Cleaning Brushes
Copyright 2003 by Jeff Jewitt
Not reproducible in any form, written or electronic, without permission
This topic is covered in detail in
the video "Applying
Topcoats" and the book "Great
Wood Finishes"
You can choose the best and most expensive brush for
finishing, but unless you know how to care for it and clean it – it won’t
last very long. With proper care a brush should last many year
Note:
Our Golden Taklon Brushes are treated with a water soluble size to keep
the bristles in shape. You can remove this size by running the brush under
warm or hot water for 30 seconds or so.
Before using a
brush, whether for the first time or after it’s been stored for a while,
lightly whisk the bristle against your palm or the edge of a table to
dislodge and debris or loose bristle. Next, dip the brush all the way up to
the ferrule in the solvent for the particular finish you’re using – mineral
spirits for varnishes and oils, alcohol or lacquer thinner for shellac and
lacquer, or water for water-based materials. This “coats” the deepest part
of the bristles near the ferrule with solvent – making it much easier to
clean later. Wipe the excess solvent off with a clean-lint-free cloth and
then begin finishing. Never dip the brush into finishing m material all the
way up to the ferrule –makes the brush hard to clean.
After you’re through finishing – brush residual finish
onto a scrap piece of wood or newspaper and then rinse the brush in the
clean-up solvent and then go to a sink and squirt a generous amount of
dish-washing soap onto the bristles. (I use Dawn) Work the soap up into a
lather with some warm water and using the palm of your hand, swirl the
bristles vigorously to work the lather up into the reservoir. Bend the
bristles back to force out the inside near the base at the ferrule. Repeat
this process until the bristles no longer feel slick or slimy, then rinse
well with water. Spin the water out by twirling the handle between your
palms and then use a brush comb to straighten out the bristles. Wrap the
bristles carefully in paper towel to keep the profile intact, then lay flat
to dry. In best to store brushes in drawers or out of the way of where you
do woodworking, otherwise airborne dust settles in the brush.
For small brushes and red sable touch-up bushes you can
dip the bristle in shellac to “lock” the bristles in shape. Soaking the
brush in alcohol before using will dissolve the shellac and free up the
bristles. This also works well if you dedicate a particular brush to shellac
like the Golden Taklon types.
If a brush gets hard with an oil or water base finish
you may be able to rescue it by soaking it in a non-methylene chloride
stripper like Citristrip® for several hours, then wire brushing it near the
heel to break up and dislodge residual finish.
