The thread on Wooster brushes reminded me of this.

 

When varnishing, I do two things. 

• Before brushing, I wet the brush in mineral spirits.  This wicks up the bristles to the ferrule and helps varnish from getting stuck up there.  Wipe out excess with a clean cloth.
• After brushing, clean in a dip of mineral spirits / paint thinner.  I usually keep two jars, labelled I and II (or three if you wish).   Dip first in jar II and swish around.  Then wipe  with a clean cloth.  Repeat in Jar I.   Then have a third jar with lacquer thinner and repeat there.  Pull out, wipe, and put in a brush wrap to hold the bristles.  You can cap and reuse all the jars.  But when jar II gets too much sediment, get a new jar and label it jar I, and promote  the old jar I to jar II.  Safely discard contents of the retired jar II (pour on sawdust and/or let it evaporate away (outside)).

 

 

Every few years, there might be a build up of varnish.  Take whatever brushes with this and do a cleaning.  They sell a brush cleaner that is a combination of many solvents.  I've also just used NMP stripper.  I grab a jar that will fit all the brushes needing cleaned, put them and the cleaning solution in, rubber band a plastic bag over the top, and set in the garage or porch overnight.   Then the next day pull them out and rinse in whatever solvent or water is needed.

 

Shellac brushes don't need to be cleaned as well because a 10 - 15 minute soak in denatured alcohol before use will soften them right up.

 

Just be careful to keep all jars in a safe place where they will not fall over and leak or break and have a tight fitting lid.  Glass jars that have had  pickles or spaghetti sauce seem to work well for me.

Thanks!!

Great tips Keith, you know I forget about the staying power of thinners and solvents, I remember as a kid dad always had a mason jar of used paint thinner on his shelf with about an inch of sediment in the bottom, but the upper portion was clear as water, still useable for cleaning. Thanks for the reminder.

3 hours ago, John Morris said:

Great tips Keith, you know I forget about the staying power of thinners and solvents, I remember as a kid dad always had a mason jar of used paint thinner on his shelf with about an inch of sediment in the bottom, but the upper portion was clear as water, still useable for cleaning. Thanks for the reminder.

Do you have to bootleg mineral spirits into CA?  I heard you can't get denatured alcohol.

1 hour ago, kmealy said:

Do you have to bootleg mineral spirits into CA? 

I think I have mineral spirits, smells like mineral spirits, I'll have to check the label. I think denatured alcohol is still ok.