Are you cleaning your paint brushes wrong? (Oil-based woodworking finishes)

A tutorial for cleaning up oil-based woodworking finishes so your brushes will last longer.
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[deanh]

A critical first step is to wet the brush in the appropriate solvent before you start applying the finish. This step draws the clean solvent (water, mineral spirits, alcohol...) up into the ferrule of the brush, dramatically reducing the amount of finish that wicks into the brush ferrule. Once the brush has been wetted with the solvent, wipe off any excess solvent in the lower bristles with a paper towel or rag so you do not dilute the finish. Now start to apply the finish and the brush will only wick the finish part way up the bristles and not into the ferrule, making cleaning much easier when I am finished.

[kathydeitering]

Thank you, thank you, thank you. I've stopped using oil based finishes because I never could completely clean my brush

[colinstu]

You should have a video going over all the different kinds of brushes, and other tips with using them.
Different materials of the bristles, and when/where to use them. How dense the brush is. Width and length of the brush. Straight or angled.
I was thinking of buying a new brush and was quickly overwhelmed by the choices.

[campbellmj]

I've ruined many a brush in my time due to laziness and ignorance. Thank you Stumpy.

[douglascampbell]

After you get the brush clean from whatever you were applying I suggest the paint brush soaps that artists use.
The brushes they (and myself) use are extremely expensive.
Some of the paintbrush soaps also have a conditioner in them.
They are a lot like shampoo for brushes.
I use The Masters Brush Cleaner and Preserver.

[TaylerMade]

i have a finish brush that is over twenty years old and still looks and works like new one. i use this method of cleaning with a slight alteration. i use only a few mils (1/8 inch) of liquid each time and generally rinse with clean fluid 5 times. total fluid used would be less than a 1/4 cup. as stumpy says always buy a really good quality brush, as looked after it will last years and put on a perfect coat.

[bobd]

Excellent tips!
I keep four glass jars numbered 1 - 4. The gunk eventually settles to the bottom, and I pour out the "clean" thinner into another container for cleaning the brush. Then I pour the used thinner back into its jar. I progress from 1 to 3. (I'm so lazy. I've never reach the fourth jar.)

[craiglee]

I learned this on my own as a DYIer. I learned the approach in your video is best, except I used lacquer thinner (a bit more 'bite'). I used old jars (like pickle jars) and plastic cups like you did. Poured the first 'clean' into the cup. Then emptied that into the jar and repeated one or two times. The glass Jar now has the solvent and solvent-removed oil-based paint. After a few days, the paint settles to the bottom of the glass jar and when I need to clean again, I can carefully siphon the solvent above the paint that settled in the bottom, and reuse that solvent for first or second rinse of the brush. Final solvent rinse was with fresh solvent (when I saw little to no paint in the rinse).
Finished with soap and water. Quality natural bristle brushes have lasted through many oil-based paint jobs. Your approach is spot on.

[johnanderson]

Thanks for the tips! Not sure if I'm alone here, but I've avoided a lot of oil-based finishes because I didn't know how to clean the brushes properly afterward. This opens up some new doors!

[Control-Freak]

That is a red nylox bristle that should only be used with latex finish. For oil based you want China bristle only, but never let water ever touch it or it will be toast because hair shrinks. I have had a half full five gallon bucket of used paint thinner for over thirty yeas now. The paint solids settle out and the top is clear. I pour a one gallon pale of clear and set it aside, another 3/4 gallon goes into the paint & brush pale. I clean the pale and brush of all paint and shake. Now I use the clean pale to do the final cleaning & shake. Now to the still clean 5 gal to do a rinse & shake. I use the mild bucket to rinse the paint pale and return all to the fiver. No new thinner has been used yet, I use about 3 tablespoons worth to final rinse the bush and done. Some of my brushes are decades old now. I hope this helps, it works for me. I just love oil based finishes but have been converting to latex as oil will be prohibited sometime in the future.

[dennisomalley]

Thank you. I’ve been killing brushes lately. I really needed to see this.

[johnford]

I like the blue tape trick. Try as I might, in the passion of painting, I always end up with paint up near the ferrule. As for wrapping the cleaned brush, I use ordinary paper and a rubber band rather than tape. Judging from your video, easier to do, because it doesn't stick to itself. Good advice, Jim. Thanks.

[lw]

So glad you showed everyone how to take care of their brushes. It really helps to have a good brand also. You will have them for years if you take care of them! Thank you!

[Putingtaho]

THANK YOU. This is probably the most detailed explanation of how to do it that I've seen. ❤😁

[jonfenwick]

Really glad I know about this guy, learn so much from him. And even today, something I didn't expect him to have information on.... and, he did! Brilliant.

[deanmills]

Thanks for that tip. I've been doing wood working for years and avoid using brushes for poly because I love my brushes and hate to ruin them. Know that I have a better cleaning method I can use them again, although I do prefer the sprayed finish.

[nobuckle]

I have to say that this couldn't have come at a better time. I am in the home stretch of a cabinetry commission and am thinking ahead to applying the finish. I can tend to be a bit on the cheap side. So, in the past I've not purchased quality brushes. It always ends up being a huge pain. I appreciate your insight and encouragement to invest in quality brushes.

[ccadama]

@Stumpy Nubs. Thanks for the quick yet informative video on properly cleaning and taking care of paint brushes when using oil based finishes. Even though I use many of the techniques you mentioned, I still learned a few new techniques I'll have to add like the final cleaning with dish soap and using painters tape to help buildup up the paint brush.

Hope you, your staff, and your families stay safe and well.

[majorfrost]

My father was apprenticed to a boat builder before WW2 and he taught me to rinse my brush in solvent every 10 minutes or so tp make it easier to clean.

[glasblaidd]

If using a brush constructed from wood soak it in water. The wood expands and grips the bristles much tighter, this prevents the annoying loss of bristles which always come out on freshly painted surfaces.