Woodworking shops

Woodworking companies may be one of our largest customer bases. No matter the size of the shop, the last step in almost all wood shops is staining the product. The perfect stain can make the table, chair or living room furniture stand out among the others. Just like finding the right piece of wood, finding the right staining rag is just as important.

Whether you are using a sprayer or painting the furniture by hand, leaving behind blotchy stained wood is never desired. Having a 100% cotton rag will help absorb extra paint from the wooden piece. In fact, a pre-washed rag like our new pre-washed white is our bestselling staining rag. Because it is pre-washed the fibers will absorb more paint or lacquer than something that has not been washed.

A common misconception is that all staining rags have to be white. This is because woodworkers do not want the colors to bleed or run during staining. However, we have an amber staining rags (N209) that will not bleed and offer great consistency. Originally these rags were black in color, but we bleach and wash them to turn them into a shade of amber. Imprints, bristles and blemishes are sometimes what can be left behind if you don’t use a pre-washed 100% cotton wiper.

If you are worried about cotton rags being too bulky for your job, a great alternative is cheesecloth. Cheesecloth is typically a smaller material that can be balled together and used as a staining wipe. We have a wide variety of cheesecloth available, so please give us a call to discuss your options!

No matter the type of staining rag you use, wearing gloves is a must. Gloves can protect your hands from the lacquer as well as keep them clean from paint. Since lacquer can eat away at lower quality gloves, we would suggest sticking with a 6 mil thick or greater. 6 Mil gloves (SGDBLACKN6M) should hold up against 90% of agents. Our 8 mil gloves (SGD6032) is a good alternative if you prefer something thicker, but anything above an 8 mil you may start to lose dexterity and a good sense of touch with the product.