Does anyone have anecdotal evidence from their experience of the best brush (bristle/foam) to use for tipping after rolling?
Best Tipping Brush...
- Thread starter Plymouth Sailor
- Start date
I find that bristle has better feel and leaves no bubbles. As long as the paint is properly thinned, either should work, but I prefer a high quality, bristle brush. Depending on the area, 2” or 3”. I actually prefer brushing to spraying, especially in small or vertical spaces.
Another term you may find in the catalogs is Laying Off Brush. I don't have experience tipping, but lots of experience with brushing everything from epoxy to oil and water based house paints, roofing tar, artist paints and more. Other than the roofing tar, a natural bristle brush is usually better although there are some very good poly brushes now. I don't like the feel of foam brushes, but I have gotten good results under the right circumstances. Foam gets bubbles in my varnish but paint goes on great. I can't use foam for tight spots as effectively as a good brush. Cheap brushes are like throwing money away in smaller amounts. They are good for applying glue.
I understand badger is the premium natural bristle for tipping. I much prefer a skewed or angled brush; better control in tight corners.
Don't overload your brush letting the base of the bristles fill with your medium. This is what causes flairing. For big jobs, use several brushes and clean before it starts to dry on the brush. Switch brushes after you've washed the current brush out and it hangs to dry. Never let a brush stand on its bristles, in a can of solvent or any other time, for very long. After that, it's just an applicator, not a paint brush.
I found this discussion on woodenboat forum http://forum.woodenboat.com/showthread.php?187166-Brush-for-tipping-off
The West Marine page had an excellent description for how to apply. https://www.westmarine.com/WestAdvisor/DIY-Topside-Painting
Good luck.
- Will (Dragonfly)
I understand badger is the premium natural bristle for tipping. I much prefer a skewed or angled brush; better control in tight corners.
Don't overload your brush letting the base of the bristles fill with your medium. This is what causes flairing. For big jobs, use several brushes and clean before it starts to dry on the brush. Switch brushes after you've washed the current brush out and it hangs to dry. Never let a brush stand on its bristles, in a can of solvent or any other time, for very long. After that, it's just an applicator, not a paint brush.
I found this discussion on woodenboat forum http://forum.woodenboat.com/showthread.php?187166-Brush-for-tipping-off
The West Marine page had an excellent description for how to apply. https://www.westmarine.com/WestAdvisor/DIY-Topside-Painting
Good luck.
- Will (Dragonfly)
I always used very high quality natural bristle brushes. I only rolled a tipped Interlux Brightside, so I don't know if other paints are different. Keep the bush dry, roll just the area you can reach, and very gently run the brush over the area. The brush should just barely touch the surface. I used to tip to with in a couple of inches of rolled area, so when you continue you don't get line.
For painting large areas, like topsides, I like a bristle brush about 2 1/2". Foam brushes in various sizes are great for small jobs like rolling and tipping some areas of brightwork, but don't have the backbone to stand up to tipping large areas, quickly. I keep two bristle brushes soaked in thinner and wiped clean when I'm tipping the hull. There's a good chance one will fly out of your hand and land in the dirt. The spare is ready.
I have found that this brush is magic for tipping off:
http://www.leevalley.com/en/wood/page.aspx?p=20040&cat=1,43456,43390
The bristles are fine and soft, and leaves a finish the levels out very nicely.
Chris
http://www.leevalley.com/en/wood/page.aspx?p=20040&cat=1,43456,43390
The bristles are fine and soft, and leaves a finish the levels out very nicely.
Chris
For a varnisher, a box like this, on a bench, is the holy grail. It doesn't get any better!
This 56 year old deck box on my boat, needed 'wooding'. But the top is in the roughest shape. It get's walked on, used as table when grilling, etc. Plus it's the worst angle - level - on a boat for UV damage. I probably could have repaired the joints on the corners, but it's demise has come due to the top piece, which is plywood. Unlike solid wood, plywood veneer is only so thick, and my sander found the bottom of the veneer. Oh well, new top. The dovetail box itself is in perfect condition.
After about 30 minutes, carefully with a heat gun and stiff putty knife, about 15 layers of varnish was gone. Sanding was with a 6" RO and 80 grit paper. Then a quick pass with 120 grit(I usually end with 80) to remove a few swirls.
Materials- Interlux filler stain.
Hardware spar varnish ($16 per quart).
4' foam rollers, 2-3" foam brushes, all cheapies from the hardware. Small roller pan(s)
Here was the process from there:
Interlux filler stain, thinned(as directed), and brushed on with a throw away foam brush. Wait 15 mins. and wipe with a cloth. Allow to dry a couple of days(it's off season, nothing but time).
1-One diluted(10-20%) coat of varnish applied. (No sanding before).
2-A second slightly diluted coat. (still no sanding)
3- First sanding with 240 grit on a flat rubber block. Block flat until surface all fogged(few minutes). A third coat of full strength varnish applied.
4- A quick rub with 3M finish pad to remove nubs(my shop is hardly dust free). Apply 4th coat of full strength varnish.
The results so far:
Looks pretty good for just 4 coats. That's the beauty I find, in rolling and tipping varnish; it's a time saver while giving better results. The magic is in that you can apply an even, full coat, which is hard to do with a brush alone.
If you leave a flat even coat, you don't need much - or any - sanding between coats (the 3M pad gives enough tooth for the next coat). This is ONLY if you avoid runs and sags, which I find rolling and tipping helps to eliminate.
I'll put a few more coats on so the new coating will last between annual maintenance coats. I don't always use the hardware spar varnish, but I use quite a bit. It's not as good as the higher priced marine varnishes, but it's not that lesser quality in some applications, to pay 3 times as much.
Here's a partial shot of the bleached out deck box last season, against newly restored coamings.
This 56 year old deck box on my boat, needed 'wooding'. But the top is in the roughest shape. It get's walked on, used as table when grilling, etc. Plus it's the worst angle - level - on a boat for UV damage. I probably could have repaired the joints on the corners, but it's demise has come due to the top piece, which is plywood. Unlike solid wood, plywood veneer is only so thick, and my sander found the bottom of the veneer. Oh well, new top. The dovetail box itself is in perfect condition.
After about 30 minutes, carefully with a heat gun and stiff putty knife, about 15 layers of varnish was gone. Sanding was with a 6" RO and 80 grit paper. Then a quick pass with 120 grit(I usually end with 80) to remove a few swirls.
Materials- Interlux filler stain.
Hardware spar varnish ($16 per quart).
4' foam rollers, 2-3" foam brushes, all cheapies from the hardware. Small roller pan(s)
Here was the process from there:
Interlux filler stain, thinned(as directed), and brushed on with a throw away foam brush. Wait 15 mins. and wipe with a cloth. Allow to dry a couple of days(it's off season, nothing but time).
1-One diluted(10-20%) coat of varnish applied. (No sanding before).
2-A second slightly diluted coat. (still no sanding)
3- First sanding with 240 grit on a flat rubber block. Block flat until surface all fogged(few minutes). A third coat of full strength varnish applied.
4- A quick rub with 3M finish pad to remove nubs(my shop is hardly dust free). Apply 4th coat of full strength varnish.
The results so far:
Looks pretty good for just 4 coats. That's the beauty I find, in rolling and tipping varnish; it's a time saver while giving better results. The magic is in that you can apply an even, full coat, which is hard to do with a brush alone.
If you leave a flat even coat, you don't need much - or any - sanding between coats (the 3M pad gives enough tooth for the next coat). This is ONLY if you avoid runs and sags, which I find rolling and tipping helps to eliminate.
I'll put a few more coats on so the new coating will last between annual maintenance coats. I don't always use the hardware spar varnish, but I use quite a bit. It's not as good as the higher priced marine varnishes, but it's not that lesser quality in some applications, to pay 3 times as much.
Here's a partial shot of the bleached out deck box last season, against newly restored coamings.
Jon, I used the Chris Craft Mahogany color. Interlux has three going from the Brown Mahogany to Red Mahogany. The Chris Craft Mahogany is a mixture of the two (so I was told) and a shade between too red and too brown.
I find the two others too extreme on both ends, for my taste.
It's a big step to take but my house was very blonde when I stripped it.
your cockpit looks sweet in the photo
Those look like very skilled hand cut dovetails in that box. Beautiful as usual
- Will (Dragonfly)
I love doing this. Seventh coat, done.
This is a special case of an easy piece to roll and tip. But the box sides are vertical, so it's not the easiest.
Being a little lazy, here's what I didn't do:
Sand. Except for twice; first time with 240# on a hard rubber block prior to the 3rd coat, second time, at the 6th coat with 320# wrapped around a sanding sponge. I did rub the box down with a 3M brown pad, before every coat(even after sanding).
Strain. I only changed the roller tray once. Also another foam brush and roller cover. Used the same varnish in the tray, and added more out of the can as needed, covered tightly with plastic between coats. Box was well tacked(cleaned), between coats.
What I paid the most attention to, was loading carefully (not overloading), the roller and covering the box with an even coat. Full, but not so full it sagged. I had a few runs that the sanding took care of.
This is a special case of an easy piece to roll and tip. But the box sides are vertical, so it's not the easiest.
Being a little lazy, here's what I didn't do:
Sand. Except for twice; first time with 240# on a hard rubber block prior to the 3rd coat, second time, at the 6th coat with 320# wrapped around a sanding sponge. I did rub the box down with a 3M brown pad, before every coat(even after sanding).
Strain. I only changed the roller tray once. Also another foam brush and roller cover. Used the same varnish in the tray, and added more out of the can as needed, covered tightly with plastic between coats. Box was well tacked(cleaned), between coats.
What I paid the most attention to, was loading carefully (not overloading), the roller and covering the box with an even coat. Full, but not so full it sagged. I had a few runs that the sanding took care of.
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i have these tack rags with like wax on them. if the varnish is tacked does the wax stuff need to be cleaned off the surface?
I don't know of any that need cleaning after, Jon. The ones I use are very sticky, always waxy, right out of the package.