Hot take: I think we overrate the importance of a 100% dust-free shop.

I was reading an old trade journal from 1985 and a master cabinetmaker said he just used a damp rag to wipe down surfaces before finishing, no fancy air filtration. His work is in museums now. Are we spending too much on gear for a problem a rag can mostly solve?

3 comments

3 Comments

evan_grant7013d agoMost Upvoted

That bit about the damp rag is funny, my grandpa was a painter and he'd say the same thing. He'd just wipe a car down with a wet cloth before spraying, said the factory dust would just stick to the paint if you tried to blow it off. Makes you wonder how much we overcomplicate simple jobs.

charlieh7413d ago

My uncle ran a body shop in Tulsa for thirty years and he swore by a damp cheesecloth for final wipe downs. Said compressed air just pushes the tiny particles around and they end up buried in the clear coat. I tried his method when I was fixing up an old truck and the finish came out perfectly smooth. Sometimes the old way is just the right way because they figured out what actually works.

michael80313d ago

Totally agree with @evan_grant70. We add steps that just make things worse sometimes. A wet rag works because it grabs the dust instead of moving it.