Cleaning a badger-bristle brush

[Rich Jones]

I just ordered a 2" badger-bristle brush to varnish my pulling boat. Having spent $30 on a brush, I want o make sure I use the right stuff to clean it. Up until now, paint thinner has done the job on my cheapy brushes. Is that good enough or do I need turps or something else? I know I have to use several rinses in clean solvent. I'm using InterLux Schooner Varnish and the can says nothing about cleaning equipment. Thanks.

[Mrleft8]

I like turpentine, mostly because it smells better than paint thinner.

[James McMullen]

After cleaning 'em, I leave my badgers soaking suspended in a coffee can of diesel. A stick with a nail to hang the bristles off the floor of the can. They love it.

[Jay Greer]

Turpinetine will clean brushes but, if allowed to evaporate and dry in the brush it will leave a slight film of gum on the bristles and cause the brush to harden.
I prefer cheap thinner for cleaning top quality brushes which, I wash in no less than four separate rinses. This thinner is saved in five gallon buckets three in fact, for progressive rinses. My brushes are then wrapped in absorbant paper,such as those used for scrap books, and stood on end in a 1gal mayonaze jar filled with thinner. This retains the chisle edge of the brushes. The jar was taken from the trash can behind Zerkelbach's Delicatessin back in 1962. This has kept my Linzer Varnish Brushes in pristine condition for over fifty years
Jay

[Rich Jones]

After cleaning 'em, I leave my badgers soaking suspended in a coffee can of diesel. A stick with a nail to hang the bristles off the floor of the can. They love it.

My main concern is hardening of the brush between uses. Never heard of diesel being used, but makes sense. Does this mean I get to buy a new diesel pick-up? Please tell my wife!

[Rich Jones]

Turpinetine will clean brushes but, if allowed to evaporate and dry in the brush it will leave a slight film of gum on the bristles and cause the brush to harden.
I prefer cheap thinner for cleaning top quality brushes which, I wash in no less than four separate rinses. This thinner is saved in five gallon buckets three in fact, for progressive rinses. My brushes are then wrapped in absorbant paper,such as those used for scrap books, and stood on end in a 1gal mayonaze jar filled with thinner. This retains the chisle edge of the brushes. The jar was taken from the trash can behind Zerkelbach's Delicatessin back in 1962. This has kept my Linzer Varnish Brushes in pristine condition for over fifty years
Jay

Whether diesel or thinner, is there a time limit to keeping a brush in thinner? It can be months between uses. I take it that you haven't had the same brush in the jar for 50 years!

[Bob Cleek]

Turpinetine will clean brushes but, if allowed to evaporate and dry in the brush it will leave a slight film of gum on the bristles and cause the brush to harden.
I prefer cheap thinner for cleaning top quality brushes which, I wash in no less than four separate rinses. This thinner is saved in five gallon buckets three in fact, for progressive rinses. My brushes are then wrapped in absorbant paper,such as those used for scrap books, and stood on end in a 1gal mayonaze jar filled with thinner. This retains the chisle edge of the brushes. The jar was taken from the trash can behind Zerkelbach's Delicatessin back in 1962. This has kept my Linzer Varnish Brushes in pristine condition for over fifty years
Jay

What Jay said. I'll add something else you may not know about using good brushes. BEFORE you use the brush, soak it well (dipping all the way is fine) with clean thinner, squeeze it out and then work out the thinner on the bristles by "painting" on an absorbent material (preferably one that won't cause you to pick up dirt and lint, like a clean piece of wood or newsprint). This will "load" the heel of the brush with thinner. It may take a bit or practice to get the feel of it (you don't want thinner running down the bristles when you paint), but the point of the exercise is to wet the heel with thinner so when you paint or varnish, should paint find its way into the heel or up close to it (which it shouldn't, but it sometimes does, even when you are careful), cleaning the heel is much, much easier. It's the paint left to dry in the heel that kills a brush.

As for thinner, save it. I usually keep used thinner in three containers: "dirty, dirtier and dirtiest." If you let thinner sit still for a while (weeks+), the paint solids will settle to the bottom and form a solid lump. You can then decant the "self-cleaned" thinner off and reuse it. I use the "recycled" thinner for the first rinses, and then do the final rinse with brand new thinner, which then gets added to the "recycling" jugs. When the "lump of crud" at the bottom of a container gets pretty good sized, it's just about the time when I empty a brand new clean thinner can (I use gallon cans), so I throw out the can with the lump of crud in it and put the new empty can into the recycling cycle. It may sound cheap, but thinner costs money. The advantage of the practice is that I'm never tempted to skimp on rinsing.

[David G]

My main concern is hardening of the brush between uses. Never heard of diesel being used, but makes sense. Does this mean I get to buy a new diesel pick-up? Please tell my wife!

I prefer kerosene to diesel, but otherwise my regimen is similar.

[the_gr8t_waldo]

I've had good results by washing with dish soap and water ..at least three times...after cleaning with solvents

[S B]

Next time, buy the cheap bristle brush and discard it when finished. The real cheap ones have to be stroked over a tacky surface to remove the loose hairs before using, but the main difference between a cheap brush and an expensive one is the cost of the furrel and handle plus a little for the name. Regardless of how you you clean it, friction will fag out the hair ends and ruin the brush's working properties over time, they are hair after all. Keeping cans of solvent about the shop, good idea?

[James McMullen]

Next time, buy the cheap bristle brush and discard it when finished.

Couldn't disagree more, amigo. But I guess it depends on how many times a week you need to varnish something and how picky your clients are. Pro quality varnish jobs are done easier and better by using pro tools.

Your comment makes me suspect you've never wielded an actual badger-hair specialized varnish brush. They are nothing like paint brushes. Not even slightly. And if you do need to use a disposable for convenience, the one to use for varnishes is a foamy, not a cheap bristle.

[pipefitter]

I have many of my old brushes as well, but I also used to wear them out frequently enough to where there is no way they could have lasted for life with reg use, no matter the approach of good care. Most of my old brushes were most likely relatively new when I purchased them years ago, which is evident by the amount of top name "dust" brushes that I also possess.

If I am not going to use a brush for awhile, I follow of the solvent wash with a laundry det that has fabric softener in it, followed by a thorough combing. It's hair. It doesn't mind a shampoo every now and again.

With that said, I would have to say that one of the most important items for brush cleaning and care is indeed the brush comb, especially with the full head brushes like the badger.

[S B]

Couldn't disagree more, amigo. But I guess it depends on how many times a week you need to varnish something and how picky your clients are. Pro quality varnish jobs are done easier and better by using pro tools.

Your comment makes me suspect you've never wielded an actual badger-hair specialized varnish brush. They are nothing like paint brushes. Not even slightly. And if you do need to use a disposable for convenience, the one to use for varnishes is a foamy, not a cheap bristle.
My clients are very picky, if that is the right word. I have never varnished a boat and I don't know how many brushes I have gone through, well above a thousand. There is a limit to how long a brush can maintain its optimum performance and it has nothing to do with price. How well and what it is made of defines the properties, price has nothing to do with it. Why buy one expensive brush when I can have 20, just as good, for the same money.

[James McMullen]

Why buy one expensive brush when I can have 20, just as good, for the same money.


There you go, S B, I highlighted the error in your statement for you. They're not just as good. If you had to varnish more than just once in a while you'd learn this pretty quickly. I'm not saying that expensive brushes are always necessary, but you do indeed get what you paid for when you buy pro-grade tools. Of course how well and what it is made of defines the properties of a good brush--that's why good ones cost more than cheap ones.

[S B]

Varnish is not the only purpose for brushes. I only stated that cost is NOT the deciding factor in picking out a brush. Expensive ones cost more than cheap ones, if logic still prevails.

[James McMullen]

Yes, but badger hair varnish brushes are specifically and only intended for varnish. They are specialized tools. If you have never used this particular sort of specialized brush for the purpose it is optimized for, I can understand why you don't realize just why they are so uniquely useful. They aren't good for anything else, but for varnish they are remarkably superior to paint brushes. Don't take my word for it, either. Try it yourself if you ever end up with a big and important varnishing job--I guarantee it will pay for itself a hundred times over.

[jim seemann]

Maybe I'm a stick-in-the-mud, but there is actually a very good reason for using badger hair brushes. They are extremely soft and therefore lay down a nice flat texture free coat of varnish.

Badger hair will wear out, of course, but with proper care, it will last a long time. Natural bristles tend to dry out with solvents. The same is true for dish detergents.

People in my profession finish by washing with ordinary hair shampoo (the cheaper brands are preferred because they contain a minimum of other ingredients such as perfume). Another alternative is Murphy's Oil Soap which is used for floors. Either will replace the natural oils that were leached out by solvents. And, when you use that brush again, you will not see any noticeable residue.

[wizbang 13]

I regularly use $75 , one inch Isabey brushes for artwork that I do.
I massage the brushes with Gojo(not goop) hand cleaner when I put em away.
That said, I use "fooler" brushes on the boats.

[jim seemann]

Yup. You're right, Wizbang. Gojo would also work.

[georgew]

When you think the brush is clean, after using thinner, give it one final rinse in lacquer thinner. This will get the last of the varnish, or paint out. Then, wash in soapy water, or dirtex. When dry, the brush will be soft and ready for the next coat.

[Jay Greer]

Lacquer thinner will curdle varnish residue in the heel of the brush and causing nerds to form. Soap and water will cause the bristles to expand and splay the brush tip as well as lose their natural resilience and the abiltity to hold the chisel edge. A good chisel edge is important for cutting in. This is why a pro rarely needs to tape off a line.
Jay

[lesharo]

Some Misconceptions:
As far as I know, there is no badger hair bristle varnish available in the entire world.
Badger "style" brushes or any other brushes are not specifically for varnish alone. That is absurd. They're for varnishing or painting. Maybe you think that
varnishing is a higher art. If you do, maybe you'd want to pick up the tab for a paint job for a boat that I work on...the estimate is $350,00.
Washing a brush in soap does absolutely nothing to harm it, it actually makes it better. Castille soap, common as Dr. Bronners works the best that I know of.
You will never see a brush in such good shape as brush thoroughly cleaned in solvent and then washed in castille soap. Better than new and beautifully
soft. It's amazing how nice they come out. You do have to wrap it though and block it. On a summer day in the sun, it will dry that day. A huge plus,
usually it will take a few days.

The biggest thing about cleaning a badger style brush is that they are very hard to clean on account of how thick they are. They take many rinses and much care. Of course ifyou soak them, they won't get hard as long as they are clean.

[Jay Greer]

Well Guys, there are Badger bristle brushes available if you are willing to pay the do a search and pay the price. Even so, I prefer Russian boar hair brushes as they are not as bulky and cut a finer line. I have been painting, varnishing and cleaning my brushes in the same manner for well over fifty years.
It works for me. I see no reason to change that which is both fast and efficient.

I still advocate that the use of soap and water is both harmful and usless for brush cleaning unless, of course, you are using water based paint or varnish.
Incidently, the folks at the hundred year old plus Hamilton Brush Company offer specially treated natural bristle brushes that will withstand washing with soap and water, if that is your fortier. A brush that is beautifuly soft is not what I consider a tool I would choose to work with. That is like another item we all know of that needs a combination of stiffness and spring to work properly.
Jay

[lesharo]

Jay, have you noticed and then wondered why the cardboard wrappers that come with a new professional quality brush have cleaning directions that finish off by saying..."wash in warm soapy water"? Again...if you clean a brush and then finish by washing a few times in warm Dr Bronners soap, your brush will have never have been in that good of shape. It will be better than new. It doesn't harm it at all. Dish detergent is a little too strong I think and clothes detergent definitely. Murphy's Oil and shampoo probably do a good job. I never got the impression that Hamilton's Brushes were specially treated or anything other than normal brushes. I don't know where you're getting these "Russian boar bristles"? Do they call them "China bristle"?

[Jay Greer]

To answer your question, I still have my orignial Linzer Varnish Brushes. Laying on varnish does not abrade the bristles as does brushing on paint. My Linzers are now over fifty years old and still going strong. However, I have been through a heck of a lot paint brushes in that time! So far as cleaning goes, I have tried other methods and the one I describe works best for me. Russian Boar Hair Brushes have not been on the market for nearly thirty years. China Bristle is much coarser than the Russian. They are not nearly as good or easy to cut in with.
Jay

[purri]

As a retired pro varnisher I'd recommend a mid priced "oval cutter" ($40) of a width to suit the width of the work. An oval cutter holds sufficient "vanish" in the guts yet allows fine detail work and cutting in right up the an adjacent edge. Moreover it allows corrections of mistakes (holidays and sags). Soak in kero when new then "work" the brush to discard loose bristles then a quick soak in same and wrap in muslin or fine cotton until required. The wrap will hold the profile.

Moreover relative humidity, material surface temp and cool varnish is the key. Varnish formulae are another matter!

[MoMan]

After cleaning 'em, I leave my badgers soaking suspended in a coffee can of diesel. A stick with a nail to hang the bristles off the floor of the can. They love it.

I've heard this technique from others. I assume you rinse the diesel out with turpentine or thinner before your next varnishing job. My question is, what do you do with the diesel/turp mix? Do you pour it in with the dirty thinner? Or do you add it to the diesel soaking can? Or does it even matter?

[Jay Greer]

I have a friend who swears by soaking his brushes in diesel. We often work as a team. But, his diesel soaked brushes always leave a few flat streaks in the surface of his work until he works the diesel out of his brushes. I soak/store my wrapped brushes in cheap thinner. There is never a problem.
Jay

[PaulGrun]

This is something I have wondered about. Anytime I've tried suspending a brush in a can of clean thinner, even overnight for use the very next day, I get all kinds of crystal-like growth on the bristles that takes beaucoup rinse cycles to get out again. (I haven't tried storing in diesel or kerosene). Jay, given that it sounds like you store your brushes hanging in a can of paint thinner, does this ever happen to you, and if so, how do you avoid it?

[seo]

I think I remember an article in WB some years ago where someone-I think it was Joel White, advocated cleaning brushes in gasoline. I've never tried it.
I have a can of kerosene that I can suspend a brush in when I'm first done varnishing. I leave it in there while putting other stuff away in the shop, maybe twenty minutes. Then come back and finish cleaning the brush with thinner. I think that kerosene is "oilier" than thinner, and you don't want it on the bristles when brushing. I use a brush whirligig thing to centrifuge the bristles during the cleaning process. I think that helps.
Over the years I've gotten hold of some good brushes that have a solid pack of hardened varnish up in the "heel", where the bristles go into the ferrule. I've used the brush cleaner solvent that you can buy, and it seemed to damage the bristles. I wonder if there's a better way to restore a brush in that condition.
As an aside, an old friend of mine was a very very good varnisher-could produce mirror like work, could always get her varnish to lay down flat, even when brushing it out thin to avoid sags, and could cut edges beautifully. She could do that almost as reliably with a throw-away foam brush as with a fancy varnish brush.

[lesharo]

I think I remember an article in WB some years ago where someone-I think it was Joel White, advocated cleaning brushes in gasoline. I've never tried it.
I have a can of kerosene that I can suspend a brush in when I'm first done varnishing. I leave it in there while putting other stuff away in the shop, maybe twenty minutes. Then come back and finish cleaning the brush with thinner. I think that kerosene is "oilier" than thinner, and you don't want it on the bristles when brushing. I use a brush whirligig thing to centrifuge the bristles during the cleaning process. I think that helps.
Over the years I've gotten hold of some good brushes that have a solid pack of hardened varnish up in the "heel", where the bristles go into the ferrule. I've used the brush cleaner solvent that you can buy, and it seemed to damage the bristles. I wonder if there's a better way to restore a brush in that condition.
As an aside, an old friend of mine was a very very good varnisher-could produce mirror like work, could always get her varnish to lay down flat, even when brushing it out thin to avoid sags, and could cut edges beautifully. She could do that almost as reliably with a throw-away foam brush as with a fancy varnish brush.

Don't take a chance with gasoline. It is way too dangerous! I know. I don't think it works that great anyway. Save and reuse your solvents.

[lesharo]

I see now that China bristles are much coarser than Russian boar bristles, and of course that would apply only to the boar bristles not the pedestrian plain old hog bristles. Jay, maybe you ought to take a look at an Omega Lily Oval brush and see how "coarse" those ole China bristles are. And many many other China bristle brushes too, as well as Ox hair brushes.

[Windsong]

As a rule I wash my brushes in what is used to thin or clean the product I am using. Generally its Water or cheap paint thinner 99% of the time.

[Jay Greer]

I see now that China bristles are much coarser than Russian boar bristles, and of course that would apply only to the boar bristles not the pedestrian plain old hog bristles. Jay, maybe you ought to take a look at an Omega Lily Oval brush and see how "coarse" those ole China bristles are. And many many other China bristle brushes too, as well as Ox hair brushes.
Thank you for your endorsement of Omega Lily brushes. In truth, I have plenty of brushes that will last for quite a while as I try to take very good care of my tools. The only ones I need to replace from time to time are are my lettering quills.
Jay