# Brush Question



## honesttjohn (Feb 17, 2015)

Didn't clean my good brush out good nuff. Now the bristles are kind of stuck together. How do I save it??


----------



## Stick486 (Jan 4, 2013)

*what's on the brush???*

paint... soak it in paint remover... brush out the bristles w/ a comb...
glue... hot water...
other chemicals are lac thinner, DNA, turps, toluene,


----------



## honesttjohn (Feb 17, 2015)

Actually got a couple of them -- oil based paint and stain. How do I get them clean enough so I don't have to keep them soaking? Same with the poly one.


----------



## Stick486 (Jan 4, 2013)

honesttjohn said:


> Actually got a couple of them -- oil based paint and stain. How do I get them clean enough so I don't have to keep them soaking? Same with the poly one.



new brushes and take cre of them to start w/....

wash and comb the brushes out...
Urethane...
Urethane Solvents | Cured and Uncured Urethane Removal | Dynaloy

immerse the brush in Methylene Chloride. *This solvent is hard to obtain as it has been declared a carcinogen. The user must take all precautions to prevent contact with skin and not to inhale the vapors while using MEK* Methylene Chloride will cause the poly to swell and become soft for removal.


oil base...
Equal parts of acetone, methanol (wood alcohol), methylene chloride and toluene....
..


----------



## sunnybob (Apr 3, 2015)

I buy cheap brushes and throw them away every time. With the cost of thinners, rags, time spent, it would have to be a $50 dollar brush to make it worth while.


----------



## DaninVan (Jan 1, 2012)

I've had good results with a very strong TSP solution, but I think Stick's right, is it worth the time and energy?
A decent natural bristle brush could cost $30 or more/less depending on size and quality. Never store a brush without cleaning it, even overnight, in solvent; ain't worth the risk. I keep a 5 gal bucket with paint thinner (maybe a gal or so in it) specifically for spinning a brush in. 
Th water based coating is a lot simpler as there's no need to save the dirty water.


----------



## JOAT (Apr 9, 2010)

I only use water based latex paints, makes cleanup loads easier, and no worries about disposal. Hey, if they can paint a house with water based latex paint and it will be good for 30 years, that's good enough for me.


----------



## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

Especially beware the MEC warnings. That stuff will migrate through rubber gloves. I worked in a place once where we had a young kid complaining that the stuff was burning his hands right through the gloves they giving him. I told him his smartest move would be to quit.


----------



## honesttjohn (Feb 17, 2015)

sunnybob said:


> I buy cheap brushes and throw them away every time. With the cost of thinners, rags, time spent, it would have to be a $50 dollar brush to make it worth while.


That's what I was doing -- buying the cheapies by the package, using tham a few times, and pitching them. But now a couple things have changed. First, I'm doing more now and using a lot of them. Second, they seem to lose bristles on the piece in the most inappropriate places. And a third, the good brushes leave less brush marks and are almost a pleasure to use. There is a difference.


----------



## sunnybob (Apr 3, 2015)

I'm not allowed real paint. If I was sent to paint a wall, you would find it one EVERY surface in EVERY room, and my hands would be that colour for a month. My wife hasnt let me paint in the house for over 40 years. (see, theres always an up side)
So Thats why when I do use a brush theres no point buying a good one.


----------



## coxhaus (Jul 18, 2011)

Don't let you brush sit in the thinner overnight. The weight of the handle will cause the brush hairs to curl. You need to tip the container over to stop that so the weight is not on the brush hairs.

My secret is to clean the brush 3 times with fresh thinner. Then I wash with warm soap and water.


----------



## woodknots (Mar 7, 2012)

a tall jar and a piece of coat hanger through the handle will keep the tips of the brush off the bottom - at least that's how I've done it forever.
If you need to reuse the brush within a short period of time and don't want to clean it immediately , you can wrap it in plastic food wrap and place it in the freezer


----------



## coxhaus (Jul 18, 2011)

Vince how do you handle the different size brushes? I never could find a solution which works for all size brushes. Do you have a picture? Of course I clean my brushes after every use so I don't really need to soak them. Once in a while in the heat paint dries and builds up and they need to be soaked. I find tipping the container to be the easiest solution. I like the wire idea be I could not make it work.


----------



## woodknots (Mar 7, 2012)

Lee: Here's a couple of pics. The container is a Tupperware spaghetti holder - 12" tall, 3" across the opening and about 2 3/4" diameter at the bottom. You don't need a lot of solvent at the bottom to submerge the bristles. Sorry, pics are from my phone and not great - the container is plastic and somewhat opaque.

This is my "goto" brush - 2" - it's 11" tall. I've had this brush for more years than I care to remember. Yes, I do have newer ones too 









This is a 1 1/2" brush - 9" inches tall. I bend the coat hanger in the middle to cradle the brush and bend the sides until it suspends the bristles just off the floor of the container. Neither brush is resting on the floor of the container.


----------



## DesertRatTom (Jul 3, 2012)

I use whatever solvent is recommended on the paint can, then thoroughly wash out the brush in very hot water, then use a stiff nylon bristle scrub brush to comb all the remaining paint out of the bristles. I just don't let the brush dry out.

For glue, I buy a variety of bulk, cheap brushes in different widths from 1/4 to 1 1/2 inches. I have washed them out if I can get them to hot water quickly, but at about 10-20 cents each, I don't worry about it. I also now use these "chip" brushes for applying finish. Much easier to control application that way. I have also applied stain and brush on poly with folded paper napkins, which actually works quite well, but tends to pool in corners. 

I like to take good care of good (expensive) brushes. Pisses me off when I let a good, smooth-applying brush get ruined and have to struggle to resurect it or worse, buy a new one. There is a huge difference between good and not so good brushes, particularly on surfaces where the paint/finish is not self leveling.


----------



## Stick486 (Jan 4, 2013)

container like this???...
hook the brush to the lid...
cut a through hole in the lid... pin the brush in suspension...
then you can use it w/ the lid in place to control evaporation/order/spilling...
Modular Mates® Oval 5/Black

Oval 5: 12¼ cups (2.9 L)
11 ¼"H x 3 ¾"W x 7 ¼"L (28.5 x 9.5 x 18.5 cm)

time to browse DAV/ARC/Goodwill second hand stores...


----------



## Stick486 (Jan 4, 2013)

DesertRatTom said:


> For glue, I buy a variety of bulk, cheap brushes in different widths from 1/4 to 1 1/2 inches. I have washed them out if I can get them to hot water quickly, but at about 10-20 cents each, I don't worry about it. .


even loaded thoroughly dried yellow wood glue will wash out w/ hot water..
so take your dollars worth of brushes and make them last for a very long time....
larger glue ups need large more expensive brushes... why waste one....


----------



## DesertRatTom (Jul 3, 2012)

Stick486 said:


> even loaded thoroughly dried yellow wood glue will was out w/ hot water..
> so take your dollars worth of brushes and make them last for a very long time....
> larger glue ups need large more expensive brushes... why waste one....


Sometimes I just don't care about tossing out a dime's worth of brush. :wink:


----------



## coxhaus (Jul 18, 2011)

Thanks guys. I think I will go goodwill shopping looking for a tall container.


----------



## woodknots (Mar 7, 2012)

Stick486 said:


> container like this???...
> hook the brush to the lid...
> cut a through hole in the lid... pin the brush in suspension...
> then you can use it w/ the lid in place to control evaporation/order/spilling...
> ...


Stick - that container you linked to is pretty large - large enough to hold a box of cereal. At 7 ¼" long you would need a lot of solvent in the bottom to submerge the bristles.

On Amazon: I know the wife didn't pay $12 for hers, she's had it for years. Goodwill stores or the local Tupperware rep.

https://www.amazon.com/Tupperware-Spaghetti-Dispenser-Black-Seal/dp/B006XY1S9O


----------



## Stick486 (Jan 4, 2013)

vchiarelli said:


> Stick - that container you linked to is pretty large - large enough to hold a box of cereal. At 7 ¼" long you would need a lot of solvent in the bottom to submerge the bristles.


you don't toss the solvent... reuse...
more than one brush at a time...
soak your spray equipment...
clean your 4'' house or pickling brushes.. 
plan for the what if...


----------



## Roy Drake (Feb 10, 2014)

Excellent thread.


----------



## honesttjohn (Feb 17, 2015)

Stick,

I got one of those brush combs and a can of laquer thinnner. Got 2 good brushes back.


----------



## jj777746 (Jan 17, 2015)

honesttjohn said:


> That's what I was doing -- buying the cheapies by the package, using tham a few times, and pitching them. But now a couple things have changed. First, I'm doing more now and using a lot of them. Second, they seem to lose bristles on the piece in the most inappropriate places. And a third, the good brushes leave less brush marks and are almost a pleasure to use. There is a difference.


John, use the paint manufacturer's recommendations & then give them a good lather-up with hot water & dish washing liquid detergent then rinse under hot running water.Dry with cotton cloth. Jamesjj


----------

