Help please.

[Joe O'Connor]

I'm building a large walnut entertainment center for a customer and everything was going well until it came time for stain and lacquer. The rags I'm using to stain are leaving behind little fibers that I can't see until I spray the lacquer. After sanding they appeared to be removed but they showed up again with the second coat. I've tried two kinds of rags the second being the premium staining rags from HD. Is there a way to remove these at this point and how do I avoid this problem in the first place? Thanks for any advice you can offer.

[Charles Wiggins]

Joe,

I've never had that problem to any degree. I don't have a lot of experience in that area, but I've always used a quality brush to apply stain and whatever rags I had on hand to wipe. My rags are usually just old cotton clothes. I prefer 100% cotton underwear for staining. When something gets too holey to wear I wash it one last time before cutting it up into rags. I only use liquid detergent and fabric softener that is dye and perfume free, but I don't know if that makes any difference. I have noticed over the years that using fabric softener seems to reduce lint in general, like when I "pop" clothes to fold them I don't see very much, if any, lint go flying. I keep all my shop rags in a large zip-lock so they are dust free, and I don't seem to have lint problems when staining. I sand with 220# between coats. That's about it.

Cheers,
Charles

[Kent A Bathurst]

I use 2 things:

1. 100% cotton knit rags - purchased at Lowe's [used to buy at HD, but they cheapened the product and all the scraps were the size of a dollar bill].
> BUT - I take them out of the box, and wash them with soap and bleach in HOT water, then dry them on STUN.
> I do this 3 times before use. BE SURE to clean your lint trap after every drying. You will be amazed.

2. Scott Blue Towels - the stuff on the roll, like paper towels. However - these are lint-free. I use these for applying wipe-on varnish, so they should work fine for stain.

[John TenEyck]

Scott Blue Towels, as mentioned, are lint free, and my choice for wiping stains off. Another good choice is a microfiber cloth. It's toast afterwards, but they are pretty cheap. I've never found a "lint free" cotton cloth.

For the lint that's stuck in your stain already, I think the best you can do is bury it under finish coats. I would scuff sand after the first or second topcoat with a 325 mesh foam pad. Then vacuum well and then wipe it down with a clean microfiber cloth. The next coat of finish should completely cover any that are still embedded in the finish.

John

[David Macfee]

What you see could be little bits of trash in the air. You can take steps to reduce it, but you can't eliminate it, unless you rub the finish out. I like disposable wipes along the line of WypAll wipes- there are many substitutes.

A razor blade works well between coats to plane off any nibs,specs,trash. No disrespect meant but are you new to spraying lacquer? because you should not be concerned about lint or trash in your build coats. Of course the final is where you take your time and blow/wipe the surface the best you can do. Off the gun sheens are always going to show a little trash but generally not anything that a customer would notice. They would feel it before they saw it. If you had a little trash or grit in your final coat, sometimes you can catch it with a razor blade if you're very careful w/o a respray. MicroMesh abrasives are handy as well. I use 4000 and up for removing light overspray in satin finishes without affecting the sheen or showing scratches.

[Kent A Bathurst]

I've never found a "lint free" cotton cloth.

John10 - Agreed. A contradiction in terms. Jumbo Shrimp. Dodge Ram. Military Intelligence. Lint-free cotton rag.

But - I have never had the problem being described - not saying my cotton cloths are the best solution - but it works for me. I do the same thing with I am putting on WB dye - one hand has a brush slopping it on, the other has a pile of cotton rags nearby and is spreading it around and wiping like a mad man. Same for gel stain to fill/color pores.

I can't really figure out what the problem is that Joe is having, to be honest....so I just tossed out what has worked for me. Zero experience with your micro-fiber - will keep that in mind - thanks.

[Joe O'Connor]

Thanks everybody I went with the blue paper towels and cured my problem. I am pretty new to lacquer but I had never had this problem before. All the lint did come out with the second sanding and final coat. I know it may have been a stupid question but I gave up trying to avoid asking those a long time ago. I know what I know and I don't what I don't. Thanks again.

[Kent A Bathurst]

I know what I know and I don't what I don't. Thanks again.

And there you have it - the known knowns, v the unknown unknowns.