Cleaning oil-based paint from brushes using (mostly) water. Anyone else do this?
Hugh Jampton
white spirit. Just wondered if anyone else did this or something
similar.
After painting, I put a very small amount of white spirit in a
container and work it into the bristles of the dirty brush so as to
thoroughly thin the paint. Then I remove the brush and squeeze out as
much of the remaining paint as possible. The next step is to wash the
brush in neat washing-up detergent. This emulsifies whatever paint is
left, enabaling it to be washed away with water and leaving the brush
much cleaner than would otherwise be the case unless copious amounts
of white spirit were used.
The used white spirit is then added to any other used spirit I have in
a glass jar. Eventually, the paint settles to the bottom, leaving a
clear liquid above. This clear liquid can then be decanted, stored and
used to . . . wash more brushes.
Cheers,
Hugh
Barbara Large
to settle and retrieve later), followed by neat detergent. Works well.
Also helps with the awful drying out and cracking of skin caused by said WS,
since it minimises the exposure and the detergent washes it off well.
The Natural Philosopher
to be done it just goes in a jar of white spirit...which keeps it OK for
a few eeks.
The trick of solvent and detergent can also be used to get paint off
your hands - or engine grease. In fact, with the addition of a bit of
abarsive, this is pretty much waht the commercial hand cleaners like
swarfega are...If you are using cellulose poinats, su=bsitute acetone
for white spirit.
Ledswinger
news:3c5d127a...@news.ntlworld.com...
> This is how I clean brushes, prolonging their life and economizing on
> white spirit. Just wondered if anyone else did this or something
> similar.
>
I have a method that is hugely economical on white spirit and detergents
(guaranteed 100% reduction in use), and involves no paint entering the
sewerage system.
I buy cheap real bristle brushes at about a quid for seven assorted sizes,
pull out the few loose bristles, and throw them away at the end of the job.
No unpleasant solvents and VOC's from cleaning, no manky "not quite clean"
brushes, no rusty ferrules, no need for jars of sizes that I don't have, no
pots of gunk sitting around, and no combined solvent/paint sediment to
dispose of. The environmental balance is the faster disposal of cheap wood
handles and bristle (both renewables), and then a trade off over the metal
ferrule against the solvents that evaporate during cleaning or are disposed
with the paint sediments.
And with one use brushes, you can happily trim them to any required profile
or length without thinking "this'll be no use in the future". Obviously if
you buy Harris brushes at a fiver a throw then the economics are less
strong, but having found them to be little better than the cheap ones, I'm
sticking with my "Made in China by Genuine Political Prisoners Using Their
Own Hair" brand.
Led
Brennan GODDARD
The above is a also policy I have followed for years, after
experimenting with water-based gloss (carp) and various techniques of
bruch cleaning - buy cheap then bin.
In addition, if you're doing several coats of the same colour over a few
days (or even weeks), a brush will easily go the distance if a dab of
white spirit is sploshed on the bristles before wrapping it up tightly
in tin foil...
B
Andy Woodward
Hugh Jampton
<Ledsw...@blueyonder.co.uniformkilo> wrote:
>
>I have a method that is hugely economical on white spirit and detergents
>(guaranteed 100% reduction in use), and involves no paint entering the
>sewerage system.
>
>I buy cheap real bristle brushes at about a quid for seven assorted sizes,
>pull out the few loose bristles, and throw them away at the end of the job.
>No unpleasant solvents and VOC's from cleaning, no manky "not quite clean"
>brushes, no rusty ferrules, no need for jars of sizes that I don't have, no
>pots of gunk sitting around, and no combined solvent/paint sediment to
>dispose of. The environmental balance is the faster disposal of cheap wood
>handles and bristle (both renewables), and then a trade off over the metal
>ferrule against the solvents that evaporate during cleaning or are disposed
>with the paint sediments.
>
>And with one use brushes, you can happily trim them to any required profile
>or length without thinking "this'll be no use in the future". Obviously if
>you buy Harris brushes at a fiver a throw then the economics are less
>strong, but having found them to be little better than the cheap ones, I'm
>sticking with my "Made in China by Genuine Political Prisoners Using Their
>Own Hair" brand.
>
>Led
>
Sounds good, but I'm sure I'd have an uncontrollable urge to re-use
even those brushes ;-)
I cannot throw stuff out. I even turn fish and chip paper into
barbecue briquettes.
Hugh
Robert Laws
simply in water until they are used again with the same paint. It
keeps the air off and stops the paint drying. Suitable only if you
are carrying on the job wuithin a few days. A more modern version is
to wrap in cling film.
Robert
The Natural Philosopher <a@b.c> wrote in message news:<3C5DE558.A0262FB@b.c>...
Andy Dingley
>I'm
>sticking with my "Made in China by Genuine Political Prisoners Using Their
>Own Hair" brand.
I've just bought a pair of Vietnamese lacquer brushes (at a truly
staggering price). They're made like carpenter's pencils; hollow flat
wooden tubes filled with human hair. As they wear out (split ends) you
sharpen them !
Not only are they human hair, but they even came with a picture of the
brush maker and the hair donor ! (her daughter)
Now I just need to find some lacquer ! Anyone have a source ?
(doesn't have to be Vietnamese, just genuine urushi and not Burmese)
--
Smert' Spamionam
Brian Sharrock
"Robert Laws" <la...@bcs.org.uk> wrote in message
news:d476338b.02020...@posting.google.com...
> At my father's knee, I was taught to keep oil painty brushes immersed
> simply in water until they are used again with the same paint. It
> keeps the air off and stops the paint drying. Suitable only if you
> are carrying on the job wuithin a few days. A more modern version is
> to wrap in cling film.
>
> The Natural Philosopher <a@b.c> wrote in message
news:<3C5DE558.A0262FB@b.c>...
> > I do exactly the same, once the brush is finished with. If there is more
> > to be done it just goes in a jar of white spirit...which keeps it OK for
> > a few eeks.
I've done all of the above, but settled finally on the "Dandy"
brush and roller spinning devices. If any reader hasn't seen
these, they are a pair of devices , one for brushes the other for
rollers, which fit into an electric drill's chuck and into which
the handle of the brush - or sleeve of the roller - fits.
A quick squeeze of the drill's trigger and the paint, then solvent
has gone, persuaded off the brush by centrifugal force - or the
centripetal force exceeds the paint-bristle adhesion force (go
figure) - leaving one with a clean dry brush.
When painting I set up the 'cleaning station' outside and no longer
have manky kitchen sinks, draining boards covered in newspaper,
or drying brushes to worry about.
It's so fast that we even clean the brushes when we're having
a cup of tea let alone a break;- meal, overnight, a few days or
a few weeks! Jam jars of water, white spirits, cling film
a'cluttering up the kitchen windowsill ... urgh!
Get modern !
[Disclaimer, only connection to the company is as a customer.
Saw it demonstrated at Ideal Home Show. Liked the patter, bought
the package!
Cheap plastic handled brushes get crushed by the springs and don't
survive the cleaning.
Although the instructions advocate using a cardboard box with
a bin-liner bag, I finished up buying an 'el cheapo' plastic
dustbin to spin my brushes in.]
--
Brian
gary
writes
>Parrafin is cheaper than white spirit.
>
>
--
gary
* I'm not a complete idiot, some parts are missing. *
gary
Sharrock <bria...@pavilion.co.uk> writes
>
>I've done all of the above, but settled finally on the "Dandy"
>brush and roller spinning devices. If any reader hasn't seen
>these, they are a pair of devices , one for brushes the other for
>rollers, which fit into an electric drill's chuck and into which
>the handle of the brush - or sleeve of the roller - fits.
>A quick squeeze of the drill's trigger and the paint, then solvent
>has gone, persuaded off the brush by centrifugal force - or the
>centripetal force exceeds the paint-bristle adhesion force (go
>figure) - leaving one with a clean dry brush.
>--
>
>Brian
>
I have visions of your brushes end up with an afro ? ;-)
gary
<Brennan...@cern.ch> writes
>> And with one use brushes, you can happily trim them to any required profile
>> or length without thinking "this'll be no use in the future". Obviously if
>> you buy Harris brushes at a fiver a throw then the economics are less
>> strong, but having found them to be little better than the cheap ones, I'm
>> sticking with my "Made in China by Genuine Political Prisoners Using Their
>> Own Hair" brand.
>>
>> Led
>
>The above is a also policy I have followed for years, after
>experimenting with water-based gloss (carp) and various techniques of
>bruch cleaning - buy cheap then bin.
>
>In addition, if you're doing several coats of the same colour over a few
>days (or even weeks), a brush will easily go the distance if a dab of
>white spirit is sploshed on the bristles before wrapping it up tightly
>in tin foil...
>
>B
For me the pleasure of using old well worn-in brushes exceeds my
hostility towards having to clean them thoroughly.
Im also not too keen on the disposable society!
Brian Sharrock
"gary" <gary@_nospam_buttercups.demon.co.uk> wrote in message
news:PRK0OHAk...@buttercups.demon.co.uk...
involved the salesman painting a board with white gloss, then
cleaning the brush (with the system) then using the brush
to paint with black gloss cleaning the brush (with the system)
and wiping' the brush onto the shirt of whoever had pushed their
way to the front of the spectators! Quite impressive! Qu'el courage!
During the 'spinning' process the bristles do take on a disc
shaped aspect. A quick backwards and forwards swipe across a
forearm restores the bristles to an 'as new' aspect.
BTW, you're never bothered by bristles detaching while painting!
--
Brian