# How do you remove the dust from a project before you finish it?



## GPDMTR25 (Jun 21, 2010)

I usually use a vacuum then a damp paper towel and last a tack rag. Sometimes I use my air compressor.

I was wondering what methods people use to remove dust from the projects before finishing them?

Also what method do you use to remove the dust from the sanding between coats?

Also do you use a different method for porous woods like walnut or padauk?

I'd appreciate help with this.

Thanks
Angela


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## TopamaxSurvivor (May 2, 2008)

I use compressed air.


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## bigike (May 25, 2009)

I use either naphtha or mineral spirits or even just the denatured alcohol it all depends on what Finnish i use. Thants inbetween coats and before i even put a finnish, i still use compressed air too.


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## Brian024 (Feb 2, 2009)

Compressed air and a tack rag.


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## Rick Dennington (Aug 27, 2009)

I hardly ever use compressed air, cause it will "push" the wooddust into the wood fibers. Also, I don't use tackcloths….I don't like them at all. I use a soft cotton rag (like a Tshirt) soaked in mineral spirits to clean the dust off. I usually let it dry(about an hour), and repeat the process, all the while running my air cleaner to suck up all the natural-born air particles…I make sure it's pretty well cleaned up before I put on a finish(s). It really depends on the project I'm on, so when I'm building a piece for a customer, this is the process I use…....


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## Tomoose (Mar 1, 2009)

I use the air compressor, and then I end up with dust all over my fresh finish  
Getting some good pointers from this thread!

Tom


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## tenontim (Feb 24, 2008)

I only do hand rubbed finishes so I just rub it in. It acts like a pore filler.


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## stevenhsieh (Jan 8, 2010)

The best way to do it is to vacuum.
If you you wipe the dust off, you are creating a grit that can cause scratches.


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## bobasaurus (Sep 6, 2009)

I just wipe with a t-shirt after blowing it off with the shop vac's exhaust (wish I had a compressor, though).


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## JonathanG (Jan 18, 2010)

I tend to use my shop vacuum with a brush attachment and a diffuser on the back of the vacuum so it doesn't exhaust air at such a high velocity. After vacuuming, I then tend to go over the project with a paper towel or rag soaked in mineral spirits. I'll let that dry a bit, then get a new paper towel and continue going over it with mineral spirits until no more dust comes off.

I will probably switch to naptha soon as it dries a bit faster than MS.

All of my solvent soaked rags are immediately carried outside, where they're placed in an open trashcan so they can continue to evaporate, whether it's in the heat of the summer, or the dead cold of winter, I do this without exception!

I also use MS between coats if I did any scuff sanding, or if I ever use steel wool since it leaves little pieces everywhere. Again, vacuum, then use the MS to really clean it up.


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## sbryan55 (Dec 8, 2007)

Angela, like a number of the other comments I use vacuum and a cloth/paper dampened with mineral spirits to remove sanding dust prior to applying finishes and after sanding between coats. I would tend to avoid using cloth dampened with water since contact with water will raise the grain.

The only time I will intentionally raise the grain is when I am going to apply a water base stain/dye or finish. Then, to get a smooth finish it is necessary to raise the grain prior to application of the water base product.


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## JonathanG (Jan 18, 2010)

Scott, great point in regards to the water.

(I read that and was going to comment, but I'm at work right now and got distracted in the middle of my above post.)

I agree with everything you said about not using water, unless it's before a waterbased finish to pre-raise the grain.


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## Rick Dennington (Aug 27, 2009)

I have to EDIT: After going back and reading the other post, and then re-reading mine, I forgot to add that I also use a shop vacumn with a brush attachment, and then do the rest of it. Don't know how I left that part out…...Got in a hurry, I guess….It all comes with age…..!!! But at least I'm not slowing down….yet..


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## thiel (May 21, 2009)

Vacuum. Then damp or MS cloth. Then I wait for a few hours for anything in the air to settle… and then I hit it very lightly with a tack cloth just an instant before I finish.


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## GPDMTR25 (Jun 21, 2010)

Thanks for your comments and ideas. 
I use the water to raise the grain. 
Tim I've never heard about rubbing it in the wood. 
Thanks again I like to learn and to hear what other do.
Angela


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## Dez (Mar 28, 2007)

Compressed air in the initial stages of prep for the finish to remove the majority of dust. 
Vacume and a clean brush (bench for the large areas and a fine bristle parts brush for the inside corners etc.)
Then a damp cloth (water, alcohol, mineral spirits etc. depending on the final finish) and a tack cloth.


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## Greedo (Apr 18, 2010)

i used to wipe it with turpentine, gets dust off and degreases the surface at the same time. but i don't bother anymore, time is money and turpentine costs money, now i brush it off with a brush blow some air with my mouth in the corners and up goes the acrylic paint. dries within minutes so i cant start the same process on the net piece inmediately. i handsand briefly with 600 grit between coats, and after the last coat aswell. makes the surface smooth and removed the grittness from the dust that remained.


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## ND2ELK (Jan 25, 2008)

I blow my projects off, use my vac and then a tac cloth.


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## Steve_B (Oct 30, 2009)

I just go, "Honey, can you get this ready while I find the stain?"  Seriously, I use a vac & tack cloth.


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## Brad_Nailor (Jul 26, 2007)

I blow everything off with compressed air, trying not to drive the dust into the wood fibers by pointing the nozzle right at the surface. Then I vacuum with a brush attachment and finally I wipe the piece down with mineral spirits, usually more than once, and let the piece dry completely. When I do cutting boards, I usually raise the grain with water between sandings up to 150…just because the cutting boards are usually used near water and I don't want them to get fuzzy if they get a little wet…and I like the feel of the board when I get done with the finish when I raise the grain.


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## SnowyRiver (Nov 14, 2008)

I vacuum it then use a clean rag with mineral spirits.


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## dbray45 (Oct 19, 2010)

If I use sandpaper at all - use scapers and planes for 90%, the coursest paper that I have is 220. From there I use ms and wet sand everything with 600 - 1000 grit before the finish is applied. After that I use pumice and rottenstone with ms and cotton cloth. On occasion I use water for wet sanding. This being the case, I don't have a lot of issue with sawdust on the work.

My biggest problem is clearing the air from particles and this will be addressed when I have more room for an air cleaner.


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## CoolDavion (Dec 6, 2007)

I like to use coffee filters to clean the dust off of projects (I also use them to clean the car windows).
They are lint/dust free.


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## jm64 (Jan 21, 2011)

Vac and then a tack cloth and sand lightly between coats. Tack cloth frustrated me on a recent project tho as it sometimes seems to catch on wood and leave pieces of tack cloth behind.

I have been applying finish with a foam roller with good results. Also adding Flotrol to latex gives a really smooth finish.


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## dbhost (Jul 20, 2009)

Vac and tack cloth. That's what they taught us in wood shop in school. Kind of stuck with me.


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