Paper towel - do you use it?

[NOVAModeler]

Hi all,

I am having occasional issues with tiny fibers ending up in paint work, especially visible in NMF. I think the culprit is my use of paper towel as a general work surface and cleaning aid around the spray booth. Does anyone else use paper towel in their spray booth, and if so, have you found a good brand that doesn't lead to pieces of paper fibers? (Try tearing a sheet off the roll right in front of a bright light source, and notice the clouds of paper fibers).

Looking forward to hearing some feedback on this one.

 

[Guest styrenedemon]

I do use them around the bench and spray area. I use the Bounty brand (that's what a buy for the kitchen and I just poach a roll when I need one). I do notice fiber around at times but haven't had issues with it getting in paint. I usually wipe my model down with a tack cloth and then use a lint free towel moistened with alcohol as a paint prep.

 

I've heard that the blue towels for garage use (shop towels found in auto section) are pretty tuff and more lint free. I've been thinking of trying them.

 

I do have tons of problems with q-tips doing the same thing though and would love to find a replacement for them for the weathering process (wiping away washes in tight spaces etc). I've clear coated lots of strands of fibers Into models having thought I cleared them away.

[Paulster]

I am a user of the Blue Shop towel. Much less "fuzzy" than regular Scott towels (I call all paper towels "Scott"). Regular "Q" tips of any brand never gets near one of my builds. I use the Tamiya or Mr. Hobby mini swabs. For the regular swabs I use the long wooden stick medical swabs. Very tightly spun on. I get them from a online gun parts and supplies store called Brownells. Last time I bought them it was like $13 for 10 packs of 100. Only way they sell them is either by the 500 or 1000 pack . Link below.

 

http://www.brownells.com/gun-cleaning-chemicals/patches-mops/cleaning-swabs/cotton-tipped-applicators-prod13150.aspx

[alpinestar]

I tend to use lint free cloths around the spray bench. I found them quite cheap to buy from a DIY store, in the paint supplies area. I also sometimes get hold of aircraft canopy polishing cloths (for real aircraft!) from my friendly Air Force mates. These are fantastic and great if you can get hold of them.

 

Normal q-tips do shed fibres a lot. I found that Tamiya do a range that don't and are specifically designed for modelling. I've tried these Tamiya ones and found them pretty good, however they will remove paint if rubbed too hard! The weave is far more compacted than normal q-tips. Worth a try though if you are careful.

 

Chris.

[Paulster]

I also, as Chris mentioned, get the lint free painters rags at either Lowes or Home Depot. While nothing is 100% lint free, including mil-spec canopy wipes, these painters rags seem to me to be the best that are available to the general public at a reasonable price. $15ish a box and it'll last me a few years.

[tchwrma]

I used to utilize paper towels to give a polishing in the Tamiya Acrylic paints especially the matts to remove the grains of powder from paint that went on the  kit surface. Then I discovered that the paper released numerous fibers and stopped using this. Now I get the same polish result with a paper coffee filter, who not release fibers.

[Grant]

I'm glad this subject has been brought up, I've never thought of this before and nearly always use a paper towel as a work surface. I think I'll track down some blue motor trade towel and give that a try. Also, "Q" tips, it never occurred to me that the medical ones would have a tighter spun cotton wool to them - hell's teeth, I'm dim !! Right, off to track down some new supplies!!

[Grant]

I've tried the blue shop towels. They don't absorb as well and the lint is finer (i.e. harder to get off).

I've had luck wiping things down with a dryer sheet. It neutralizes static so the lint comes off easily.

Good tip Matt, what do you use as a work surface in which case? Your painting is always so good it'd be interesting to know (so I can copy it )

[NOVAModeler]

Thanks for everyone's responses. This brings me to the next related question - what do you do to clean your airbrush if you don't use paper towel? I usually wash out my paint cup with isopropyl alcohol and an old brush if I use Tamiya paints and then I pour out the alcohol onto paper towel and wash it a few times like this, then spray with more rubbing alcohol into paper towel until I'm satisfied it's clean. In the process I go through two or three sheets of paper towel (the blue kind). That's another reason there's a paper towel presence in my spraybooth. I'm now thinking it is all a big mistake

[Grant]

Aha! I can do that!!  I was think of using cardboard instead of paper towel and see what happens.  If that's a no go then I'll go for the scrap wood plan.

[WillScarlet]

As a work surface in my spray booth I use the real "CARD" board (poster board) and clean my airbrush with either alcohol or lacquer thinner sprayed into a small rag-filled bowl.

I use a lazy susan covered with "Press'n Seal (a food wrap made by Glad brand.)

[ScottsGT]

Post deleted due to spam for pushing their paper towels. 

[biggtim]

Digging up some very old bones here, Scott.

[ScottsGT]

15 minutes ago, biggtim said:

Digging up some very old bones here, Scott.

Naa, spammer dug them up.  I just deleted his post bump.  That’s what caught my attention. A 10 yo thread resurfacing about paper towel lint.  

[BlrwestSiR]

Just now, ScottsGT said:

A 10 yo thread resurfacing about paper towel lint.  

I guess that's better than one about navel lint. 

[ScottsGT]

If they were selling navel lint brushes, I might have done a group purchase for all of us. 

[Lusitanian]

Try to find someone who works in an operating room at a hospital. They throw away dozens of sterile surgical towels (unused) after almost every surgery. They’re super absorbent and are designed to have no loose fibers at all.  Most of the time they’re happy to let someone take them home if they’re not contaminated.

[ScottsGT]

My wife brings me those home.  But with a Maine Coon kitty, it’s a useless effort.  I do my best to tack rag down the model, but halfway through the painting the fuzz starts showing up.  

[BlrwestSiR]

17 minutes ago, ScottsGT said:

My wife brings me those home.  But with a Maine Coon kitty, it’s a useless effort.  I do my best to tack rag down the model, but halfway through the painting the fuzz starts showing up.  

Or a cat that insists on being in your lap when you're at the bench. 

[Peterpools]

Once I'm in the paint stage of the build, paper towels are history: I use either a modeling tack cloth, a microfiber cloth and or a Tamiya anti-static brush. Yup, still get the occasional spec of lint and dust.