Would someone tell me what's best to use as a brush cleaner? I think my buddy is ticked because I called him too many times yesterday for advise. Help, please!

Flexcoat and others make brush cleaning fluid, but I still don't like it. I just can't get them clean enough for me......I usually just throw them away. I don't use that many brushes anymore.......I am a spatula convert.......sorry I couldn't be more help.........

Big John
Rio Hondo, Texas
Blessed are those who can give without remembering and take without forgetting

Hi John! When you use a spatula do you get a football shape finish? I don't really like that big, oblong finish on my guides. I like the old-style leveled finish.

No......No........I get a better finish with a spatula than with a brush.......After a while you can get thin or thicker coats........and ThreadMaster is a real help.......There are some articles that are real specific on how to use a spatula and I will find them and email it to you......try a spatula on a scrap blank and see what you think........I thought it was crazy until I read the article and tried it and now I use a spatula all the time.

Big John
Rio Hondo, Texas
Blessed are those who can give without remembering and take without forgetting

Xylol (Xylene)
It can be purchased at most paint supply places. Cheap.
Fumes are a little much, but it you only need a small amount.
I use an old pint sized canning jar, 1/4 full. I keep it sealed when not in use.
Wipe most of the finish off and then drop it in for a few minutes.
(Outside...as the boss has requested.)
rinse around, then rinse well in hot soapy water.

RB

I use U40 brush cleaner, I just leave my $5 brush in there, and clean it before I use it (as we dig deeper into my fisheye problem!). I've had teh same brush for probably 3 years, I've forgotten to clean it and realized when the epoxy was about 2/3's of the way set up. Still works great, even better when I actually clean it with soap and water instead of blotting with paper towel.

I've got a bush holder that I keep filled with U40's brush cleaner. Its a tin cup with an elevated mesh screen in the cup. Two wires rise from the cup on opposite sides and there is a coil of wire between those two. Slip your brush handle in the coil and it holds your brush vertical in the tin cup. During the finish process my brushes stay immersed in the brush cleaner. When I'm not going to be finishing within 24 hours I wash them out, after a short soak , with soap and water. A good brush lasts me through 50 rods or so.

Better to have and not need than to need and not have.

Lacquer thinners from Home Depot. I put it in an old cleaned rod bond jar. Does not hurt the jar.
make sure the thinner is a good clear quality and does not have or look like gasoline



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/20/2006 10:03PM by bill boettcher.

Have used acetone with good results. After using flex coat used paper towel to wipe off excess from brush. Then let brush sit in acetone for cpl minutes. Bought small tight sealing jar from craft store to keep acetone . Have used same brushes many times. Hope this helps. Bill