I Am A Failure When It Comes To Cleaning Paint Brushes

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dibbons

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Finally did an internet search and learned a few things. Never heard of a "brush comb" nor of a "brush spinner" before.

Not only I am inept at cleaning the brushes, but while painting, the brush seems to quickly begin to drag and that problem progressively gets worse and worse. What am I doing wrong? When I first begin painting, the brushes always slide smoothly. Thank you.
 
If the paint starts to dry in a brush, it drags.

For enamels, you can thin the paint with thinner.

For latex you can start with a damp brush.

I use dish soap to clean my latex brushes with cool water, I can get 10 years or more out of a good brush & I use them a lot.

(hot water can harden the paint in the brush)
 
Cleaning the brush every 20-30 minutes helps too, more often if the room is hot.
 
put em in the fridge wet if your taking a lunch break. And a brush comb, just like a flee comb, it gets the hard paint out along with a few loose bristles that you'd want out before you left one in the work.
 
I used to paint apartments after people moved out. The tips others have given are great but at the end of the day washing out a brush isn’t rocket science. Clean it out until the water coming off is clear then give it a few good wacks and let it dry.
 
I usually wait until I have another car to paint before cleaning my brushes....lol
 
Mainly using oil-based paints which do not clean up with just water.
Assuming house paints, artists paints are a little different because they really are oil. Exterior paints, except for traditional metal roofs, are almost always a mix of alkyds and oils and may have some resins in them - same as varnishes.
Anyway the result is they dry up faster and harder than artist paints.
Additionally, the newer low VOC versions start pulling on the brush as you work them in, in a way unlike the traditional formulations. When applying them, treat them a little more like an older latex - try to put it on so you don't have to work it so much.

Cleaning.
Spinner is helpful, but not neccessary. Spin it between your hands. Same with the comb, depending how gummed up it got - you can work it with your fingers - wear gloves.
Hang the brush in thinner for 1/2 hour or so if you have time. Just the bottom of the bristles should be in the thinner - Capillary action will move the thinner up and down (unless there is a ton of paint in the heel). Then spin it into a decent size bucket. 1 to 5 gal paint pail works. Go to cleaner thinner as needed. Keep going until it comes out clear. Then shape the bristles and put a cover on if you can. Hang it up.

Pour the used thinner into a coffee can or similar. Put that in a closed bucket. The pigments will settle to the bottom. In a few days or more, the clear can be poured off for reuse. The hard dried pigments can go in the regular trash in most places. Industrial & boat bottom paints may have their own rules.
 
Rapid Brush Cleaner . This stuff will take even dried paint out of brushes.I was a professional painter for around 50 years .Used real good brushes and took good care of them . If paint is doing as you say on most surfaces you are doing something wrong .If it's just doing it on these cheap hollow core raised panel pre hung doors they sell these days it's not your fault at all. Some paints are just not compatible with others and this also causes this . The crap they spray on these doors ALWAYS causes this problem.I actually had to spray then with oil based paint before I could brush on Moores semi gloss to stop this. Modern paints are nothing like the paints we had back in the day even 15 years ago.They are a whole new system and it's a wise idea to stick to one brand for the whole job. With artist oils it's a whole other story .I do those as well . They act nothing like house paint . Paint has become crazy expensive too .I found that the cheap paints do what you describe more than the 40+ dollar Benjamin More paints and also the quality of your brushes can have much to do with your work.Imperial 38081 Rapid Brush Cleaner - Gallon
 
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Mainly using oil-based paints which do not clean up with just water.
I prefer to use cheaper brushes for oils. Just wrap the brush in plastic when not in use/overnight. when done the job trash it.
 
but while painting, the brush seems to quickly begin to drag and that problem progressively gets worse and worse.
Maybe how you are putting the paint down. Whether spraying metal or brushing wood, keep working along the wet edge. In other words, only overlap the last portion of paint that was applied. Have the paint flow out of the brush tip onto the unpainted portion next to the last painted section. Keep flowing it out as you move the brush along, either adjacent or away from the previous section. Then bring the brush back over the freshly laid paint overlapping it onto the edge portion of the previous section in the direction of the grain of the wood. Traditional oils and long oil primers can be worked in both crosswise and with the grain, but final tipping off is always with the grain.
 
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Finally did an internet search and learned a few things. Never heard of a "brush comb" nor of a "brush spinner" before.

Not only I am inept at cleaning the brushes, but while painting, the brush seems to quickly begin to drag and that problem progressively gets worse and worse. What am I doing wrong? When I first begin painting, the brushes always slide smoothly. Thank you.
Other than a cheap latex paint, the brush drags rather quickly with the new non odor formulations. Painting outside in the sun or a hot day is very frustrating. There is no going back and brushing out a painted surface. For oils, you need to wet the brush first with paint thinner before dipping into the can. Thinning oil (mineral spirits) and latex paints(Flood's Flowtrol) is the key with the new EPA formulations. Also, to clean up oil paints, soak in thinner and brush out on cardboard or wood scraps. When most of the pigment is out, use dish detergent and warm water. Squirt the soap down into the brush, massage vigorously, then add warm water and work out the soap. Takes about 2 tries and you have a very clean brush.
 
LOl I just toss them if using oil based paint! Latex as above^^^^^:thumbsup:
 
If it's a small job and don't need the best look I might just use a cheap chip brush that I can trash after use or park it at the drill press.
For good brushes I try to clean them out.
Couple things that seem to work for me.........
Hang your brush from a wire in a cut off plastic liter bottle with mineral spirits in it.
Have a paint panel available that you can use over and over again to brush the paint out of the brush on.
I've had this brush for years. Build up from usage over time has it hardening up from the inside outward.
Definitely got my $$'s worth.
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