Cleaning oil-based paint - arrghhh.

[alwayscurious]

time = money.

many things can slow you down. Like trying to clean a brush?

True story:

I hadn't finished the job, and it was bedtime, so I tried the gladwrap option with enamel paint on one of my RotaCota spirit wide brushes.

DOH! It went kinda hard all around the outside of the bristles
(not completely hard) I tried cleaning - but no avail

I should have just thrown it away and in fact had wrapped it back up and it was in the bin. But now I had no brush to finish the job!! So I got it back out, and I carefully trimmed the outer layer off with a stanley knife - and now I use it for a daggy brush - painting things like fence, bench etc. ..

It came up OK but now I need a new brush for really good work.. sigh.

I now find the best option is to have a tin full of turps, full enough to submerge the bristles in, and leave the brush in it overnight if you haven't finished the job.

I used successfully another tip I found on here:

when you do finish, use small amounts of turps in a bowl or something to clean all the paint out - rinse in small amounts 2 or three times, then shake it violently (outside) onto a board or cardboard / newspaper and chuck out the paper.

 

[Tools]

The best way is to first remove as much paint as possible by brushing on to some paper or timber.Then in a small tin with a little turps push the brush up and down vigorously yet gently.When turps is dirty,discard and repeat the process with clean turps,shaking out in between (a roller spinner in a bucket is better).Then when you think it is clean,repeat the process again in thinners,and you will be surprised how much paint still comes out.Then wash in warm soapy water...job complete!

Tools

 

[alwayscurious]

Thinners!

Ah - I have some of that at home!

Good idea - I will try it next time.

Kudos tools..

Cheers
ac

 

[depreciator]

And finally, wash the brush in hair conditioner.

I may be imagining it, but this seems to keep my good brushes in better condition. I guess it's logical, but agree that it may be a tad anal. I've obviously watched too many hair conditioner ads on TV.

Scott

 

[alwayscurious]

alternatively,

you could wash your hair in thinner and turps and see how that goes.

Just a thought..

 

[DD1]

Gloss and I are not friends

With the fact that I am alergic to Terps, metho and iodine, having to use terps on my hairy arms and legs the first time I used gloss was NOT good.

I wear a lightweight overall just in case, cheap leather gloves as they are not porous, and a cloth with terps at the ready to get the paint off and then wash in green dishwashing liquid to remove the traces left on my skin.

For doing gloss on the inside of window trims I use the $5.88 cutting in tool available in bunnings. $1.50 brushes again from bunnings so I can throw them away as soon as finished, and I buy mre turps than I need in case i dollop gloss on a carpet where the drop sheet has moved(doh!!).

I always do the gloss first as it is the hardest to do properly, then you have more drying time while you do acrylic everywhere else. Another benifit of this is that if you dollop acrylic onto gloss later, water and a rag will save the day in a sec.

Good Luck with my pet hate......gloss!

DD1