I had the chance to talk to Roger Seiders at ICRBE and what a treat that was.
Roger is a titan in the rod building arena.

He showed me his epoxy brush cleaner and commented that its nothing like acetone...etc...etc.
I bought some and I am here to tell you...this (IMO) is a game changer for me.

I put a very little amount in a cup...swish the brush in it...clean it off. Done.
But heres the kicker...the stuff doesnt evaperate!!

I like to use good brushes and one of the problems with acetone is it degrades the glue holding the bristles to the wood.
That problem is gone. And...I swear it (FlexCoat) make the bristles softer.

People...this is the real deal.

I’ve seen that stuff, but I use disposable brushes so…

My brushes get stiff after use - and I wash them in soapy water - as directed.
Herb

I suspect the Flex Coat brush cleaner is much the same as the U-40 product which I have found to be the very best way to clean and store brushes. No muss no fuss. Just wipe off the brush, drop it in a small cup of brush cleaner and walk away. It'll be there ready to go the next time you need it. Just pull it out of the cleaner, wipe it off and use it. Again, assuming the two cleaners are at least similar, the product does not evaporate quickly. I can put an ounce in an open plastic cup and two months later most of it is still there. So this is not an expensive product to use. If you haven't tried it, you should.

...........

Daryl Ferguson Wrote:
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> I’ve seen that stuff, but I use disposable
> brushes so…

I too use the disposable brushes. $2 for a 30 pack. Usually end up using 2 brushes per build (2 coats of epoxy) which equates to 13cents per rod. I haven’t seen any finish issues that would direct me to use a better brush. Then again, I’ve only been building for 2 years and have about 15 builds under my belt.

I have used both U40 and Flex Coat and they both are wonderful products that do exactly what they are supposed to do. I too like to use good quality brushes, and unless I forget to clean them (yup, now and then) they last a very long time.

I just tried these brushes and they are very nice, shaped right for me, and clean and soft. No loose bristles yet. A little more than a quarter apiece.

[www.amazon.com]

Michael,
These are also very satisfactory brushes.

[www.amazon.com]

I never clean a brush and use one brush for each mix of epoxy finish. The cost per brush is 10 cents, so with a single coat - which is normally what I put on a rod is 10 cents, or if a shorter rod with shorter butt wraps may be able to get two rods coated with one brush or 5 cents per rod for epoxy application.

No cleaner, no fumes, no fuss, no muss.

Take care

Michael Danek Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> unless I forget to clean them
> (yup, now and then) they last a very long time.


That's been my main cause of needing to get a new brush sadly. Lost like 2 or 3 Flex Coat ones to this...
You shoulda seen look on the faces of folks from local outdoor sports store when I showed up the very next day to get exactly same brush :D



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 04/17/2023 08:54AM by Sam McKormak.

Tom Kirkman Wrote:
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> I suspect the Flex Coat brush cleaner is much the
> same as the U-40 product which I have found to be
> the very best way to clean and store brushes. No
> muss no fuss. Just wipe off the brush, drop it in
> a small cup of brush cleaner and walk away. It'll
> be there ready to go the next time you need it.
> Just pull it out of the cleaner, wipe it off and
> use it. Again, assuming the two cleaners are at
> least similar, the product does not evaporate
> quickly. I can put an ounce in an open plastic cup
> and two months later most of it is still there. So
> this is not an expensive product to use. If you
> haven't tried it, you should.
>
> ...........

Sounds to me that you use brushes saturated with the cleaner - wipe them off - and use them without washing per product instructions. If it's a cleaner - it must be a solvent. It's compatable with thread finish??
Herb

Yes, it is perfectly compatible with any epoxy or urethane finish. You never even know it's there.

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

Well - bad advice - at least with FlexCoat.
Many tiny pock marks that could have been mini fisheyes.
Was my 2nd coat after a light first coat.
Had to take it off with DNA.
Herb

Unlikely the brush cleaner was your issue. However, I am only familiar with the U-40 cleaner and have been using it for at least 20 years without a hitch.

...........

Why aren't you all using a spatula - especially Tom - after the article I bumped into by Ralph O'Quinn I'm surprised you're using a bristle brush.

All of these issues would be resolved using a spatula, Ralph took it too an absolute perfectionist level, but I'm sure whatever spatula you get your hands on will help with all this

Building rods in MA, Building the community around the world

I use a brush in the same way you'd use a spatula. I don't brush the epoxy on. I just let the epoxy transfer from the brush to the wrap. No brushing.

.........

Yep, brushes can be used just like spatulas, they both work well. I use cheap brushes that I reuse. After using a brush, I wipe off the excess epoxy and place the brush in a tall jar containing some acetone and screw on the cap and set it aside. When the jar is full, I remove all the brushes and dry them with a paper towel and start over again. Have used the same brushes for years. I guess I’m going to have to try the FlexCoat or U40 brush cleaners to see how they work.
Norm