Help Save a Brush

[Breakaway]

Applied some shellac. Didnt have alcohol to clean the brush. Figured: " Alcohol cleans uncured epoxy and so does vinegar, ergo vinegar must clean shellac!"

Wrongo. The instant the vinegar hit the brush it turned stiff as a board. Tried mineral spirits. No luck.

I have turps, kero and gasoline on hand. Any suggestions for repairing this (not super expensive, but not cheap either) brush?

Kevin

[Oldad]

Alcohol is the cure. It will soften dried shellac, that's why you can.t set a drink on a table top that's painted with shellac.
Oldad

[Breakaway]

Thanks, man.

Kevin

[nedL]

Hmm, I have always cleaned shellac brushed with household ammonia & then soap & water. - Kind of nasty fumes, but cleans them right up.

[Jay Greer]

Never have tried ammonia for cleaning shellac out of a brush. I use a lot of shellac in my work and, have always used denatured alcohol to clean my brushes. I do keep one brush, just as LFH did, suspended in an, old fashioned pint milk bottle of alcohol. The handle goes through a hole in a thin plywood disk. The disk keeps the alcohol from evaporating and the brush needs only a light squeeze to be ready to apply more shellac. When I am doing a lot of work with shellac, I suspend the brush in the shellac.
Jay

[Breakaway]

Yeah, the can says use alcohol or ammonia. I was out of both so tried vinegar. The vinegar caused some kind of reaction and the bristles went stone stiff as soon as it hit them. Doused with alcohol this AM and its clean as clean now. It was just weird the way the vinegar reacted with the shellac. I thought I discovered a new superglue!

Thanks again, all.

Kevin