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Brush CareTreatment of New Paint BrushesWhen brushes are new they are not at their best; in some cases, especially with cheap tools, there may be loose hairs and dust present.By rolling the brush handle between the hands with the bristles-end down, much of this dust can be shaken out, and the loose hairs which then stick out from the brush can readily be removed. Then the brush can be roughly curried by passing the bristles across the edge of a dull knife held tightly against the bristles as they are squeezed through the hand. Whatever precautions are taken to clean new brushes, it is always best to break them in on outside work before attempting to use them on varnish or enamel work, as the presence even of a small amount of dust or loose hair will spoil such work. Before using a new round pound brush, or any brush in which the tightness of the bristles in the binding depends on the tightness of the handle, it is a good practice to part the bristles, pour a little water into the throat of the brush, and let it stand for an hour or two brush-end up. This method is to be preferred to the practice of setting the brushes in a tub of water. Only enough moisture is required to bring the handle back to normal size, and a prolonged soaking is likely to swell the handle enough to affect its lasting qualities. |
Care of BrushesGood-quality paint brushes are expensive tools, and if they are not kept clean and in good condition will not apply paint properly.Ideally, all brushes should be cleaned immediately after use. The best way of doing this is first to remove as much paint as possible by means of a stick or some similar device which will not injure the bristles, and then clean them with turpentine or white spirit and wash them in slightly soapy water. Take care to get rid of all paint not only from the tips of the bristles but from the heel of the brush as well. After washing, they should be carefully dried and kept in a moderately warm place where there is good air circulation. Mildew tends to form on bristle which is damp and stored in a poorly ventilated place. In practice, when a brush is only put aside for a time, or overnight, and is to be used to apply the same material again, thorough cleaning is seldom carried out and,instead, the paint brush is usually suspended in water which prevents the paint in it from hardening. The brush should never be left standing on its bristles in a pot of colour, even for a short period, as this destroys their shape and makes the tool useless. It must be suspended so that the tips of the bristles do not come into contact with the base of the container. This can be done by boring a hole through the handle of the brush and passing a stout wire through it, the wire being so fixed across the top of the container that the bristles are kept clear of the bottom. There are various forms of ready-made brush suspenders, or brush " keepers," designed for this,purpose, and their use is recommended. One such brush suspender is illustrated.  There is some difference of opinion as to the advisability of suspending brushes in water. Those who condemn the practice maintain that the water. makes the bristles soft and flabby; this may be the case when a new brush is wetted in this way, but after it has been used the paint in it serves as a protection. Probably the water causes little or no harm provided the brush is kept in it for a limited time only, as, for example, overnight. It is certainly better to use linseed oil instead of water, but the latter is cheaper and more readily available. Turpentine should never be employed, as it tends to make the bristles stiff. Brushes which have been used to apply some of the new forms of paint, such as the synthetic resin variety, should not, however, be suspended in oil, but should be cleaned with the thinner recommended for the paint in question, washed, dried, and laid on a fiat surface. It is good practice after cleaning a brush to comb out the bristle; if the tool is not likely to be used for some time, wrap it in grease-proof paper before putting it away, and lay it flat in a dry place. Bristle is liable to be attacked by moth, so that some kind of moth repellant should be kept in any drawer or container in which the brush is stored. If string-bound brushes are kept in water for a time, the water should not come up to the binding. Varnish brushes should never be placed in water but, if not cleaned, should be suspended in linseed oil-or a mixture of about two-thirds oil and one-third turpentine. Before using a varnish brush treated in this way, care should be taken to wash out the oil from the bristles by means of solvent. Paint or varnish brushes, the bristles of which have been allowed to get hard through lack of care, can often be restored to service by the use of one of the various proprietary brush renovators. Some of these, however, contain strong alkalis which are injurious to the bristle if too strong a solution is employed, and may also attack the setting of a cheap brush if the cement is not proof against alkali. A good quality non-caustic type of paint remover 18 probably safer to use for the purpose, though here again, unless the cement is resistant to the action of strong solvents, it may be affected. Distemper brushes should be washed thoroughly clean, after the day's work, with a mild neutral soap, rinsed well, as much surplus water as possible expelled by vigorous shaking, and the brush hung up, bristle downwards, to dry. It should never be kept suspended in water and should be thoroughly dry before it is used again. A damp distemper brush has no life in it. Fitches and writers' sables should be well rinsed with turpentine or white spirit after use, special care being taken to see that all paint is removed from the heel. When dry, tallow should be worked into the hairs which should be drawn to a fine point between the fingers, to maintain the shape of the brush. Before being used again, the tallow should be removed by means of turpentine or other suitable solvent. To remove any kind of painting material from a brush, a good general rule is to employ for the purpose the thinner recommended for the material in question. Thus, for oil paint, use turpentine or white spirit; for distemper, use water; for knotting, use methylated spirit; for brushing cellulose, use cellulose thinner. |
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