cleanlieness

What type of rags do you use for engine building?

You can buy "special" cloths, but as a general rule "lint free" is the type you should go for.

You should also be able to buy bags of "scrap cloth", or similar rags, from a recycling place - I buy mine from a local bearing warehouse.

Some of the cloths will also be lint free, but even if not, they're excellent for cleaning up on the strip-downs and wiping up the odd spillage - and you can use the actual lint-free for the final assemblies.

Personally, I'll usually follow the assembly wiping with a spray of brake degreaser or electronics cleaner before applying the assembly lube, etc.