I have a woodworking project I'm starting but don't know how to clean
the brush after applying coats of polyurethane. Any recommendations?

Thanks.

FairFax wrote:
I have a woodworking project I'm starting but don't know how to clean
the brush after applying coats of polyurethane. Any recommendations?


The best recommendation is to follow the instructions on the can. Clean
with mineral spirits.

--

-Mike-

On Jun 3, 7:55*am, "Mike Marlow" wrote:


The best recommendation is to follow the instructions on the can. *Clean
with mineral spirits.

In my best Three Stooges voice: "Oh, wiseguy eh?"

Read the instructions. Shame on you. ;^)

Robert

In article 14f39f9b-1d9d-484a-a012-5caa65b51a65
@l26g2000yqm.googlegroups.com, says...

On Jun 3, 7:55*am, "Mike Marlow" wrote:


The best recommendation is to follow the instructions on the can. *Clean
with mineral spirits.

In my best Three Stooges voice: "Oh, wiseguy eh?"

Read the instructions. Shame on you. ;^)

After cleaning with mineral spirits, washing with soap and water
probably won't hurt. In my (admittedly limited) experience it leaves
the brush more pliable than mineral spirits alone.

On Fri, 3 Jun 2011 09:03:37 -0700 (PDT), "
wrote:

On Jun 3, 7:55*am, "Mike Marlow" wrote:


The best recommendation is to follow the instructions on the can. *Clean
with mineral spirits.

In my best Three Stooges voice: "Oh, wiseguy eh?"

Read the instructions. Shame on you. ;^)

Robert

lol Thanks! This is the very first time I'm going to do this type
of thing. Quite frankly, that didn't occur to me. Glad to know
better now.

Sure enough, in all the fine print, at the very bottom it has en entry
that says:
"Clean-Up: For easy clean-up use mineral spirits or paint thinner."
Glad you guys are telling me that means the same for cleaning the
brushes themselves, too! g I don't have either so I'll have to go
and buy some.

I got a set of brushes on sale but have delayed starting this job due
to not knowing re cleaning them afterwards. Though dad was pretty
good having me hang around his workbench when I was growing up, he
didn't like me interrupting him and such; he was always pressed for
time, too to finish his projects. I've wondered lately if things
would have been different if I'd been a boy g.

Thanks once again! Live and learn.

On Jun 3, 4:59*am, FairFax wrote:
I have a woodworking project I'm starting but don't know how to clean
the brush after applying coats of polyurethane. *Any recommendations?

Thanks.

Just wait till the brush dries out then you can just blow the dust off
with a an air hose.

FairFax wrote in
:


lol Thanks! This is the very first time I'm going to do this type
of thing. Quite frankly, that didn't occur to me. Glad to know
better now.

Sure enough, in all the fine print, at the very bottom it has en entry
that says:
"Clean-Up: For easy clean-up use mineral spirits or paint thinner."
Glad you guys are telling me that means the same for cleaning the
brushes themselves, too! g I don't have either so I'll have to go
and buy some.

Get the mineral spirits. It costs a little more, but smells better and
seems to work better. Many paint thinners start with a mineral spirits
base, but add some stuff to make it smell worse (it goes from bad to
absolutely awful) and make it cheaper.

Avoid the environmental stuff. Ironically, it's probably actually worse
for the environement!

*snip*

Puckdropper

On Fri, 3 Jun 2011 16:08:17 -0400, "dadiOH"
wrote:

FairFax wrote:
I have a woodworking project I'm starting but don't know how to clean
the brush after applying coats of polyurethane. Any recommendations?

Thanks.

You already got them re cleaning, mine is this:

Don't use a brush with artificial bristles for ANY oil base coat...use
bristle, the best you can afford.

Darn. Oh, well. It's a one-time job and money is tight so I might
have to pass on that. I don't like plastic bristles myself but the
deal was too good to pass on. The set came with about 6 brushes of
different sizes and cost about $2.99. thx.

On Fri, 3 Jun 2011 12:35:10 -0400, "J. Clarke"
wrote:

In article 14f39f9b-1d9d-484a-a012-5caa65b51a65
, says...

On Jun 3, 7:55*am, "Mike Marlow" wrote:


The best recommendation is to follow the instructions on the can. *Clean
with mineral spirits.

In my best Three Stooges voice: "Oh, wiseguy eh?"

Read the instructions. Shame on you. ;^)

After cleaning with mineral spirits, washing with soap and water
probably won't hurt. In my (admittedly limited) experience it leaves
the brush more pliable than mineral spirits alone.

Makes sense. Seems like good advice. I've found that to be so in
other areas so seems to me this would work here, too. thx.

On 04 Jun 2011 04:23:35 GMT, Puckdropper
puckdropper(at)yahoo(dot)com wrote:

FairFax wrote in
:


lol Thanks! This is the very first time I'm going to do this type
of thing. Quite frankly, that didn't occur to me. Glad to know
better now.

Sure enough, in all the fine print, at the very bottom it has en entry
that says:
"Clean-Up: For easy clean-up use mineral spirits or paint thinner."
Glad you guys are telling me that means the same for cleaning the
brushes themselves, too! g I don't have either so I'll have to go
and buy some.

Get the mineral spirits. It costs a little more, but smells better and
seems to work better. Many paint thinners start with a mineral spirits
base, but add some stuff to make it smell worse (it goes from bad to
absolutely awful) and make it cheaper.

Oh, good, thanks. I wouldn't have known which to go with but based on
smell alone, I'd have to say that I will most probably agree. And
despite costs, I'm sure they have different sizes so I probably will
be able to buy the quantity I need for this one-time job without
having a ton left over.

Avoid the environmental stuff. Ironically, it's probably actually worse
for the environement!

Really? That's very odd. You'd think that something ecofriendly
wouldn't then be able to wear the label if that was the case. sigh
Oh, well. Will do. Will stick with the mineral spirits.

thx

*snip*

Puckdropper

On Fri, 3 Jun 2011 16:22:33 -0700 (PDT), "SonomaProducts.com"
wrote:

On Jun 3, 4:59*am, FairFax wrote:
I have a woodworking project I'm starting but don't know how to clean
the brush after applying coats of polyurethane. *Any recommendations?

Thanks.

Just wait till the brush dries out then you can just blow the dust off
with a an air hose.

Is this really the case? Seems a bit too good to be true, no? g
thx.

"FairFax" wrote in message
...
On Fri, 3 Jun 2011 16:22:33 -0700 (PDT), "SonomaProducts.com"
wrote:

On Jun 3, 4:59 am, FairFax wrote:
I have a woodworking project I'm starting but don't know how to clean
the brush after applying coats of polyurethane. Any recommendations?

Thanks.

Just wait till the brush dries out then you can just blow the dust off
with a an air hose.

Is this really the case? Seems a bit too good to be true, no? g
thx.


F:

You can blow the dust out, just not the paint.

A couple of other tips would be:

*Try not to get paint in the upper third of the brush.
Try. Painting upside down makes gravity the enemy.

*If you are using a water-based paint, very, very lightly
pre-wet the brush and use a brush spinner or very gently
flick the brush along its length across a board or something
to get most of it out. Water-based paint will load better
this way.

*When you do get paint in the forbidden zone and intend
to use the brush again, you might find a fine comb good at
removing it. Don't let the paint cake in that region because
it's no fun getting it out.

*The solvent/water (depends on the paint) cleaning followed
by a detergent and water
cleaning works nicely. Rinsing with pure water
to purge the second mix is the last step.
If you have a brush spinner, you can use that to dry
the brush or flick it along its length to drive off the moisture.

*When through cleaning, putting the brush in the supplied
cardboard sleeve you don't have would be nice. A gentle
winding with cling wrap also is good. This helps the brush
retain it's designed shape if you didn't mash it.

*Remember the name "Purdy". Great brushes. If you want
to hold a fine line or paint a particular angled area or cover
an area of certain width, they make dedicated brushes.
They're not cheap, but, just like ladies, if you treat them
well, age hardly withers nor does time stale them. Someone
here will tell you of a well-tended Purdy that could probably
be in Junior High by now.

*Ask your paint store about the foam "hot dog" rollers and
your paint. Sometimes you use them alone. Sometimes on
complex things like doors in combo with brushes. For certain
paints, the furry knap rollers are good too.

*Start high and work down low. That
way you don't drip on finished areas.

*If you have to stop in the middle of a painting project,
some people refigerate their brushes wrapped in cling
film. I haven't tried it. But if a brush gets gummy on a
hot day, I will stop for a cleaning before continuing.

*Ask about blue painter's tape. Ask how to get the
best edge seal by burnishing. Frog tape is mighty
fine but not mighty cheap.

*Don't believe every bit of the above is gospel or the
whole of it. Other people will have good ideas.

*Next time, say you're a lady to start. We don't often get
the chance to practice at the gentleman thing.

Regards,

Edward Hennessey

On Jun 4, 1:14*am, "Edward Hennessey"
wrote:


*Ask your paint store about the foam "hot dog" rollers and
* your paint. Sometimes you use them alone. Sometimes on
* complex things like doors in combo with brushes. For certain
* paints, the furry knap rollers are good too.

I have painted a lot of metal doors with the foam hog dog rollers. A
6" roller makes short work of doors, and since most metal doors on
commercial jobs are beat up anyway, this is an excellent solution. As
long as you work fast and don't reuse, they work fine with oil based
paints.

I use them on just about anything I can outside, including door and
window trims, siding trims, and anything else that has any kind of
texture that doesn't require smooth a finish.

Robert

On 6/4/11 12:29 AM, FairFax wrote:

Darn. Oh, well. It's a one-time job and money is tight so I might
have to pass on that. I don't like plastic bristles myself but the
deal was too good to pass on. The set came with about 6 brushes of
different sizes and cost about $2.99. thx.


In that case, don't bother cleaning them... toss em.


--

-MIKE-

"Playing is not something I do at night, it's my function in life"
--Elvin Jones (1927-2004)
--
http://mikedrums.com

---remove "DOT" ^^^^ to reply

On Fri, 3 Jun 2011 23:14:49 -0700, "Edward Hennessey"
wrote:


"FairFax" wrote in message
.. .
On Fri, 3 Jun 2011 16:22:33 -0700 (PDT), "SonomaProducts.com"
wrote:

On Jun 3, 4:59 am, FairFax wrote:
I have a woodworking project I'm starting but don't know how to clean
the brush after applying coats of polyurethane. Any recommendations?

Thanks.

Just wait till the brush dries out then you can just blow the dust off
with a an air hose.

Is this really the case? Seems a bit too good to be true, no? g
thx.


F:

You can blow the dust out, just not the paint.

Ah, thanks!

A couple of other tips would be:

(couple?? Lots, thank you!!)

*Try not to get paint in the upper third of the brush.
Try. Painting upside down makes gravity the enemy.

*If you are using a water-based paint, very, very lightly
pre-wet the brush and use a brush spinner or very gently
flick the brush along its length across a board or something
to get most of it out. Water-based paint will load better
this way.

*When you do get paint in the forbidden zone and intend
to use the brush again, you might find a fine comb good at
removing it. Don't let the paint cake in that region because
it's no fun getting it out.

*The solvent/water (depends on the paint) cleaning followed
by a detergent and water
cleaning works nicely. Rinsing with pure water
to purge the second mix is the last step.
If you have a brush spinner, you can use that to dry
the brush or flick it along its length to drive off the moisture.

*When through cleaning, putting the brush in the supplied
cardboard sleeve you don't have would be nice. A gentle
winding with cling wrap also is good. This helps the brush
retain it's designed shape if you didn't mash it.

*Remember the name "Purdy". Great brushes. If you want
to hold a fine line or paint a particular angled area or cover
an area of certain width, they make dedicated brushes.
They're not cheap, but, just like ladies, if you treat them
well, age hardly withers nor does time stale them. Someone
here will tell you of a well-tended Purdy that could probably
be in Junior High by now.

*Ask your paint store about the foam "hot dog" rollers and
your paint. Sometimes you use them alone. Sometimes on
complex things like doors in combo with brushes. For certain
paints, the furry knap rollers are good too.

*Start high and work down low. That
way you don't drip on finished areas.

*If you have to stop in the middle of a painting project,
some people refigerate their brushes wrapped in cling
film. I haven't tried it. But if a brush gets gummy on a
hot day, I will stop for a cleaning before continuing.

*Ask about blue painter's tape. Ask how to get the
best edge seal by burnishing. Frog tape is mighty
fine but not mighty cheap.

*Don't believe every bit of the above is gospel or the
whole of it. Other people will have good ideas.

*Next time, say you're a lady to start. We don't often get
the chance to practice at the gentleman thing.

smile That's so very kind, thank you! g
Now there you've gone and made me feel all mush! vbg

Thanks for the excellent help. I read all this and all a great
education all at once! Thanks. I've never had the need to
paint/strip, etc., so this is new territory and was a bit
intimidating. Dad did give me a couple of pointers before he flew out
of the country but I haven't wanted to bother him for more since he's
got so much on his plate. So thanks much! Much appreciated.

Regards,

Edward Hennessey

On Sat, 4 Jun 2011 02:39:36 -0700 (PDT), "
wrote:

On Jun 4, 1:14*am, "Edward Hennessey"
wrote:


*Ask your paint store about the foam "hot dog" rollers and
* your paint. Sometimes you use them alone. Sometimes on
* complex things like doors in combo with brushes. For certain
* paints, the furry knap rollers are good too.

I have painted a lot of metal doors with the foam hog dog rollers. A
6" roller makes short work of doors, and since most metal doors on
commercial jobs are beat up anyway, this is an excellent solution. As
long as you work fast and don't reuse, they work fine with oil based
paints.

I use them on just about anything I can outside, including door and
window trims, siding trims, and anything else that has any kind of
texture that doesn't require smooth a finish.

Robert

Thanks. I never would have thought of using a roller for this type of
job. Good point.

FairFax wrote:


Darn. Oh, well. It's a one-time job and money is tight so I might
have to pass on that. I don't like plastic bristles myself but the
deal was too good to pass on. The set came with about 6 brushes of
different sizes and cost about $2.99. thx.

Not too good of a deal to pass on. You get what you pay for in this world
and when a deal seems to good to be true... it is.

--

-Mike-

On Jun 3, 7:59*am, FairFax wrote:
I have a woodworking project I'm starting but don't know how to clean
the brush after applying coats of polyurethane. *Any recommendations?

Thanks.

Ammonia is cheaper than mineral spirits. Soak the
brush in a 1:4 ammonia:water mix and rinse clean
outdoors.

On Jun 3, 7:59*am, FairFax wrote:
I have a woodworking project I'm starting but don't know how to clean
the brush after applying coats of polyurethane. *Any recommendations?

Thanks.

I mixed some kerosene with some lacquer thinner in a pickle jag,
drilled a hole in the brush handle (to allow suspending it in the
solution) and hung the brish over night ('till ready for the next
coat).

But that reading the label idea is not bad either.

I've wondered lately if things would have been different if I'd been a
boy

Trust me, boys are different.

But fathers vary across the gamut. My son-in-law treats his girls like
little princesses. When we "have them," I treat 'em as grand kids. Me
they help in the shop, get tasked to do whatever I need done. I teach
'em cooking, carpentry, electrical. chickens, gardening, whatever -
and have them do the work and make the mistakes.

Best thing you can do for a child in this society is teach them
everything you know and hope they become self-sufficient, independent
souls who need no one and can, thus, choose whom they associate with
or marry, based on something other than helplessness. A pretty girl
can always fall back on her back or knees to get whatever but she
should have other options.

"FairFax" wrote in message
...
On Fri, 3 Jun 2011 23:14:49 -0700, "Edward Hennessey"
wrote:


"FairFax" wrote in message
. ..
On Fri, 3 Jun 2011 16:22:33 -0700 (PDT), "SonomaProducts.com"
wrote:

On Jun 3, 4:59 am, FairFax wrote:
I have a woodworking project I'm starting but don't know how to clean
the brush after applying coats of polyurethane. Any recommendations?

Thanks.

Just wait till the brush dries out then you can just blow the dust off
with a an air hose.

Is this really the case? Seems a bit too good to be true, no? g
thx.


F:

You can blow the dust out, just not the paint.

Ah, thanks!

A couple of other tips would be:

(couple?? Lots, thank you!!)

*Try not to get paint in the upper third of the brush.
Try. Painting upside down makes gravity the enemy.

*If you are using a water-based paint, very, very lightly
pre-wet the brush and use a brush spinner or very gently
flick the brush along its length across a board or something
to get most of it out. Water-based paint will load better
this way.

*When you do get paint in the forbidden zone and intend
to use the brush again, you might find a fine comb good at
removing it. Don't let the paint cake in that region because
it's no fun getting it out.

*The solvent/water (depends on the paint) cleaning followed
by a detergent and water
cleaning works nicely. Rinsing with pure water
to purge the second mix is the last step.
If you have a brush spinner, you can use that to dry
the brush or flick it along its length to drive off the moisture.

*When through cleaning, putting the brush in the supplied
cardboard sleeve you don't have would be nice. A gentle
winding with cling wrap also is good. This helps the brush
retain it's designed shape if you didn't mash it.

*Remember the name "Purdy". Great brushes. If you want
to hold a fine line or paint a particular angled area or cover
an area of certain width, they make dedicated brushes.
They're not cheap, but, just like ladies, if you treat them
well, age hardly withers nor does time stale them. Someone
here will tell you of a well-tended Purdy that could probably
be in Junior High by now.

*Ask your paint store about the foam "hot dog" rollers and
your paint. Sometimes you use them alone. Sometimes on
complex things like doors in combo with brushes. For certain
paints, the furry knap rollers are good too.

*Start high and work down low. That
way you don't drip on finished areas.

*If you have to stop in the middle of a painting project,
some people refigerate their brushes wrapped in cling
film. I haven't tried it. But if a brush gets gummy on a
hot day, I will stop for a cleaning before continuing.

*Ask about blue painter's tape. Ask how to get the
best edge seal by burnishing. Frog tape is mighty
fine but not mighty cheap.

*Don't believe every bit of the above is gospel or the
whole of it. Other people will have good ideas.

*Next time, say you're a lady to start. We don't often get
the chance to practice at the gentleman thing.


F:

smile That's so very kind, thank you! g
Now there you've gone and made me feel all mush! vbg

Either you are surrounded by flying monkeys in bell hop suits while
disappearing under a tall, pointed hat or the alarm bells is setting
to fire off at an inopportune moment.

Thanks for the excellent help. I read all this and all a great
education all at once! Thanks. I've never had the need to
paint/strip, etc., so this is new territory and was a bit
intimidating. Dad did give me a couple of pointers before he flew out
of the country but I haven't wanted to bother him for more since he's
got so much on his plate. So thanks much! Much appreciated.

In parting, I recollected and collected a few more mentions.
Anything can be intimidating without experience, so maybe
these will spur you to that:

*Do thorough preparation. Scrape off any fragmenting
covering until the surface is stable. Sand to smooth
any irregularities you don't want to see, to give "tooth"
to a slick surface, to get past any surface "chalking".

*Clean with a light mix of water, ammonia and alcohol
if your surface is dirty. If it is nastily grimy, you will
need a detergent/water/alcohol mix. Alcohol is a solvent
but it is vital to speed drying. Don't saturate bare wood.
Wet wood doesn't paint well. Rinse the wood with water and
alcohol. Let it dry.

*Paint/varnish along a wet line. On a hot day or big things
this is important. If you return to extend finished surface
that has dried to the point your new brushing will disturb
it, you wont like it.

*Don't paint in the hot sun if you can time it otherwise.
Unless you like bubbles.

Bon chance,

Edward Hennessey



Regards,

Edward Hennessey

"Edward Hennessey" wrote in message
m...

"FairFax" wrote in message
F:

Here's the midnight oil final amendment.

*Clean with a light mix of water, ammonia and alcohol
if your surface is dirty. If it is nastily grimy, you will
need a detergent/water/alcohol mix. Alcohol is a solvent
but it is vital to speed drying. Don't saturate bare wood.
Wet wood doesn't paint well. Rinse the wood with water and
alcohol. Let it dry.

An appropriate solvent like mineral spirits can be
used as a cleaner, especially after you have sanded a
surface. The benefit of volatile solvents--aside from
what they dissolve or carry away--is that they air dry
pretty quickly. Aqueous solutions , to contrast, can
raise the grain for awhile if the wood gets sopped.


Our Paleolithic
relatives daubing murals in the caves of Lascaux
didn't have to go through all this rigamarole. Wait
a minute. Didn't they have to prospect and trade
for rocks, find rare plants, face fierce beasts and
trade with hostiles just to have a paint box?
Nevermind.

Have fun with the project.

Regards,

Edward Hennessey