Creating a homemade tack cloth with tung oil and mineral spirits


Here are some simple options for charging a cloth so it removes dust better. You might not really even need a "dedicated" tack cloth.

Is there a home concoction one can make up to create a tack cloth for removing dust prior to finishing?

Tim Inman: Woodworking and wood finishing textbooks all offer recipes for homemade "tack" cloths. Usually, they use some varnish or oil such as boiled linseed or tung diluted with mineral spirits to moisten the lint-free cloth. Actually, any oily substance compatible with your topcoats and stains would be fine. A cloth simply dampened with water works, too. Don't overthink this. It's just a dust cloth.

If you do decide to make up your own oiled tack cloth, keep it sealed in a fireproof container, or better yet, dispose of it immediately after use in a fireproof container. Oils, especially linseed oil, can oxidize and generate enough heat to ignite on their own. Be careful! Commercially made tack cloths typically contain sticky waxes. I don't like to use these. If the duster (me) is heavy handed (I am), the wax can be rubbed off the cloth and onto the wood, where it can cause problems in both staining and finishing.

Rob Johnstone: You can also use a cloth dampened with denatured alcohol. It will help pick up the dust and will not raise the grain significantly. Once the alcohol flashes off the cloth, it's also safe to store again.

Chris Marshall: I've used both denatured alcohol and mineral spirits to dampen a cloth for wiping away dust. The alcohol dries much faster, so that's what I prefer. Both options also help identify any pesky glue splotches I might have missed. I don’t use tack cloths that contain varnishes or oils. Sometimes, I'll just pull my compressed air hose outside and blow the dust off my project that way. Or vacuum it thoroughly instead. All three surface-prep options can work fine.