Thread: Cleaning Brushes or a wipe on alternative

I have used 0000 steel wool to apply Danish Oil with good results. It has a slight abrasive action as the oil is worked in. Available at hardware stores.
It was suggested at a course I did a few years ago

I have brushes I've used for years, and don't understand what's causing you a problem. I'll try to tell my procedure:
* brush out as much paint as you can after finishing the application (on news paper or waste wood);
* using, say, an old ice-cream plastic container rinse out the brush of the main paint residue (empty this somewhere safe - not into a house drain), and don't use too much turps;
* repeat the last step one, or two times till the brush is clean of any visible paint (I use and old tooth brush to stroke the paint brush of any dried bits);
* if you are not intending to use the paint brush for a longish while add, and mix, laundry detergent to warm water and throughly wash the brush (again I use a tooth brush to get into the paint brush bristles) and you might do this a second time;
* lastly, if it an expensive "good" brush I rinse with laundry softner, pull the wet bristles into a smooth shape and leave flat to dry naturally; and
* when totally dry loosely wrap in paper, or cloth, and store flat.

Cheap brushes are for cheap painting, so what you begin with demands the effort you go to to save your brushes.

Damn! I sound like a school teacher. Sorry,

soth

got an air compressor?

Get rid of as much oil/paint from the brush by wiping it on things or squeeze it out with some old rags.

Dip'n'swish in the appropriate thinners/turps etc.

Blast it with compressed air with the bristles pointing away from you until no more visible product is released.

Dip again in same (fresh solution if you want it super clean), and repeat with air.

Quick massage between your mits and a few strokes with an old comb, and store away flat where the bristles aren't touched by anything. If possible, best to store them with bristles facing down.

I just bought a $26 1" Purdy brush, and it should last me for a long time.......provided no one else gets their hands on it .

Warning!
Compressed air is highly dangerous if used inappropriately.
You can be blinded by missiles released by it (bits of crud in your eyes ) and if an air bubble enters your blood stream, results can be fatal.
You know your common sense? .....use it.

I've never found turps all that good as a brush cleaner. Get some Super Cheap Auto general purpose thinner.

Wipe the brush on newspaper to remove the excess paint and then put it into a glass jar with enough thinner to cover the bristles...but not enough to cover the handle as it will remove the paint on the handle!

Swill it around till clean (only takes a moment), take it out and wipe it dry (or wash it under a tap with soap if its a good brush) put the lid on the jar to stop the solvents evaporating and put the thinner to one side to use again. The paint will settle to the bottom and you can decant the clear stuff if you want to, but it works just as well if it's still murky.

Dont try this with plastic handled brushes (melts them). Good for restoring gunked up brushes, too.

What my dad used to do with petrified brushes is sit them out on the back bbq in a tin with laundry powder and water and have them over a low heat. I am not sure if he used a wire with a hole through the handle just to immerse the bristles or not, but he used to get them to come back good with this method. I cant remember how long it took either.

Thanks All,

The restoration tip will be underway this weekend and if it works I'll have heaps of brushes to review your various cleaning methods.

If some of your brushes are loaded and dry, get some paint stripper from the big green warehouse and soak them in that. Follow the directions on the tin and wear protective eye wear, its caustic!

Water deactivates it, so if you get it on your skin and it starts burning, a quick rinse with water will instantly stop it.

I have used litres and litres of it restoring old cars, and it didn't turn me into the Toxic Avenger.

If you leave your brush in a tin with turps and forget about it and it dries out, not that that has ever happened to me, You can get a wire brush and comb the bristles out then clean it up using some of the suggestions above.
You don't want make a habit of it but its better than having to ditch a good brush.

Get a few more miles out of a clagged up brush. Lay it on concrete and bash the bristles with a hammer, cut off the worst bits, then slap it back and forth on a hard edge. A bit of turps helps the process.

Originally Posted by Howdya do that

Stupid question and I expect to be shot down however
I have been using Cabots Danish Oil followed by traditional waxto finish my work. I really like it however I couldn't clean a paintbrush to save my life no mattter how much i wash it in turps wash then with soap, the next time I go to use it it is petrified. .
I have watched David Marks a fair bit and the wipe on with a rag, throw it the garbage process has huge appeal.
can someone suggest an alternative product that will give similar results using a wipe on method, or teach me how to clean a brush

I have always just wiped on Danish Oil.

Use old sheets, apply enough to keep the surface wet while working (go back over "dry" patches) until the whole surface is done.

Go and have a cup of tea.

Wipe excess off. If the cloth drags, just apply a little more and wipe excess off.

Let dry for 24 hours at least. If you want a deeper finish apply some more, not as much as first round and wipe excess off after about 10 mins. Let dry for 24 hours again and apply wax.

Just as an aside: Danish oil makes a great primer for NC as well.

WARNING: DO NOT LEAVE RAGS IN A HEAP. THEY CAN CATCH FIRE! SEPERATE THEM AND SPREAD THEM OUT OR PUT IN A BUCKET OF WATER.

I have used Danish Oil a fair bit on projects and favour the 0000 grade steel wool however applying with a rag and then using very fine grade wet and dry and lightly sanding with the grain while the oil is still wet comes up very nice too.

Pete.

Originally Posted by woodtryer

I have used Danish Oil a fair bit on projects and favour the 0000 grade steel wool however applying with a rag and then using very fine grade wet and dry and lightly sanding with the grain while the oil is still wet comes up very nice too.

Pete.

I don't like using steel wool. If it catches and you leave a little strand it will rust.

I sometimes use a "scotchbrite" pad.

I generally sand the first coat after it has dried before the next coat.

Thanks every one, I have found a combination of thinners rather than turps and the air compressor give excellent results cleaning the brushes gives excellent results and although the instructions on the can say to apply using a brush or rollier I have found ne discernable difference between brushing and wiping on with a rag.

A little tip, I had an fly screen in the shed and lay the brush on it whilst I blew the excess out with the air compressor.

If I could ask one more question, How long can you leave a brush standing in turps or thinners? IE: I have been giving a job a coat of oil each night after work leaving the brush in the thinners and give it a quick blow with the air comprossor before using it again.

Provided the bristles are fully immersed shoud be no problem as long as the job lasts.

soth