Before one can paint a piece of wood, it should be clean from any dust on its surface. What is the recommended way to remove the dust? a hand brush, which only got rid of the rough bits and pieces a vacuum, which worked great for the most part, but did not remove the very fine dust. The suction could cause the nozzle to bump into the surface and leave scratches a glue soaked cloth (called "tack cloth") from the hardware store, which was intended for exactly that purpose and got the job done. Working with it was not very nice though, reusability is questionable and who knows what kind of stuff is used to make it sticky. I guess that a wet cloth has similar sticky properties than the aforementioned shop bought cloth, but has the disadvantage of applying moisture to the wood (leading to warped wood). Is there a better/recommended way to do this? All the methods you list are recommended ways of removing dust from the workpiece. Brushing is actually a very good way to get dust off wood, and for many woodworkers it's the main method they rely on.

It's just that you usually can't do it properly with only one brush. You can use a large soft hand brush to get the worst of it off but you need switch to something with stiffer bristles for the finer stuff. Paintbrushes work well for this and their small size makes them good at getting into corners. Some people swear by tack cloths*, others don't like them because they hate how they feel and they worry that they'll leave a residue behind which will cause problems with the final finish (this doesn't appear to be much of a concern however).dryer vent cleaning youtube The real 'danger' to this is not warped wood, normally wood has to get really wet for there to be a risk of warping.best stick vacuum cleaner 2013 What you would worry about is raised grain (surface wood fibres swelling due to soaking up water). best cleaning solution for wood floor

But this doesn't happen if you moisten the cloth with mineral spirits, acetone or very pure alcohol. A very good modern material to wipe with that isn't often recommended is microfibre cloth. The very same surface texture that makes these so good at cleaning glass and polished surfaces make them very good at removing traces of fine dust from tiny imperfections in the wood surface. A lightly dampened microfibre cloth may be the best way to remove dust from sanded wood. * Homemade tack clothcost to clean air vents You can make your own quite easily, from a clean scrap of lint-free cloth (old sheets and t-shirts can be good donors for the fabric), a few drops of varnish, the appropriate solvent for the varnish and a little water. Your item #3 is called a tack cloth and is quite commonly used for removing dust, because, as you noted, it's quite effective, and it's a highly recommended solution.

According to the linked Wikipedia article, there may be some VOC concerns, however, with increasing environmental regulations, those are either A) listed on the packaging, or B) being phased out of the manufacturing process. Instead of sucking it up you can blow it away using compressed air (or just your lungs). A moist (not wet) cloth will minimize the water you apply to the wood. A micro-fibre cloth is dry but will also have a very good dust grabbing properties. Recommend an intial pass with a shop vac, which will capture probably 95% of the dust. It is good to use a shop vac to clean the surface between sanding grits, removing the larger grit particles from the wood before sanding with the next higher grit. While blowing the dust off with compressed air removes the dust, it also mixes it into the air so some of it can settle back onto the surface and so you can breath it. To get the last 5%, tack cloths are ok if using solvent based stains/dyes/top coats. Do not use tack cloths if using water based stains/dyes/top coats.

Microfiber cloths are excellent dry "tack cloths" - they do not need to be wet or tacky with anything, so there are no worries about contaminating the surface before using a either type of stain/dyes/top coat. Also, microfiber cloths can be re-used multiple times - simply take them outside and shake the dust out. In a pinch I once used an old t-shirt lightly sprayed with hair-spray. The spray then dried on the cloth for a few seconds before use. It worked surprisingly well. "Swiffer" dusters have worked well for me in the past I like to use a soft terry cloth to wipe down before I apply finish. So far it has worked well for me in getting the fine dust off the wood. On wood with larger open grain (like padouk) I sometimes will blast it with air from the air compressor as well. try water pressure and an air hose to dry. a little Clorox can't hurt either. removing active biological really helps with the finished piece if its old.Browse other questions tagged sawdust surface-preparation tack-cloth or ask your own question.

hello friends, and welcome back to before & after basics! i’m so excited to discuss how to paint furniture today, which most of you know is very near and dear to my heart. i love it, love it, love it and am always dreaming up new designs and plans in the studio. transformation is a beautiful thing- not only when dealing with furniture, but also when carried out in every day life. so, let’s start painting! CLICK HERE for the full how-to after the jump! here is a list of my favorite tools and necessities: * soft angled brushes 2-2 1/2″ wide {favorite brands are purdy & sherwin williams} * orbital sander 120 grit disc * sanding blocks in fine and medium when painting a piece of furniture, the most important part is the prep work done beforehand… the furniture is your canvas, and it needs to be clean and smooth. 1. remove all hardware and fill any holes that you will not be using once the piece is completed. re drill any new holes you will need for the new hardware.

this is also a great time to address any scrapes and scratches that may need to be filled, as well as any loose joints. 2. sand all of your filled areas and apply more filler where needed. this is where it is really important to sand in between coats and keep wood filler thin so that your holes are completely seamless when painted. 3. lightly sand the entire piece with your orbital sander and a 120 grit disc, being careful not to eat into the finish as this will show through your paint……and is not a happy occurrence! 4. vacuum the entire piece inside and out and then wipe down with a clean damp cloth. make sure that your piece is completely clean, dry, and dust free. 5. tape off all areas that you do not want to get paint on. normally i tape off the sides of all of the drawers so that when you open the drawers you see a nice clean line. i also tape off the inside of the piece to keep all runners and such free of messy paint. in order to look professional you want nice , clean straight lines …….everywhere!

6. now is the part that is completely a preference for me: priming! on the pieces that i distress and am creating a look of perfect imperfection i do not prime {gasp!} …because i really feel like it takes away from the end result….BUT, if you are going for a solid look with really clean lines i would suggest a primer. also, if the piece is a knotted wood or has any type of inconsistency, for best results go ahead and prime. 7. pour your choice of paint in the tray and get your roller and paintbrush all nice and full of paint. use your brush to cut in all areas of the piece that the roller cannot reach and then grab your foam roller and roll your piece. you want to work on one section at a time to make sure that it is all smooth, and make sure that you do not force the roller…it will leave unwanted lines and cause frustration. just roll nice and easy. also make sure that you check all of your edges when rolling to make sure you don’t have extra paint overlapping the edge which is also an unwanted end result!

it’s all about being smooth my friends ….. 8. apply 2-3 light coats this way, and then let dry overnight. one tip i have when painting a piece, is to paint the back of the piece as well…..it really finishes off the piece nicely. 9. sand your piece with either a sanding block for a lighter distressed look, or go all out and use your orbital sander for a heavy distress. just be careful that you work really fast with the orbital sander to avoid round sanding pad marks on your furniture. these are a sure sign of over indulgence:) the goal is to make it look like the distressing happened over time with lots of love and use. 10. after you have the piece sanded the way you like, apply your finish. i use three different finishes: stain, wax, and poly. on most pieces i use at least two of the finishes listed here for a nice natural layered look, but my favorite finish over paint is stain. apply the stain with a brush making sure all areas are covered, then wipe off excess with a clean lint free rag leaving the stain in areas that it would naturally rest.