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Every professional sprayer, decorator or DIY enthusiast should have a tack cloth in arms reach. Why? You can use the highest spec coating on the market, but if you don't keep your surface clean and dust-free between coats, your end finish will have flaws. This quick guide explains why a tak cloth is the best tool for the job and how to choose the right cloth.
Your work surface is exposed to dust and other particles at every stage of the painting process. If you don't remove these contaminants, they will become trapped in your paint. So, to achieve a mirror-like professional finish, you need to remove dust after sanding, priming and between each topcoat. There are two ways of doing this - with a tack cloth or with an airline.
Although it may sound like a quick and practical solution, using an airline to blow the dust off your work surface isn't that effective. Here's why:
Air blowing will remove a lot of the dust particles, but some of them will hang around in the air and land on your surface again.
The dust that you blow away will settle elsewhere in the paint shop, so you will need to clean it up again. If people are working on other jobs nearby, you will also compromise their finish.
Blowing dust into the air creates a build-up of contaminants in the workshop environment, exposing your workers to respiratory hazards.
Tack cloths work differently to airlines. They pick up and contain particles, so there is no spread of contaminants, no additional clean up and no exposure to dust in the air.
There are various tack cloths on the market, each with unique properties and benefits. Here are three of the best.
This cloth doesn't contain solvents, making it perfect for water-based applications as there is no contamination between coats when wiping down. It performs well on wood, metal, plastic and fibreglass and will stay dry and soft, even with repeated use. The 3M Tack Cloth contains a light adhesive for minimal drag marks.
The Gramos Tak Rag is an excellent general-purpose tack cloth that is compatible with all modern paint finishes. Impregnated with a tacky resin, it collects and contains surface contamination in one simple wipe. This bulk slab pack makes it easy to pull a cloth out and get to work.
3x Ultrimax Tack Cloths shown out of wrapper. Each individually wrapped for quick & easy convenience.
These are the baby wipes of the coatings industry. Each Ultrimax Tack Cloth comes in an individually wrapped cellophane unit, making it easy to carry cloths around with you. Boasting all the same benefits as the Gramos Tack Rag, our version offers greater convenience at a lower price.
Check out our quick video guide on why tack cloths are such a crucial part of the paint process.
If you can’t find a fix for the issue you’re experiencing or you need more advice, drop us a line and we’ll get your paint job on track.
For further information on Jotun systems or specification products and which you should be using contact us below.
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