this may be helpful but i posted it in the wrong place so here it is again. someone asked about tape and painting . and i mentioned i would try to decribe how to handle a brush as was taught to me . so ..... here goes. first the basics "hold a brush between your thumb and all 4 fingers" at the heal and on the metal part, with the sash parallel to your fingers (long on top) " you got to get the paint, varnish, or substance on and in the brush" if its not on the brush you can,t get it on the surface. the best technique is to dip the brush about 1/3 the length of the bristles into the paint. and then gently slap the brush against the side of the bucket 2 times. this does two things . 1, you dont put as many bubbles in the paint and 2, you have twice as much paint on the brush to place on the surface .( this allows you to paint further and allows for a better leading edge which will help you not have "laps" )now paint something that is NOT what you really want to paint ( you are preparing the brush for the actual application process plus getting a feel for the paint , if its to thick or thin now is a better time to find out that when you start on the bootstripe and it runs down to the bottom of the keel) empty the brush meaning spread the paint out and dip again .repeat and now you are ready to do the actual application "you need a paint resevoir" this is accomplished for 2 reasons . 1 after a dip and slap there is too much paint on the brush and the leading edge of the bristles are WET , you need to DRY off one side AND the top of the bristles. this means you can touch the brush and not actually apply any paint. remember the paint flows from a the inside to the outside. i dry off the brush a few brush widths away from the wet lap . this means i have plenty of paint in the brush for the first part and some extra when the brush starts to empty. (real world application; imagine you are cutting the ceiling in the living room , dip a 3" brush and unload the paint on the top of the brush and left side about 12' form the wall. go to the corner and dab 2 times and move the paint up into the corner and along the ceiling at a 60 degree angle or so . you should be touching the ceiling with the top of the brush with no paint getting on the ceiling. as you paint along the brush will dry out and when it does you will be right by the resevoir to continue the edge and finish the stroke . dip and repeat. works the same for wall trim too.practice and you wont tape again!!! "keep the brush clean " after about 6-8 loads you will need to clean the excess paint out of the heel of the brush . do it the way you want to on the edge of the can and on all four sides , start again.(notice a difference in the paint stroke? you should and now you know the importance of having the brush loaded with just the right amount of paint.) "work the paint to the edge" meaning the resevoir will be an inch or so away from the edge or line you are cutting. start back and move the paint forward that way you dont have too much paint at the edge. try a straight line on a board and practice painting up to it, you should be able to get a line with about three strokes and draw it out as far as possible NEVER lap back into a line it will screw you up every time wait to touch up later. " let the brush do the work" that is a light touch is all that is required if you start to dry up at a crucial time press GENTLY to release more paint out of the brush. finally "practice wiggling the brush . i dont really know how to explain this just get the brush a little dry and try short wiggle movements with your wrist as you move into a corner or edge. you will see what to do next. im not convinced there is that much of an art to brush handling but it does take practice to get a really good line , cut or finish. i hear a lot of "wow ,you really can paint!" ALWAYS use a top quality brush . if you are not saying "MAN THATS A LOT FOR A BRUSH " then it is not the right one to use . you should be paying $18 and up for good brushes but they are worth every penny and will last for years. hope this helps . mg
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B
Brian Pickton
Excellent
Dec.7, A day that will live in infamy... Dear Matt, In a previous life before I became an atheist lawyer I did industrial painting to pay my way through university. Yours is the best explanation on brush handling I've ever seen. I could never imagine trying to explain the process. Anybody who is thinking about varnishing or painting their boat should have a copy of this. Thanks for sharing. Brian Pickton@BeneteauOwners.net Aboard the Legend, Rodney Bay, St. Lucia
Dec.7, A day that will live in infamy... Dear Matt, In a previous life before I became an atheist lawyer I did industrial painting to pay my way through university. Yours is the best explanation on brush handling I've ever seen. I could never imagine trying to explain the process. Anybody who is thinking about varnishing or painting their boat should have a copy of this. Thanks for sharing. Brian Pickton@BeneteauOwners.net Aboard the Legend, Rodney Bay, St. Lucia
E
Ed Schenck
Yes, thanks. Now a question..
I buy cheap brushes for one reason. A lot of my work painting and varnishing is done in the basement. I would rather throw the brush away then try to clean it. I don't like the fumes of mineral spirits in the house. And I can never seem to get the brush clean enough, it usually gets hard. And I have all these containers of used mineral spirits that are so hard to recycle. What do you do?
I buy cheap brushes for one reason. A lot of my work painting and varnishing is done in the basement. I would rather throw the brush away then try to clean it. I don't like the fumes of mineral spirits in the house. And I can never seem to get the brush clean enough, it usually gets hard. And I have all these containers of used mineral spirits that are so hard to recycle. What do you do?
M
mattmansh@yahoo.com
used spirits
well i clean the brush untill the it runs clear about 4-5 rinsings, and use about 1-2 oz of thinner each time , you dont need lots each time. to help in the process hold the brush handle between your hands( the bristles should point down)and rub your hands as if to warm them , this spins the brush and excess material is expelled though centrifical force. i also use a roller spinner and place the brush in for one last spin (which i do outside) this really clears the brush. then store in the cardboard shaper which came with the brush. i let then let the thinner settle and skim to reuse as much as possible . the rest is left in a oil pan to flash off outside. takes a day or so. i then wipe out the residue with rags our paper towells and dispose in the local dumpster at the marina. i am not an expert on getting rid of these materials , if someone knows the proper way? but with the painting and varnishing i do this seems to work ok for now.
well i clean the brush untill the it runs clear about 4-5 rinsings, and use about 1-2 oz of thinner each time , you dont need lots each time. to help in the process hold the brush handle between your hands( the bristles should point down)and rub your hands as if to warm them , this spins the brush and excess material is expelled though centrifical force. i also use a roller spinner and place the brush in for one last spin (which i do outside) this really clears the brush. then store in the cardboard shaper which came with the brush. i let then let the thinner settle and skim to reuse as much as possible . the rest is left in a oil pan to flash off outside. takes a day or so. i then wipe out the residue with rags our paper towells and dispose in the local dumpster at the marina. i am not an expert on getting rid of these materials , if someone knows the proper way? but with the painting and varnishing i do this seems to work ok for now.
R
R.W.Landau
sears
I have found that I don't like paying alot for a good brush. I paint frequently, so through trial and error, and alot of expensive brushes, I have found Sear Weatherbeater brushes inexpensive and long lasting.I prefer the angled brushes. I now use these for all my painting at under$7.00. r.w.landau
I have found that I don't like paying alot for a good brush. I paint frequently, so through trial and error, and alot of expensive brushes, I have found Sear Weatherbeater brushes inexpensive and long lasting.I prefer the angled brushes. I now use these for all my painting at under$7.00. r.w.landau
B
Brian Pickton
The Care and Feeding of Brushes
Dec.10,2000 The care and feeding of brushes. I keep two sets of brushes, one strictly for paint and one strictly for varnish. This prevents me from using a paint brush that may have small pin head amounts of paint on it that can loosen and enter the varnish. Back in the bad old days when I had a house I also kept separate containers for cleaners, one set for paint and one set for varnish. I usually used mineral spirits for the principal cleaning agent. Here comes the hard part: when the job was finished I would clean each brush with spirits 5 times, returning the cleaning agent to it’s respective container after each wash. The first 4 washes were with used mineral spirits and the last one with new spirits. Because varnish stays in suspension in spirits I found I could not use the old mineral spirits used to clean varnish brushes on paint brushes - it would just gum them up. That’s why I had two sets of containers to hold the used spirits, one for paint and one for varnish. When the #1 “varnish spirits” got too thick to adequately clean the brush it was taken to the fire department which was in charge of the safe disposal of hazardous goods. The #2 container would then be promoted to the number one position, and so on down the line. Paint, on the other hand, would precipitate out and so could be decanted from the container for repeated reuse until the container became filled with old paint, then it was off to the fire department again. I only use turpentine for a solvent when the product I’m using calls for it. I use odorless solvents, which kept the smell down in the basement and are available at most major paint stores and building suppliers. When cleaning the brushes as mentioned above they receive five solvent wash with spirits and then two fresh water washes, the first of which is with soap and water. This washes the solvent residue out of the brush and prevents it from getting stiff. The final rinse was with plain water to remove any soap residue that might later contaminate my varnish or paint. When cleaning the brushes I would vigorously comb them with a clean wire brush. This really helped loosen any paint or varnish that may have already dried on the bristles, particularly on the inside. When the washing process was complete I shake out any excess water and wrap the bristles in brown paper held in place with an elastic and return them to the sleeve they came in, if I still had it. This helps the brush retain its shape and the cleaning process keeps the bristles soft and pliable. The brushes benefit from this practice, evidenced by the fact that I have well used brushes on board that are over 22 years old. Besides varnish brushes I actually keep 2 subsets of paint brushes, one for oil paints and one for latex. When it comes to brushes I always try to buy quality and have never regretted it. A good quality brush makes the job easier and improves the finished product. For varnish I prefer badger hair brushes. After they have been used a few times the hair ends split and each hair acts as a miniature brush. You can’t beat the glass like finish you get with a used badger hair brush. With paint brushes I generally prefer brushes with very long bristles to help carry a large paint load and pull the longest possible line or cover the largest area when painting. I view cleaning brushes as part and parcel of the whole job of painting or varnishing. There’s the preparation, which is 90 % of the job, the application of the paint or varnish, which is 5% of the job, and the cleanup, principally of the brushes, which is the remaining 5%. Just as a good paint or varnish job requires extensive labor in preparation to achieve excellence in the result, so to does the care of the brushes used to do the job. If you buy quality brushes you don’t want to be throwing them away. Furthermore, taking proper care of your tools is the mark of a good and careful craftsman, and good craftsmanship is an ever diminishing virtue in this disposable era. This is the zen of painting: You don’t have to do everything perfectly, true perfection in all we do cannot be achieved, you need only do this one thing I am doing now perfectly. There are few opportunities to demonstrate the true quality of ourselves in this life, but painting and varnishing is one of them. Brian Pickton @BeneteauOwners.net Aboard the Legend, Rodney Bay, St. Lucia
Dec.10,2000 The care and feeding of brushes. I keep two sets of brushes, one strictly for paint and one strictly for varnish. This prevents me from using a paint brush that may have small pin head amounts of paint on it that can loosen and enter the varnish. Back in the bad old days when I had a house I also kept separate containers for cleaners, one set for paint and one set for varnish. I usually used mineral spirits for the principal cleaning agent. Here comes the hard part: when the job was finished I would clean each brush with spirits 5 times, returning the cleaning agent to it’s respective container after each wash. The first 4 washes were with used mineral spirits and the last one with new spirits. Because varnish stays in suspension in spirits I found I could not use the old mineral spirits used to clean varnish brushes on paint brushes - it would just gum them up. That’s why I had two sets of containers to hold the used spirits, one for paint and one for varnish. When the #1 “varnish spirits” got too thick to adequately clean the brush it was taken to the fire department which was in charge of the safe disposal of hazardous goods. The #2 container would then be promoted to the number one position, and so on down the line. Paint, on the other hand, would precipitate out and so could be decanted from the container for repeated reuse until the container became filled with old paint, then it was off to the fire department again. I only use turpentine for a solvent when the product I’m using calls for it. I use odorless solvents, which kept the smell down in the basement and are available at most major paint stores and building suppliers. When cleaning the brushes as mentioned above they receive five solvent wash with spirits and then two fresh water washes, the first of which is with soap and water. This washes the solvent residue out of the brush and prevents it from getting stiff. The final rinse was with plain water to remove any soap residue that might later contaminate my varnish or paint. When cleaning the brushes I would vigorously comb them with a clean wire brush. This really helped loosen any paint or varnish that may have already dried on the bristles, particularly on the inside. When the washing process was complete I shake out any excess water and wrap the bristles in brown paper held in place with an elastic and return them to the sleeve they came in, if I still had it. This helps the brush retain its shape and the cleaning process keeps the bristles soft and pliable. The brushes benefit from this practice, evidenced by the fact that I have well used brushes on board that are over 22 years old. Besides varnish brushes I actually keep 2 subsets of paint brushes, one for oil paints and one for latex. When it comes to brushes I always try to buy quality and have never regretted it. A good quality brush makes the job easier and improves the finished product. For varnish I prefer badger hair brushes. After they have been used a few times the hair ends split and each hair acts as a miniature brush. You can’t beat the glass like finish you get with a used badger hair brush. With paint brushes I generally prefer brushes with very long bristles to help carry a large paint load and pull the longest possible line or cover the largest area when painting. I view cleaning brushes as part and parcel of the whole job of painting or varnishing. There’s the preparation, which is 90 % of the job, the application of the paint or varnish, which is 5% of the job, and the cleanup, principally of the brushes, which is the remaining 5%. Just as a good paint or varnish job requires extensive labor in preparation to achieve excellence in the result, so to does the care of the brushes used to do the job. If you buy quality brushes you don’t want to be throwing them away. Furthermore, taking proper care of your tools is the mark of a good and careful craftsman, and good craftsmanship is an ever diminishing virtue in this disposable era. This is the zen of painting: You don’t have to do everything perfectly, true perfection in all we do cannot be achieved, you need only do this one thing I am doing now perfectly. There are few opportunities to demonstrate the true quality of ourselves in this life, but painting and varnishing is one of them. Brian Pickton @BeneteauOwners.net Aboard the Legend, Rodney Bay, St. Lucia
L
LaDonna Bubak - Catalina Owners
It's foam for me
I've used very good quality brushes and foam brushes for varnish. I'm a confessed varnish snob and have found the the foam brushes work very well for my needs. Some are better than others - the ones from West Marine ARE acutally better than the ones from Home Depot as they don't fall apart as fast. And you need to buy several for any one job but at $.35 a pop, I can afford it. The problem I have with good brushes is that no matter how well I clean them, they always had a bit of stuff left in 'em that hardened into rock. There goes another $20 brush! And then I never really knew what to do with the cleaning solution. Can't just dump it in the water! I usually set the container in a bucket outside & let it evaporate. Probably not the smartest way to go either. So, it's foam brushes for me. No fuss, no muss and only pennies! And if you're careful, you get *almost* as good a finish as with a high end boar bristle brush. LaDonna
I've used very good quality brushes and foam brushes for varnish. I'm a confessed varnish snob and have found the the foam brushes work very well for my needs. Some are better than others - the ones from West Marine ARE acutally better than the ones from Home Depot as they don't fall apart as fast. And you need to buy several for any one job but at $.35 a pop, I can afford it. The problem I have with good brushes is that no matter how well I clean them, they always had a bit of stuff left in 'em that hardened into rock. There goes another $20 brush! And then I never really knew what to do with the cleaning solution. Can't just dump it in the water! I usually set the container in a bucket outside & let it evaporate. Probably not the smartest way to go either. So, it's foam brushes for me. No fuss, no muss and only pennies! And if you're careful, you get *almost* as good a finish as with a high end boar bristle brush. LaDonna
B
Brian Pickton
Foam Brushes
Dec.12,2000 LaDonna' s post reminds me that I didn't mention foam brushes in my own post. I always enjoy reading the opinions of other self confesssed varnish snobs - at least they know how much work is involved. I agree with her that foam brushes and rollers give *almost* as good a finish as a good quality brush. Foam rollers are particularly useful for applying paint finishes, far superior to rollers with a cloth type nap. I use foam when applying Cetol for example. However boar bristle will not give as good a finish as badger hair and that is what you need for a real smooth as glass finish for varnish. Even fine boar bristle is simply too coarse. I've also been known to use sable brushes for small areas. Also when it comes to clean up I've found that I must comb the brushes out with a wire brush and I must wash the brushes out in 5 thinner washes followed by a soap and water wash and a fresh water rinse to avoid stiffening. Nothing less has proven successful. Brian Pickton@BeneteauOwners.net AboardThe Legend, Rodney Bay, St. Lucia
Dec.12,2000 LaDonna' s post reminds me that I didn't mention foam brushes in my own post. I always enjoy reading the opinions of other self confesssed varnish snobs - at least they know how much work is involved. I agree with her that foam brushes and rollers give *almost* as good a finish as a good quality brush. Foam rollers are particularly useful for applying paint finishes, far superior to rollers with a cloth type nap. I use foam when applying Cetol for example. However boar bristle will not give as good a finish as badger hair and that is what you need for a real smooth as glass finish for varnish. Even fine boar bristle is simply too coarse. I've also been known to use sable brushes for small areas. Also when it comes to clean up I've found that I must comb the brushes out with a wire brush and I must wash the brushes out in 5 thinner washes followed by a soap and water wash and a fresh water rinse to avoid stiffening. Nothing less has proven successful. Brian Pickton@BeneteauOwners.net AboardThe Legend, Rodney Bay, St. Lucia
C
Charles Manning
Freezers & foam
I'm a foam brush advocate & and a tack cloth fanatic. As for foam brushes, immediately after use I place them in a baggie in the freezer. They will keep for months. I always use two foam brushes for varnishing. The second brush is used for "tipping". I will revert to the tradional brush for sash painting because they hold much more paint. AAs for sash brushes, the more you pay, the better the brush. later...
I'm a foam brush advocate & and a tack cloth fanatic. As for foam brushes, immediately after use I place them in a baggie in the freezer. They will keep for months. I always use two foam brushes for varnishing. The second brush is used for "tipping". I will revert to the tradional brush for sash painting because they hold much more paint. AAs for sash brushes, the more you pay, the better the brush. later...
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