i was planning to duplicate it myself but recent events prevented me from accomplishing this assignment so i what i will be sharing are excerpts from fine woodworking tips on how to maintain your finish brush.
Cleaning Starts Before You Begin
So you're anxious to see how your new brush works. Before you dip it in the finish, though, there are a couple of steps to take. First, even the best brush may have one or two loose filaments (cheap brushes will have many), so rather than pick hairs out of a wet finish, bend the filaments back and forth with your hand a few times, pulling gently on them. Hold the tip up to the light and remove any filaments protruding above the rest. Now dip the brush into a solvent that matches the finish you['ll be using and then squeeze out the solvent onto a paper towel. This coats the filaments with solvent and makes cleaning the brush much easier when you've finished using it.
Wet the brush first. Before dipping the brush in finish, wet the filmanets in a solvent compatible with the finish. This will coat the filaments in solvent and make cleaning thr brush easier after you've finished with it.
Dip a toe in. Only submerge about a third of the filaments in finish. If you go deeper, it is harder to apply an even coat. Also, finish will tend to pool in the bottom of the brush and then run down the ferrule when brushing vertical surfaces.
The devil will find work for idle hands to do.-Morrissey
Re: how to maintain your finish brush
[BShellac, Lacquer, and Water-Based Finishes Clean Up Easily]
Shellac and lacquer: let it dry.
Brushes used for lacquer and shellac don't need to be cleaned thoroughly. Give it a swish in lacquer thinner or denatured alcohol, shake it out, and let it dry hard. When you need it again, just stand it in solvent. It will be soft and ready to use within 30 minutes.
Water-soluble finishes: use soap and water.
Use hot water and dish soap to remove water-based finishes from brushes. Lather, rinse, and repeat two or three times.
Oil-Based Finishes are Hardest to Clean
Let's start with the good news: You don't need to clean the brush if you plan to use it again within 24 hours. Instead, suspend the brush in mineral spirits that have previously been used for cleaning a brush. Keep the tips of the filaments off the bottom of the container so they don't get bent or contaminated with residue.
The devil will find work for idle hands to do.-Morrissey
Re: how to maintain your finish brush
Let it soak between coats. If they are going to be reused within 24 hours, brushes containing an oil-based finish can be suspended in mineral spirits. Use a kebab skewer through the handle to avoid bending the bristles.
When you're done with the brush, rinse it a couple of times in used mineral spirits, then pure mineral spirits, removing the bulk of the solvent on newspaper each time. Now rinse the brush in hot soapy water several times before giving it a final cleaning using either citrus cleaner or household ammonia. If you can't smell any mineral spirits on the filaments, the brush is clean and can be wrapped in paper and put away.
Solvent, then soap. Rinse the brush two or three times in mineral spirits, then remove the solvent on newspaper before cleaning the brush with hot water and soap.
Final cleaning. To remove any last traces of mineral spirits, rinse the brush in either a citrus cleaner or household ammonia.
The devil will find work for idle hands to do.-Morrissey
Re: how to maintain your finish brush
Ready for next time. To let any moisture escape and at the same time keep out dust, wrap the brush in brown paper or the original cardboard wrapper.
Next post...
1. how to select the right brush.
2. Natural vs synthetic brush.
The devil will find work for idle hands to do.-Morrissey
Re: how to maintain your finish brush
excellent information sir violane,how are you na?is it ok if you use steel brush,just to remove those hardened paint on the brush end?nakikita ko kasing ginagaea ng mga pintor to,lam mo na gusto gayahin...yes gusto ko malaman yung selecting the right brush.tnx mabuhay!
Re: how to maintain your finish brush
Wet your brush first with water before dipping it to the paint, they said that it will be easier to clean your brush as layer of water protects the brush from the paint. I have tried and seems to be true. I have 2 brushes worth I think 400+ pesos each (when I bought from ACE hardware), so far I'm still using the one that I wet first with water before dipping it to the wood varnish. The other one is hard and thick that I really have hard time to clean from the varnish.
Re: how to maintain your finish brush
The problem with wetting the brush with water is that you will risk contaminating the paint itself (unless using waterbased paint systems). I would suggest soaking it in the solvent the same as the paint your using then follow the recommended cleaning in the article violaine posted.
