Gloss paint on brush

Lex Luthor

At home today pinting the internal doors with gloss paint. Hate this job.
Anyway, dunno if I'll get it finished in time...so was just wondering is there a way without having to clean off the brush in white spirits to keep the bristles from hardening with paint for a few days?

rooferPete

Hi Lex,

Overnight it's ok to leave the brush in the pot of paint, I'm not sure about a few days because the pot will be open and a skin will form.

I have seen the painters leave brushes in the pot and pour a small drop of white spirit on top of the paint to prevent the skin forming.

Of course they would not be too inclined to tell me how long this method will last

.

mickot

I have successfully wrapped the brush tightly in cling film and it is OK the following day.

FrankGrimes

I seem to have a memory of seeing an ad that showed a kind of plastic box type thing that has some substance in it that emits fumes that keeps the brushes wet without having to actually dip them in anything - seemed gimmicky though.

For me I always leave it in white spirits if the paint was oil-based and wrap it nice and tight in a plastic bag if the paint was a water based emulsion.

Lex Luthor

i've wrapped emulsion based paint brushes in plastic bags for weeks and they've kept, but on gloss, I wouldn't be too sure if anything more than a day and you're talking throwing out the brush

9"solids

your best bet is to just clean the brush fully tonight

don't just put it into white spirits. All the left over paint will just goto the bottom and make it just as messy.

get a few pages of newspaper and get rid of as much gloss from the brush.
Ring out the brush by wrapping in paper and twisting with your hand.

then put in white spirits over night and start with a nice ckean brush tomorrow.

Lex Luthor

just stuck it in a tesco zip lock bag...lets see how long it lasts

Borzoi

Lex Luthor wrote:

At home today pinting the internal doors with gloss paint. Hate this job.
Anyway, dunno if I'll get it finished in time...so was just wondering is there a way without having to clean off the brush in white spirits to keep the bristles from hardening with paint for a few days?

The old pro way is to store all oil brushes in a pot of water. Usually enough water to cover all the bristles, and a small piece up the stock. When you need it, just lightly wipe the brush on the side of the pot, then brush onto an old newspaper.

Just keep your varnish brushes in a different water bath to your paint brushes.

The brush will be fine for a few days like this, but it won't last forever, eventually it will have to be cleaned out.

Fingalian

Wrap it in tinfoil( squeeze all the air out) and stick it in the fridge, it will keep for at least a week.

mad m

FrankGrimes wrote:

I seem to have a memory of seeing an ad that showed a kind of plastic box type thing that has some substance in it that emits fumes that keeps the brushes wet without having to actually dip them in anything - seemed gimmicky though.

This is actually no gimmic I can assure you,brushes last a lifetime in this box with the solution left open in it with a string of gause attached to it.I have seen a more portable one lastweek this one was plastic.The one I have in Public Lighting is a metal box.Its been there over 2-3 years now and I only cleaned out the bottom of this box the other day.

Inside this box you have hooks to sit brushes in,but the paint drips down to bottom,but doesnt really affect it.I just said Id give it a clean.There is space for up to 10-12 brushes.Only thing you have to do is top up the solution as time goes by.

Lex best bet is to do as Borzoi said it will last more than a week or two before it starts to harden a bit,just watch the levels of water as it tends to evaporate over a time.