Heavy Duty Shop Towels

[W.Y.]

A kind friend stopped in at my place a while back with this big heavy roll of shop towels and asked if I would have any use for it.
I was delighted and said I sure would put them to good use .
The label on the roll said they are cloth towels but it is kind of a paper/cloth combination . Scroll down to the red roll that is shown on a cart.


https://www.acklandsgrainger.com/AGIPortalWeb/WebSource/Search/globalSearch.do.

My first concern was if it would tear if using it on a spinning lathe and happened to get caught . It will indeed tear .
I just got around to making a dispenser for it today using a large dowel because that roll is very heavy.
It should last me for several years..

I am curious if anyone here has used that same part number of heavy duty towels and if you have some pro's and cons to share about them.

I took the picture from a distance to put the size of the roll into perspective. ..
I have not had a chance to try it with the BLO/CA finish yet but I am guessing it will be better than the light weight blue shop towels I have been using

 

[1080Wayne]

I use what appears to be a similar product in white from a different supplier . Excellent product , but have never tried it for CA application .

 

[EBorraga]

Hey William, it's made by the same people that make the Blue towels. These are what I use in the shop. They work great and work well for the CA finish that I use. I get the towels from Autozone. They don't come in a roll like your's, but come in a box. Just pull them out as you need em.

 

[B727phixer]

Hi Bill,
I have been using the medium duty (white) Wypall in a box for years works great for my CA finishes..that is an awesome freebie 143.00 for a new roll!

 

[jskeen]

Hey William, I am not familiar with that particular product, so can't help there, but if you plan to use for applying finish or polishing I would strongly suggest that you rig some kind of enclosure/box or something to keep the top of that roll from collecting dust, wood chips, bits of turning tools flung off of the sharpening stones and or any of the myriad of stuff floating in the air of even the most carefully cleaned shop. A fairly simple vertical drop down from the front edge of the shelf above and a side that's slotted to fit over the dowel would probably do the trick, and would also give you a place to mount a hacksaw blade cutter to make tearing off the exact size piece you need easier.

Remember, lots of the dust in any woodworking shop is larger than the abrasive particles in the fine grits we use to polish our pens, and a dirty towel used to apply plastic polish or wax or whatever will definitely add new scratches to a painstakingly de-scratched pen blank.

Nice score in any case though.

 

[W.Y.]

Great replies and suggestions .
I am going to give one an absorbency test real soon because they are supposed to be more absorbent than cloth shop towels.

My van is due for an oil change in the next day or so . I will try using one of those instead of a rag like I usually do just to see how absorbent they actually are. . I cannot remember ever having oil and filter changed at a garage or jiffy lube . I have always done it myself (so far) right in my driveway.