you're problems with the same level of thinking that created the problems.

Albert Einstein

Lazarus

Get the microfibre cloths from an auto parts store. Cheap, works well and does the job......

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