Caught myself using a torn-off t-shirt as a tack rag on a fresh paint job last week

Thought I was being clever saving a buck, but ended up with lint specs all over the clear coat that took an extra hour to sand out. Anyone else got a cheap habit that backfired hard on a repair?

2 comments

2 Comments

grace_perry445d ago

Man I used to be all about cutting corners with stuff like that, but after ruining a perfectly good paint job on my own truck I completely changed my mind. Grabbing whatever rag is lying around feels like a time saver in the moment but it always ends up costing more time and money fixing the mess. I used to think lint free cloths were just a waste of money for fancy shops but now I keep a box of them in my garage and in my work van. That extra hour of sanding and buffing out lint specs really drives home the point that some things you just can't cheap out on. Now I treat tack rags like cheap insurance rather than a luxury I can skip.

kelly.parker5d ago

A guy at the body shop told me to keep a few tack rags in the cab of my truck so they stay warm and tacky. Makes a world of difference when you're doing a quick wipe down before spraying.

-1