Can I get some suggestions as to what makes the best brush cleaner for oil-based polyurethane. Applying multiple coats to gumball and candy dispensers can eat up throw-away foam & cheapo brushes.
Thanks to all in advance
just stand it up in a jar of mineral spirits. when you're ready to use it, squeeze the excess out. This will leave enough ms's in the brush to allow better flow out of the poly on the next coat.
jc
I use regular paint thinner. If I'm using the brush soon, I'll leave it in the thinner. If not, I'll do a final cleaning with lacquer thinner before putting the brush away.
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What! Nobody suggested this: you can put your brush in the freezer (bag it first, of course) and use it without cleaning it particularly well.Or maybe at all. I have done this with brushes and forgot about them for literally months and used them without a problem. Worth experimenting with cheap brushes and when your swmbo isn't looking.
And then have water vapor condense on it before you dip it into your poly, thereby ruining your finish.
that might work with water baased finishes, but i'd never try it on an oil based (actually, i'd never try it, but the reasons would be better for oil based).
Joe
Joe, you may more about this than I ever will, but my experience is my experience: I did about two thousand square feet of oak and maple flooring and used this trick on lambswool and brushes and never had the problem.
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Epifanes, a manufacturer of premium marine varnishes recommends storing natural bristle bushes suspended in diesel fuel or kerosene between uses. I have tried it and it works. (Although I can't attest to long-term results, they claim to have some brushes 15 years old in good shape doing this.) From their Q&A at
ldr, that's good to hear (no problem). given the humidity in my shop right now, the possible condensation issue was the first thing that came to my mind.
be well, work wood:
jc
Wash in used solvent, followed by two more washings in clean solvent followed by spinning the brush "dry," then comb it (a fork works as well as an actual "brush comb") and put it back in its wrapper. Pour the solvent from the second and third washings into the first jar of solvent to conserve it and keep it out of the waste stream. My ten year old varnish brushes are in better condition than new.
Never dip a brush in finish all the way to the ferrule. You'll never get it clean, and the bristles will never again lie smooth and parallel.
And once its washed, put some string or a lazzie band round the bristles, otherwise the next time you use it its like painting with a shaving brush.
otherwise the next time you
Whack it across the edge of your bench several times.
Last week I had to put several coats on a toy boat. I coated it every
12 hours using a foam brush. After using the brush, I simply put the brush in a ziploc bag until next time. I tried to remove all the air from the bag each time. Worked well for me, as I was down to my last foam brush.HomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.