Solvents for Tack-Cloth Cleaning
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Naphtha, denatured alcohol, acetone — what picks up dust best without attacking the finish? July 4, 2005
Question
I usually use Naptha and a rag to tack up my dust off the wood after I sand my wash coats of precat lacquer. Is it possible to use acetone? Or will this have an adverse reaction to the lacquer?
Seems to me the acetone flashes much quicker than Naptha and I can get it cheaper by the gallon. Any thoughts?
Forum Responses
(Finishing Forum)
From contributor J:
Acetone will eat the finish unless you use a chemical resistant coating. Naptha doesn't take long to dry, albeit slower than acetone, but it seems that if you soak a rag in naptha to wipe something off, you will be able to do more square footage with the same volume of chemical. With acetone, you'll constantly be reloading your rag.
From contributor B:
If I am using a solvent to aid in tacking off my work, I have switched to denatured alcohol. The main reason was that I had read at a science website that alcohol is a natural de-ionizer and removes static charges on a surface. The second reason is that it dries fast and will not leave behind any residues.
From the original questioner:
Contributor B - I read on a can of denatured alcohol that it stated it was a multi-purpose cleaner, but it said to not use on lacquered jewelry?
From contributor B:
Acetone is just too hot a solvent for my taste as far as tacking is concerned. As with any solvent, for lack of better word, if you soak the finish being tacked of you will have problems. All you want to do is pick up the remaining congatha that is left after blowing and wiping off.
Here's another tip - get yourself those micro pocketed cleaning clothes. They are designed to pick up dust like a magnet and they work like a dream.
From contributor C:
Has anyone ever tried End Dust brand dusting spray? It's not supposed to have any silicones in it and it works great for me. It takes out the static and really sucks up the dust. You have to use it sparingly though, not wet the rag, just a quick mist. I spray lacquer and haven't had any problems using this. Don't know about other finishes though.
