How To Clean Pinstriping Brushes

I'm working on my first hand lettered sign with 1-shot.
What is the best way to clean and store brushes? Just swish around in 1-shot brush cleaner, then rinse with water? I've read about storing in oil or wrapping in newspaper. I got a few expensive brushes and don't want to ruin them. Thanks in advance.

They should

never see water

unless there is an initial binder holding the hairs together.

First thing you want to do is oil them. Dip in brush oil and turn upside down to get the oil up in the ferrule.

After using them clean the paint off with a rag, rinse well in at least two different containers of solvent and then oil them again. I usually feather the quill tip to a chizzlel with my thumb and pointer finger then store in a brush box.

Last edited: Feb 10, 2010

Go to an automotive store and get Non Detergent motor oil. If it doesn't say non detergent on the container then it is not likely to be non detergent.
You will be glad to have purchased the right oil , especially when you store tour brushes for several years.

old shop used lard oil, this one uses clean motor oil - NEVER water as mentioned, also only use it for oil based paints - no back'n'forthin between water based and oil based

YOU SCREWED UP ALREADY.........before you ever PUT BRUSH TO PAINT........quills in particular......SOAK THEM IN 10 W NON DETERGENT MOTOR OIL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
WHY???
doing this, allows the OIL..........to seep into the FERREL, where the hairs are tied. once the OIL in is the Ferrel.......THE 1 SHOT CANT GET UP THERE!!!! this will keep the brush soft and supple for many years. NOT DOING THIS..........will let paint in the ferrel, and IT WILL DRY IN THERE...this causes a rounding at the top of the hairs.......and you can never get this out .....unless maybe you got a good sonic cleaner.......

While it is best to soak the brushes with oil before using in paint it is not an absolute that you screwed up. Make sure you get all the paint out of the ferrule by squeezing it and the brush hairs continuously while rinsing in clean thinner. Do this again in oil until you feel confident all the paint is out. I prefer mineral oil as my brush oil and it allows for a more accurate visual of the paints being cleaned from the brush. If you have already rinsed them in water, then you may want to rinse them thoroughly in denatured alcohol and then go to a good rinse and ferrule massage with oil. Let them sit for a day or two fully loaded with oil and then repeat a clean thinner, then oil rinse. The brushes should then be okay.

It doesn't hurt to wash them in water before you use them for the first time.

On a new brush, I'll clean the brush good with mineral spirits, then soak in Transmission Fluid, turn upside down so it will work into the ferrel, squeeze out excess and store away. Tranny fluid sounds strange, but it has worked on my brushes for a long time.

1. open your hand
2. lay handle of brush across the palm of that hand
3. now place other hand over the handle, like your praying
4. now turn hands so the hairs of the brush are on the bottom
5. now roll hands back a forth.........like you tryin to warm them up
6. this will turn the brush rapidly throwing off all cleaning solvent
7. now find the twisted wire.........
8. now with finger and thumb, flatten the hairs using the twisted wire as a guide for finding the the flat of the brush.
9. now.......lay the brush in a shallow tray that has 1/8-3/16" of 10W NON-DETERGENT MOTOR OIL.......
10. when you need to use again, take out brush, wipe handle of all oil, swish the hairs in mineral spirits to clean oil out....AND GO TO IT!!!!

O.P.....for once I agree with you. This particular practice you describe is usually shunned by most sign painters. My grandfather taught it to me and every other elder of the trade that I have ever known taught it as well. I'm glad you added it to your post.

daveb

General Know-it-all

I knew this was going to be a fun time. Although I just join signs101 I've read the forums for years and come to know that old paint is a really crusty old **** (I can appreciate that) and he's usually right. If you take his advice you could possibly retire with the those same brushes (might be stretching it a bit). The cleaning technique he described is exactly the one I was taught 30 years ago by my old boss and he was taught the same technique by his father when he was a kid. When he let me use one of the good brushes he always said the brush was older than I was. If it's broken in right a good brush can make a big difference (including flattening the hairs with the twist of the wire). It's the difference between craft and just painting a sign.