Most basic yet elusive tool - good wiping cloth...?

Porkbits wrote:

Hey, guys: Obviously paper towels are out,

Why? That's almost all I use anymore, with one exception.

Of course, if you are talking about the name brands, like "Brawny" (no brainer ) or "Bounty"  you are perfectly correct. The brand I use is called "Sparkle." Inexpensive. Absorbant. Lint free. Surprisingly strong. These were our disposable lab towels in both the chem labs and the geologic labs for these very reasons.

The one exception is the final wipe-down before painting. For that I use a "Swiffer" cloth. 

Two things that are a hand all the time in my workshop are paper towels and good old fashion (and cheap) white bath towels.

I have one draped in front and below my paint booth as well as in front of my workbench. They serve two purposes...keep things out of sight as well as being a handy wiping surface. When they get too soiled they either get washed or pitched.

We acquired them from a linen/uniform service company that donated them for use at a church carwash we did. They didn't want them returned because each one was substandard and couldn't be used in hotels, hospitals...etc. They were slated to be made into insulation for automotive applications if memory serves. 

After the car wash was finished I took the soiled towels to a laundry mat, filled up a couple of those huge commercial washers, washed and dried them then brought them home. I think I spent about $30 at the laundry mat. They have come in real handy in the workshop as well as during a couple of disasters involving lots of water! We use them as mats in front of the shower as well as towels for the dog when she got bathed. 

Clean cheap and relatively lint free. Check your local hotel/motels as well as commercial linen supply companies. White uniforms work too!

Good wiping cloth, eh? I use a simple microfiber terry cloth from Turtle Wax. I picked it up at the nearby AutoZone when it was on sale otherwise it's quite expensive. These cloths are designed for outside and inside the car. I mostly use mine in the car to remove dust(that seems to magnetically attract to the cloth) since it leaves no scratches, rarely if ever leaves lint, and it takes a simple one over to get the job done. Thus it's also a great product to get the hated dust off models. I couldn't find mine specifically on the web, but here's a link selling some different types: http://www.5starshine.com/towels-accessories.html. You can find these at pretty much any auto store.

I use a generic, off-brand paper towel to wipe my brushes dry, and to wick away additional fluid when applying decals.  I also use old crew socks as rags.  I don't have a problem with fibers left behind.

(In my woodworking shop, I use retired T-shirts and boxers, for things like wiping on/off wood stain, excess carpenter's glue, and for wiping up any spills.  Also for wiping grease and oil off my hands, until I can get to the sink and use Lava soap and water.)

Regards,

Brad

For brushes, I use what me and my friend call a "Luxury rag".  Take a white T-shirt, rip off a piece of it, Ta-da...

For much else, I use papertowel... I don't know the brand.. I may get it if you want? It's very absorbant and strong.

Wuddaya talkin' about?! There is no contest, it's made in Germany so it has to be good....

I give you ShamWow

As seen on TV! Are you getting this, camera guy?

subfixer wrote:

Wuddaya talkin' about?! There is no contest, it's made in Germany so it has to be good.... I give you ShamWow As seen on TV! Are you getting this, camera guy?

Okay, this thread needs to be locked and deleted—NOW!!

I once met a modeler from the former Soviet Union, where apparently model building was a government sponsored industry. He was frustrated and amazed that in this country, none of us had good rooms to work in. He wondered how we got such good paint jobs and finishes on our models without a "wet wall" in our modeling spaces. A wet wall, he explained, was one wall of the room that had water running over it continuously. This eliminated dust and static electricity, and with a good HVAC system, kept the temperature and humidity in the room constant.

I improvise with a humidifier in the winter. In summer, the normal humidity runs about 70 to 90 percent—dust ceases to be a problem, but heat and humidity are since I have no air conditioning. But it makes me feel good when I produce a good finish in spite of a lack of all the best conditions and tools.

Ad astra per aspera! (To the stars through difficulties.)