Keeping Paintbrush 'wet' for many coats

[LONG_KEELER]

Following the excellent advice on this forum, I now have loads of transplanted interior boat ready for varnishing in my second bedroom.

If I can, I would like to do about ten coats. Or one each morning or so.

I seem to remember some years ago how to suspend a brush in part thinners/varnish in a jar.

Any tips on this would be most welcome. Also, what brush should I use. This would be the only item that has no price limit.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Deleted member 36384]

Long_Keeler I wrap wet brushes in small poly bags. Money bags are quite good. Wrap the bag tight and pop an elastic band round the top to seal it. I have kept a brushes ready to use for quite a few days between jobs.

 

[emsworthy]

Cling Film!

Wrap the bristles and the metal section in cling film. You can then ensure that there is a good airtight seal and also dress the bristles down to ensure a nice shape the next time you use it.

I put about a dozen coats of varnish on the newly replaced deck of an old mirror dinghy without ever cleaning the brush in between using this method and a roll of cling film is a lot cheaper than a new brush!

 

[Lakesailor]

I do the same. Supermarket plastic bags seem fine. Put the brush in and just roll the bag around the bristles to exclude air. The same works for rollers. They keep for weeks like that.
The problem with keeping in solvent is that the first few brushfulls are runny and you don't get a consistent finish.

 

[elton]

Just put the brush in a sandwitch bag and twist the neck of the bag so it sticks to the varnish. For added comfort of mind, put it in the fridge.

 

[Poignard]

Brushmate

I use these things.

The small one is about £14 from Brewers Ltd.

http://www.brushmate.co.uk/productsummary.html

Very simple to use and keeps brushes in good order and ready for immediate use indefinitely. Very convenient on a boat as there is no liquid in the containers. After fitting out I take the brushes home and clean them out and dry them.

 

[rogerthebodger]

I just drop my brushes into an old empty varnish tin with a drop of thinners in the bottom then seal the lid back on.

Same idea as the brushmate posted above but cheaper.

 

[xtiffer]

Firstly, buy a Badger brush. Not cheap but will last for years if well treated.
Secondly, buy a brush spinner.
I always leave my brushes in a clean jar of the thinner I am using
making sure that I change it every couole of days.
When ready to work just spin out the brush into an old bucket
and wipe with clean rag.
Cheers,
Chris

 

[Blue5]

Buy a specialist varnish brush from Brewers or similar, much finer bristles, denib work with silicon carbide paper between coats and as has been said either suspend in solvent or wrap in clingfilm between coats

 

[pmyatt]

Following the excellent advice on this forum, I now have loads of transplanted interior boat ready for varnishing in my second bedroom.

If I can, I would like to do about ten coats. Or one each morning or so.

I seem to remember some years ago how to suspend a brush in part thinners/varnish in a jar.

Any tips on this would be most welcome. Also, what brush should I use. This would be the only item that has no price limit.

Thanks in advance.

I was a confirmed (expensive) brush user until I read "Brightwork - The Art of Finishing Wood" by Rebecca J Wittman. Now I use foam brushes all the time. They are cheap, get just as good a finish on flat work, don't need to be cleaned or stored wet and there are no thinners or brush cleaning to worry about.

 

[fergie_mac66]

I use aluminium foil

 

[Appleyard]

Firstly, buy a Badger brush. Not cheap but will last for years if well treated.
Secondly, buy a brush spinner.
I always leave my brushes in a clean jar of the thinner I am using
making sure that I change it every couole of days.
When ready to work just spin out the brush into an old bucket
and wipe with clean rag.
Cheers,
Chris

With great respect Chris....

Do not use a brush spinner...this distorts the bristles and ruins the brush. ...This advice was given to me by the rep. from Hamilton brushes (the best quality brushes available anywhere,but Badger ,Purdy are just as good)
Either wrap brushes as recommended above or for longer time storage use a Brushmate,which uses a vapourising liquid to prevent the paint drying. Lasts for a very long time.
Certainly for overnight use ,I always wrap in clingfilmand store in a cool place .

 

[Bosun Higgs]

stick the brush in a jam jar of water and when you want to use it again, wipe the bristles dry of water with a handful of kitchen towel.

using thinners gives problems with the dilution of the paint when next used.

 

[xtiffer]

With great respect Chris....

Do not use a brush spinner...this distorts the bristles and ruins the brush. ...This advice was given to me by the rep. from Hamilton brushes (the best quality brushes available anywhere,but Badger ,Purdy are just as good)
Either wrap brushes as recommended above or for longer time storage use a Brushmate,which uses a vapourising liquid to prevent the paint drying. Lasts for a very long time.
Certainly for overnight use ,I always wrap in clingfilmand store in a cool place .

Always willing to listen and learn but my Badgers are still giving grea tresults ( see jpg) after 15 years or more.
They might not look new but they work beautifully.
Spinning doesn't just dry the brush, it removes any particles that might have got there accidentally.
Cheers,
Chris

 

[Trundlebug]

stick the brush in a jam jar of water and when you want to use it again, wipe the bristles dry of water with a handful of kitchen towel.

using thinners gives problems with the dilution of the paint when next used.

This is the best advice given so far imo

As long as the paint or varnish you're using is oil based, sticking the brushes in a jam jar of water works a treat. That's the "special" liquid inside the bags of brush savers, after all.

I'm redecorating the house at the moment, it's saving me loads of time with the undercoat brushes, they're just shoved in a jar of water, no fuss no mess.

A couple of shakes and they're ready for use again in seconds!

 

[xtiffer]

This is the best advice given so far imo

As long as the paint or varnish you're using is oil based, sticking the brushes in a jam jar of water works a treat. That's the "special" liquid inside the bags of brush savers, after all.

I'm sorry but this is a lazy solution (forgive the pun)
and could only work with single component varnish.
What do you do with 2 component paints and varnish ?
Get into good habits early and you minimise potential problems.
Sorry if this sounds stuffy but my livliehood depends on it.
Cheers,
Chris

 

[narcer]

Firstly I agree with Xtiffer about the bagder hair brush. I have a split end badger hair that cost €15 but it´s worth it - it lasts longer and doesn´t loose the hairs.

Secondly depends what type of varnish your using. Whenever possible (esp on parts removed from the boat) I spray on any varnish with a DeVilbiss 1.4 mm tip airbrush (2 bar regulated) - the result being almost perfect, esp if you use Awlspar 3 component varnish from Awlgrip. However if your gonna brush it on and if it´s an oil based varnish then I always suspend my badger hair brush in a cut off shampoo bottle in Linaseed oil. Result is that any bits picked up from the previous coat that are trapped in the bristles will slowly fall out in the suspension, all thanks to gravity ! After several coats the brush will then be worked in, and definitely gets better as it gets older.

 

[chart5011]

Another vote for linseed oil - must be raw, not boiled. Eventually the linseed gets a bit thick and it is time to clean the brush and renew the linseed oil.
Works a treat.

 

[TheBoatman]

This works?

Following the excellent advice on this forum, I now have loads of transplanted interior boat ready for varnishing in my second bedroom.

If I can, I would like to do about ten coats. Or one each morning or so.

I seem to remember some years ago how to suspend a brush in part thinners/varnish in a jar.

Any tips on this would be most welcome. Also, what brush should I use. This would be the only item that has no price limit.

Thanks in advance.

For varnish wrap the brush in cling-flim after use ~ works a treat. As for the brush ~ use the best you can afford, don't be tempted to buy one of those 15 brush kits for a fiver at the local hardware superstore.

If you were applying anti foul then you can drop the brush/roll in a can of water ~ that tip I learnt from our club boson.

Peter.

 

[stav]

Linseed oil gets my vote. The brushes I used whilst doing the house up have been in linseed oil for three years now and still good. Used mononteniously regularly though! But the last job was a dinghy! On the boat I keep my varnish brush in a jar wedged in the gas locker ready for touching up the occassional ding. Been there for at leat two years. Used the round brushes and an oval shaped hamilton brush which cost between £6 and £10 pounds, and pleased with it. have used the spoges and they do give good results. Make sure you get rid of the linseed oil before varnishing, especially with matt varnish or you will get slightly glossy streaks!

Twelve coats seems a bit excessive to me but my varnish work is not perfect but I do try and treat it to 4 coats per year 2 in spring and 2 in autumn.

Also if applying that many coat make sure the arase edge has been taken of the wooden parts so the varnish can go around the edges. If not you could use a plane or gentle sanding taking care with the veneers. It does not have to be much just make sure you cannot "feel" a sharp edge.