Brush Cleaning

[Halfathumb]

Over the years I've never been able to get my brushes ready to use again. Especially when using oil based poly, etc. I follow the instructions and use paint thinner. I've let them soak different times with no real solution. What am I missing after the paint thinner?

Please help an old soldier that uses way to many brushes. Even the expensive ones!

[tomsteve]

that used to drive me bonkers, until i learned it was more my technique than anything. i dont use a whole lot of thinner- maybe about 1/8-1/4" in the bottom of a quart mixing cup.. work the thinner into the bristles then use a comb to go through the bristles.  squeeze out the MS thats in the bristles, pour the used MS into a used MS can i have, wipe out the quart cup, then add another 1/8-1/4" of MS and repeat. how the MS looks tells me if ive cleaned enough- sometimes i do it once more.
and i always end with puttin the brush in a spinner then letting it hang dry.

its like washing clothes- put clothes in with detergent, wash, drain, fill with water, rinse, spin.

[fredhargis]

I do a 3 jar cleaning (sometimes folks make it a 2 jar method). I have 3 very large mouth jars labeled 1,2, and 3 (duh), each start out filled with about 2"+ of MS. After use I'll take my brush and try to get as much finish out of it as possible with paper towels or a rag, then put it in the first jar. Wearing rubber gloves, I'll work the bristles in the MS to remove as much finish as I can. I will put the handle between my palms and spin it in the MS before pulling it out, then squeeze what MS I can back into the jar. Then on to jar 2 and repeat, then to jar 3. Sfter jar 3, I'll rinse the brush with lacquer thinner to remove as much of the oily M as possible, then a good washing with Daen and warm water. Then it's left to dry and wrapped back up for storage. Sounds lengthy, but it really doesn't take that long and with expensive brushes is well worth it. A couple of other things: I always moisten my brush a little with MS before it ever touches the finish, and the MS in the jars never goes bad. After a few cleanings you'll see a buildup of the finish resins on the bottom of the jar, you can decant to ms off, clean the resins out and put the MS back. Since that jar will now be a little low, fill jar 1 with the MS from Jar 2, and clean the resins out of it if needed. In turn fill jar 2 with MS from jar 3, clean if needed....and fill it with fresh MS. As I read all this it kinda sounds silly.....be it really works well. Oh, I use jars because they won't get soft, leak, or rust...but they will break so you have to be careful.

[bhh]

I do a 3 jar cleaning (sometimes folks make it a 2 jar method). I have 3 very large mouth jars labeled 1,2, and 3 (duh), each start out filled with about 2"+ of MS. After use I'll take my brush and try to get as much finish out of it as possible with paper towels or a rag, then put it in the first jar. Wearing rubber gloves, I'll work the bristles in the MS to remove as much finish as I can. I will put the handle between my palms and spin it in the MS before pulling it out, then squeeze what MS I can back into the jar. Then on to jar 2 and repeat, then to jar 3. Sfter jar 3, I'll rinse the brush with lacquer thinner to remove as much of the oily M as possible, then a good washing with Daen and warm water. Then it's left to dry and wrapped back up for storage. Sounds lengthy, but it really doesn't take that long and with expensive brushes is well worth it. A couple of other things: I always moisten my brush a little with MS before it ever touches the finish, and the MS in the jars never goes bad. After a few cleanings you'll see a buildup of the finish resins on the bottom of the jar, you can decant to ms off, clean the resins out and put the MS back. Since that jar will now be a little low, fill jar 1 with the MS from Jar 2, and clean the resins out of it if needed. In turn fill jar 2 with MS from jar 3, clean if needed....and fill it with fresh MS. As I read all this it kinda sounds silly.....be it really works well. Oh, I use jars because they won't get soft, leak, or rust...but they will break so you have to be careful.

I do the same as Fred.   But when it gets too gunky, I soak overnight in NMP stripper.   Cleans them right up and rinses out with water.    NMP is gentler than methylene chloride, and is easier to get out.   NMP (n-methyl-pyrrolidone) is the active ingredient in most of the "green" strippers.

[Cecil]

Like others, I use the 3 jar method.
I used to use a brush cleaner from Sherwin Williams when necessary.  I believe the high VOC rules killed that one.  Now I only see a water based cleaner.  I picked up some Sunnyside brush cleaner from True Value last year.  That works OK, but not as good as the previous stuff I used.

I filter my paint thinner through a find screen and reuse it for the 1st and second jar.  I always use new paint thinner for the 3rd jar.

[wood2woodknot]

.. work the thinner into the bristles then use a comb to go through the bristles.  

What kind of comb do you use?  a plain old hair comb?  or a special comb (if so where did you find it?)  I've never seen any kind of special comb for this.

Thanks.

[Bill Wilson]

Never used one, but I've seen these at Home Depot.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Warner-Brush...gK7WfD_BwE

[Cecil]

What kind of comb do you use?  a plain old hair comb?  or a special comb (if so where did you find it?)  I've never seen any kind of special comb for this.

Thanks.

I use a wire brush from this Harbor Freight set.  There may be a better way, but that is what I do.

[JosephP]

As I'm painting walls in the house I just bought a better brush for cutting in the corners and wanted to do better job cleaning that as well. I got a comb similar to the one Bill posted without the extra bristles on the top. Haven't used it with oil-based finishes yet but it did a great job helping get the latex out and making the brush like new.

[JosephP]

PS: while researching better brush cleaning I did read that wire brushes destroy the hairs on a paintbrush shortening its life.