I do have a problem finding the perfect brush for finish work. I have tried many and use the epoxy cleaner after ward and they still get ruined. Any help would be much appreciated.

Lone Wolf Rods
"Keep your powder dry and your lines wet"
God Bless

Throw away brushes here...no need to clean and are super cheap.

______________________________________
Super Tight Lines......Don

Just leave teh brush in teh epoxy cleaner and there won't be a problem. I use the same brush for hundreds of rods over the course of years that way.

Use a good quality Sable brush. After use, squeeze out all excess epoxy several times between a paper towel, vigorously swirl the brush in the brush cleaner, again squeeze out the bristles between a paper towel, repeat the swirling in the brush cleaner. Check to see if the bristles are soft and pliable, let dry in the open air before putting it away and it will last for years. I have used mine for well over 40 years without having to replace them.

I'd like to recommend the U-40 Brush Cleaner. Wish I hadn't waited so long before I started using it. I'll never bother cleaning a brush again and don't expect I'll ever have to replace another one. And, the stuff doesn't evaporate. A single bottle may last you for several years.

I like Duro-Art flat ox hair brushes. They cost a couple bucks apiece. The 3/8th and 1/4 inch sizes do pretty much everything I need to do insofar as finishing thread wraps.

...............

I like a stiffer flat edge brush in a variety of lengths. I spend $7 at the Micheals or JoAnns on a package of cheap-o brushes, tehre's like 15 brushes in there a variety of sizes. I through the big ones out, and keep the small ones. I use the one that is slightly smaller thanthe width of teh wrap I'm doing, so I can quickly coat it. FOr Dec WRaps I use one that is about 1/2" wide. I also trim teh fibers so they are not so thick. YOu're not painting, you are transferring epoxy from teh mixing cup to teh thread.

I go to Michaels Crafts and pick up a package of brushes. I typically pay $3 for 100 brushes.
I never clean the brushes. Use once and throw away.

When a person applies finish, the brush never really touches the blank anyway. As Mr. Kirkman has suggested many times in the past. Load the brush with finish, hold the brush close to the turning rod and let the epoxy start to flow from the brush to the rod. Move over and repeat.

About the only real requirement that there is for a brush, is that it NOT lose bristles and end up in the finish.

Never brush the finish. Let the turning rod level and let the epoxy flow.

Be safe
Roger

I use the throw aways also. Small artist type for guides and 3/8`` acid brushes for butt wraps. I just bought some today at .13 cents each.

Ohio Rod Builders

Canton, Ohio

Thanks for the information gentleman. Keep your powder dry and your lines wet

Lone Wolf Rods
"Keep your powder dry and your lines wet"
God Bless

I use 1/4" taklon square shaders from various makers. Taklon is a golden colored nylon that is very fine but stiff enough to move the epoxy around as needed.

Walt Natzke
Ripon, CA

+ 1 on the Taklon brushes!

Rog

I just use disposable brushes. I like the 1/8" ones with the purple handle the best. In the beginning I was using acetone to clean my brushes, because I only had a couple, but I realised I was using 40 cents worth of acetone to clean a 20 cent brush!

For the small amount of rod building I do (like 1-2 rods per year), I think its far easier to just use disposables, and it gives me the peace of mind that there will be no contamination from poor cleaning.

Dale,
It doesn't matter if you do a thousand rods a month.

A 20 cent brush on a $400 rod is just part of the "shop supplies" so to speak.

Your point is well taken. Why spend 40 cents to clean a 20 cent brush, whether you use 10 brushes a year, or 5000 brushes a year. Just part of overhead.

Good luck
Roger

I guess the answer to that is how much time you spend applying finish, and how much your time is worth. Those throw away brushes are difficult to use, they are too soft and flimsy, and you cannot apply enough finish with one dip of the brush - especailly on larger rods or on Decorative sections of the rod, like coating a wrap or a decal.

Billy is right on target, the throw away's are either too soft, or to stiff with thick bristles When someone says the brush never touches the wrap or blank, noting could be further from the truth!!.

X 2 for taklon brush
after used I dip in paint thinner. after 10min i washed with dishwasher soap couple times
it will ready to used again in the future

Just upgraded to a sable brush from the disposables, I have not used it yet but my question is after you soak the brush in the brush cleaner what do you need to do before using it to apply finish? On the disposables when my finish starts setting up and not flowing right I toss the old brush and get a new one for the new batch would you just clean the sable brush in between batches of finish like moving from the guide wraps to the butt wraps ect?
THanks