I am running low on U-40 brush cleaner which is great stuff. I am going to get some components from a local supplier tha has Flexcoat but not U-40. Is it the same? Is there a paint store equivalent?

This is a great question Jim. I'd like to hear some ideas on this one. Good art stores sell different varieties of brush cleaner that is similarly bottled. Maybe some of that stuff is comparable.

Josh Markvan
www.markvanheirloom.com

I clean all my brushes for finish in acetone and soapy water so far it seems to have worked on all finishes (except varnishes which use the correct thinner IE cellulose or enamel)

hope this helps you a bit try it on an "old brush" first

Home depot, thinners, acitone, all work good. Comes in gallons or pints.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/08/2006 11:21AM by bill boettcher.

The brush cleaner you're using will depends on what's on the brush. Many color preservers clean up with soap and water. If it's epoxy then it depends upon which epoxy. I've been using LS Supreme mostly and it will clean up with denatured alcohol but denatured alcohol doesn't work well with Flexcoat or Threadmaster where acetone does a good job. Other finish brands may work better with something else. Whatever you're using, afterward be certain to to wash the brush thoroughly with soap and water and then rinse it well. This is also as good a place as any to advocate for use of the spatula method of applying finish. Aside from the good results, there are also no brushes to clean.

Sam Stoner

Use cheap throw away acid brushes. They work great. Bought approx 500 brushes for less that $30 online - enough brushes to last quite a awhile. . Hair (bristle) quality is pretty good, and still clean them 1x-2x before tossing them, so I just don't waste them. I use an alcohol soaked paper towel to clean them.

A long time ago I compared brushes vs. spatulas. Noticed that the coarser the bristles the less the bubbles, until you finally get to the spatula (no bristles) which generates few if any bubbles. IMHO the finer the bristle material the higher the tendency to create bubbles during application. You could have a freshly mixed batch of finish, glass clear, but if you're not careful during application you'll generate bubbles. IMHO the tradeoff between a spatula and a brush is in the brush's ability to load and transfer finish from the cup to the blank - the brush does that alot better esp when you have alot of of finish to transfer (3/4oz +).

Lou

As a step in cleaning brushes of any thread finish or epoxy, I am a little LEERY of the value of using Soap & Water (S&W). It may be fine for some brands of Color Preserver (CP). But not as a final step in rod-building brush clean-up, in my opinion. (I’m not painting a wooden fence. I’m finishing a potential heirloom, … LOL)

I would exercise caution, simply because a SOAP can leave a RESIDUE on the bristles, if it is not rinsed sufficiently with water. And sometimes a significant amount of soap can HIDE inside the place where the bristles are crimped to the brush handle. If you submerge your brush in the liquid you are applying, then a soap residue may release from between the bristles.

It only takes a miniscule amount of soap to have a great effect on the surface tension of water. I have never added a soap or detergent to an epoxy, but I suspect it would make the edges "creep" up a guide foot's heel, or outward from the wrap end. These are two conditions to be avoided, especially if the rod is rotated at higher RPM’s during application or drying. To correct that, you then have to carefully wipe dry each tiny, wet surface. Without muffing up the rest of the wrap. Rather difficult, in fact, because everything around the target is already wet, and the pot-life clock is ticking.

Also, epoxy parts and mixture are NOT readily soluble in water. Therefore, more soap is needed to solubilize them out from a brush, and that merely increases the probability of a residue problem or "cyptic-crimp" contamination.

The organic solvent classes of KETONES (Acetone or Methyl Ethyl Ketone “MEK”) and ALCOHOLS (Ethanol “EtOH” or IsoPropyl Alcohol “IPA”) will serve well for the vast majority of our rod-building clean-up duties. Surely you can use the brand name Brush Cleaners sold for rod-building. In those regions where access to proven products is limited, use the rod-building brand’s brush cleaner. Just be advised that other choices do exist, and that some hardware store products (like Acetone or MEK) or Pharmacy items (like EtOH or IPA) may also work very well for your brush or other clean-up jobs.

Regarding Soap & Water (S&W): For epoxy brush clean-up, Avoid S&W if possible. For CP brush clean-up, S&W may be sufficient for your brand. If, for whatever reason with ANY brush clean-up, you think it is necessary to throw in a S&W wash step: – Just be sure to use a strong, low-water-content, organic solvent for epoxy clean-up BEFORE any S&W is used.

FURTHERMORE, IF S&W IS USED, then I would recommend a FINAL SOAK in a jigger of ACETONE or ETHANOL immediately after S&W. That should release any soap from the crimp, and wash out the soap residue BEFORE it dries. Dab the brush bristles dry with an absorbent, lint-free tissue or paper towel (Brawny white).

Special thanks to Lou Reyna for his ever staunchly practical advice – disposable brushes prevent a lot of problems, …
IMO, too, … -Cliff Hall+++, Gainesville, FL



Edited 4 time(s). Last edit at 04/08/2006 03:24PM by Cliff Hall.

If you blot the excess flexcoat with a paper towel and the soak brush in acetone 3-5 minutes. They will be clean and ready to use again. Got a small glass sealing jar a craft store to keep small amount of acetone in. Hope this helps. It works-Bill