# What's wrong with my brush?



## JDługosz (Sep 10, 2007)

Purdy is a good name brand. Yet my Purdy nylon/polyester brush is having a "bad hair day" that is getting worse the more I use the brush.

The hairs are curling back from the body of the brush, as opposed to lying straight. It's starting to look like a pom-pom. When I clipped the bad ones so I could continue work, more started curling back to take their place.

I'm using the brush with shellac, and it was new for this job. I never soak it in solvent. To clean, I wipe off what I can, apply a few ml of clean alcohol to the brush, work it in with my fingers, and wipe it out again with a paper towel. Repeat that once or twice more. Then comb with a brush comb and mold it to a chisel shape to dry. 

--John


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## harrysin (Jan 15, 2007)

I can't offer advice on you're brush problem but what's with the Pom Poms John?
Harry, ex Pom, now an Aussie. (only kidding)


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## Woodnut65 (Oct 11, 2004)

Hi John: Have you tried a pure bristle brush? It sounds like the shellac is attacking the brush. Woodnut65


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## jerrymayfield (Sep 25, 2004)

I have heard good things about Purdy brushes also. It sounds like Woodnut is correct something is reacting with the brush. If you can purchase an inexpensive bristle brush and after using leave it suspended in your shellac. If it is used only for shellac it isn't necessary to clean it. I have a 2" badger hair brush that has been in some sort of shellac for over 5 years - still going strong. You can also pad on the shellac.

Regards
Jerry


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## JDługosz (Sep 10, 2007)

I got a white china bristle brush (also Purdy) to replace it. The question is, why would shellac attack nylon? I've always heard that nylon is good to use.

I'm not padding the shellac because I don't want to "scrub" the first coat at all, and disturb the dye.


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## jerrymayfield (Sep 25, 2004)

I don't know what is causing the problem with the brush,but it sounds like a reaction. What dye are you speaking of ? the natural dye in one of the lesser refined shellacs or are you using the shellac as a toner.

Regards

Jerry


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## JDługosz (Sep 10, 2007)

I dyed the wood first. The first coat of shellac needs to act as a sealer. The alcohol will re-mobilize the dye, so rubbing it will move the dye around. In fact, rubbing with a wet rag is how I removed too-dark areas (drips and lap marks) after the dye dried.


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## jerrymayfield (Sep 25, 2004)

JDługosz said:


> I dyed the wood first. The first coat of shellac needs to act as a sealer. The alcohol will re-mobilize the dye, so rubbing it will move the dye around. In fact, rubbing with a wet rag is how I removed too-dark areas (drips and lap marks) after the dye dried.


This is the first I have heard that the wood was dyed. What is the solvent for the dye ? If its Transtint or any alcohol dye you have pinpointd our problem. Start from the beginning and list the exact steps used to get this far, we maybe able to help.

Regards

Jerry


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## JDługosz (Sep 10, 2007)

We discussed this earlier <A HREF="http://www.routerforums.com/55402-post4.html">here</A>. To be more specific, the dye was half Transtint (with 30 parts water) and half Mohawk powder (initially dissolved in denatured alcohol and then diluted with water). So the resulting dye was about 10% alcohol.

All the dye solvent had evaporated long before I started shellacking. Only the first coat had opportunity for the brush to contact the dye, and the problems with the brush worsened with repeated use.

Before that, I had raised the grain using water. Again, it all evaporated before continuing. Then I sanded with 220 on a random orbital sander.

This is high-quality cherry plywood.


—John


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## jerrymayfield (Sep 25, 2004)

Dye will always react with whatever was used as a solvent and shellac isn't like varnish,where when the thinner evaporates it will no longer react with the varnish.Shellac is an evaporative finish-when the alcohol is gone it is dry. Apply more shellac and it melts into the existing finish and becomes part of it. Varnish is a reactive finish after the carrier -mineral spirits-evaporates it reacts with oxygen and cures(3-4weeks to fully cure). You will have much better results(at least I do ) using water soluble dye and using shellac as a seal or barrier coat.

Regards

Jerry


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## JDługosz (Sep 10, 2007)

Isn't that what I was saying?

IAC, how can that make my brush go funny?


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## jerrymayfield (Sep 25, 2004)

I don't know.

Regards

Jerry


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## Mike (Nov 22, 2004)

I use Purdy brushes and have never had any problems with them. By the same token I am sure my brushes are not nylon. I would submit a detailed question to www.woodanswers.com about the curling problem. Michael Dresdner is very familiar with the entire Purdy line and should have the correct answer for you.


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