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

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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

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.)

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!

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!

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.

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

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.

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

Solid gold. Thanks, Stumpy.

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.

@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.

Great video as always Buddy. I just purchased your plans for the bandsaw. Looks great and I can't wait to build it. Keep making your extremely useful videos. 👍👍👍 Thank you for sharing and stay safe out there. 😊😊😊

Great tips. Thank you sir

Good tips, thanks mate

This is the best brush-cleaning video I have ever seen, full of excellent tips. You gave many points that contradict frequently given bad advice about brush cleaning, especially your points about keeping the paint out of the bristles near the ferrule (by possibly wrapping that portion of the brush with painter's tape), cleaning the brush between coats, not leaving the brush to soak too long in mineral spirits, and storing the brush in its cardboard cover or wrapping the brush with the tape adhesive facing outward. Thank you for this terrific video!

Very good tip! I was looking for better ways to maintain my paint brush.

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.

one of the best tutorials. been waiting for this a long time. thank you so much

Thanks for the great video James! 👍

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.

I really appreciate new thoughts, tips, ideas, different points of view. I have a “throw away brush” that I have been using for a long time. Why? ....why not! Just a tradition I guess. Many years ago I had a professor who would make you clean brushes similar to your video and would make us go back and clean it again if he could smell any trace of solvent......... he wanted only to smell soap. Also I have a few really good expensive brushes that have given me years of service buy cleaning them well.

Great video very useful

wowww, that was mind blowing! great. thank you

Great video and tips James, thank you! How about a video on how you can save a good paintbrush that has accidentally been left to dry out?

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.

Thank you for this informative video. The steps involved in a proper cleaning, are very helpful. Excellent presentation and you went at a pace everyone could follow. Thanks also for not using any foul language, as my youngsters can also enjoy presentations like you gave today. This is not an adult channel . Thank you again.

Always good info

I’ve always steered clear of oil based products bc I was afraid of clean up. Thank you for this video

Nice tips.... I’ve been doing pretty much the way you recommend... ! Mind that the quality of some brushes is not so good,... so it becomes more expensive to recover them...! In a sustainable perspective I would say... buy good brushes and wash them... ! Thanks forma-se vid!

Second cup? Excellent.

Good Video lesson Stumpy, Thanks for that. I am using water based coatings for nearly all my finishing jobs and follow the same procedures. This however with warm water as "solvent". With the last rinse, I das a little dishwashing soap, this Keep my Brüste in good shape for a long time. Needless to say, that buying good quality brushes give better results than the cheap ones you can buy in the non food department of the super market. Rgds from Germany and stay safe.

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.

Thank you for posting this. I probably would've subscribed anyway... but with a large (for us at least) imminent project, that blue tape tip sounds like a great idea. Wish I'd looked for this video two days ago, since I skipped steps two and three in my ignorance. The door looks great in that shirt clip. Cheers!

I soak the brush in thinner up to the ferrule prior to use, this prevents paint from wicking up the bristles and drying in the ferrule, it makes clean up very easy.

I usually just buy my brushes in a good quality and 3-4 of each i need. I use them as much need for the project and dispose them.. If I take the brush fro the shelf, then it’s time to restock. Accasionally I do clean the between projects, but not always the cleaned on I pick up next time. But thanks for tip on the cleaning tip.

Yep this is exactly how I clean my brushes. The second batch of fresh solvent is critical. Honestly using thinner can sometimes bring back a brush that had residue left and dried hard. Big tip on saving the used up first batch of cleaner for thinning poly. Ive been wasting it all lol. I find paint thinner is a little more aggressive at cleaning than odorless mineral spirits.

Interesante video. Un saludo.

Great video! I've learned so much valuable knowledge from your channel! It's like a breath of fresh air compared to all of the overly flashy videos that have unfortunately become the norm on youtube. Quick question: I know this may be a silly question, but what advice can you give me in terms of cleanup and disposal of all of the products used to clean the brushes? Like the soapy water used to clean off the last bit of the residue left by the mineral spirits--do I just poor that down the sink? Also, mineral spirits are not really available in my area, so would you recommend paint thinner? Thanks again for all that you do!

Same method I have always used but when finished I wrap my brush in 'Kitchen Paper' nice & tight

Stumpy, do what the professionals do!!!!! Buy a brush and roller Spinner and spin your brushes out between cleaning, in a proper paint thinner and use an empty 5 gallon bucket to spin the brush out. Yes put the brush back in it's packaging. A Spinner is cheap to buy and will last your lifetime or better unless you go pro and are using it 30 to 50 times a day. Then it may only last 2 to 5 years. You can clean latex brushes too. Spend your money on good brushes... always!! Good brushes will last a very long time cleaned with a Spinner. Foam brushes are a waist of space and are made of one use plastic. :-)

I hope that episode of cool tools is still a thing with the new very high end plane (bridge city)

There are brush combs that help facilitate clean out. Or use to be?

if you lost the cardboard holder, you can also fold some scratch paper, paper bag, old bills, whatever around the brush in a shape that will help keep the brush in shape and yo can reuse it.

That is what we always do ! But I was lucky to be the son of a painter.

Did not know I had to do a final step with the dish detergent. Wrong for 30 years.

The blue tape on the brush... genius. A handful more uses for painters tape and it's going to give duct tape a real run for it's money!

Excellent tips! Thank you for this! BTW, are those Aldi chisels behind your left elbow? I have been a part of a lengthy and lively chisel discussion over the past few weeks.

stumpy, the part of the bristles close to the metal is where the paint is stored for painting the thing, mineral spirits separate from the finish if left enough time, lacquer thinner don´t, you can make a sleeve out of aluminium foil or newspaper too.

Great video, with good tips. However , the first thing I noticed is that you are using the wrong type of brush for your SOLVENT based finish. Synthetic bristle brushes are for waterborne finishes; natural bristle brushes are for solvent based finishes. The cleaning process you demonstrated was good for natural bristle brushes less the last step using water and soap, NEVER use water to clean a natural bristle brush, and therefore never use a natural bristle brush with waterborne coatings. For solvent cleaning, I would not recommend using the used solvent for reducing/ thinning of your finishes, this is a good way to contaminate the finish. I recommend keeping a 2-1/2 gallon plastic jug to pour your spent thinner into after each rinse. If you let this container sit undisturbed, the solids will settle to the bottom. Gently pour from the container into a 1 gallon container and keep this solvent for your first cleaning to break up the heavy finish. Continue with your process using clean solvent each step for three additional rinses , spin out the last rinse, shape and store in the original jacket. NO WATER! So to recap I keep three solvent containers : 1) Fresh clean solvent. 2) 2-1/2 gallon dirty for settling. 3) 1 Gallon container of used poured from settling tank for first rinse. This process will give you miles and miles of use from a small amount of solvent, since you are recycling every rinse over and over. I hope this helps. Use the correct type of brush for the type of finish material and you'll get a better result.

I generally go through 3 cleanings, and I use a stainless steel brush in between each just to make doubly sure I'm getting out any deeply embedded paint/finish.

Amazing video, thank you so much for clear and concise explanation. Quick question, can you use red solo cup to hold mineral spirits? I thought mineral spirits would destroy it since its plastic? Also, when you are done with cleaning, where to you pour mineral spirits?

Just like Grandpa taught me James👍

I stopped using a brush to apply oil finishes. I just use a shop towel.

will paint thinner work with oil based paints?

Thanks for great tips! What is the proper way to clean brush from a water based finishes?

will paint thinner work ?

Even after reusing, I often end up with thinner that must be disposed of. Living in the country, I pour it over my scraps in the burn barrel and light it up. My more urban friends don’t have that option. What is a good disposal method for used thinner?

Just don"t confuse your red cups when having a cold pop.

I like wetting my brushes with the appropriate solvent prior to loading it with the finish. Don't leave enough to dilute the finish. If it's a big job wet the brush once in a while. When you clean your brush don't be afraid to open the space between the bristles to clean it up well. Sometimes you might need to clean off heavy build up with a wire brush. Use it only going from the ferrule toward the fine end of the bristles. These are just tips I use learning from professional painters. ALWAYS try it on a sample before using it on your better brushes. I hope this helps some of you. Take care & be safe!!

Thank you for the final step of rinsing with water & dish detergent. Everyone else leaves this out

You forgot the first step of cleaning. Remove the excess finish from the brush before dipping in any solvent. I have always used one spot in my shop to work the remaining finish out of the brush. The unfinished plywood on the inside of my shop door has all manner of paints varnishes and oils on it. If i have let the brush get overloaded i will use a rag first. the finish left in the brush is wasted already but I see no need to use anymore solvent than necessary. 3 successive rinses with a small amount of solvent does the trick then a quick wash with soap and water.

What about brushes that sat too long- and the finish pretty much petrified the bristles??? I have two brushes I bought last fall that I forgot out in my garage.

So what about the Bob Ross method? Plus it’s fun beating the tar out of your old brush, natural that is.

I'll using old hand tools to do my woodworking. Somthing about the feel of the old tools. My question is, are there any advantages of older pint brushes by chance? Like wrre any of types made of maybe a material you can't find today that was highly desired "back in the day"? I've seen some oldr brushes that "look " like they would be a great tool for the arsenal. If so, why ae some type or brands I should look for. Thanks in advance

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Is there any danger of the solvent softening the cup that is used to hold the solvent? It would be messing if the plastic cup melted while containing solvent, dirty or clean.

When I pour my dirty solvent off to thin other finishes, I get this huge gross white seperation with polyurethane. Not sure what that is.

The brush in this video appears to have synthetic bristles. Synthetic bristles are not the best choice for solvent based finishes. I know the label says for all finishes but natural bristles work much better for oil finishes. Save the synthetic bristles for waterborne finishes. Note: Never use natural bristle brushes for water based finishes. The bristles will absorb water and swell, ruining the brush.

Askwoodman (Alan Little of VerySuperCool Tools) has a great video on cleaning brushes used for oil based finishing. Check it out too.

Being a painting company owner, I'm trying to get the word out that there are many water-based options out there that will work as well or better than oil-based finishes. I know, I know... your grandpa trusted it so that's what you go with. But this is 2020. Call up a local Ben Moore dealer and tell them what you're looking for and I'm sure they can point you in the right direction. Stay away from the big box stores. But, if you have to use oil, this is the way to clean your brushes. And don't buy cheap brushes. They will make you regret it.

Yeah but how about that 29 cent savings on stir fry vegetables.

I just wasted a brush because I wasn’t prepared to clean it ahhhh

Oil based what is that? I live CA they’ve pretty much gotten rid of anything oil based.

Good tips, but let's take it a step further. Don't store oil or lacquer-based solvents in plastic cups for the long term. They could potentially degrade, soften, or even melt the plastic. Use a glass jar or metal can. Glass jars are great because they can be used to collect dirty thinner. Over time, the solids will settle out and the clean thinner on the top can be poured off and reused in a temporary container. You can also pour the used thinner through coffee filters amd reuse it. Just don't toss it down the drain, in the trash, or on the ground.

The folks that gave this video a thumbs down are obviously foam brush manufacturers...

Watch out for those red cups though, brush cleaner will make that melt like a witch in water

Where can you not buy mineral spirits? Must be California?

I can't receive notifications from this channel when videos are posted because it is set as "made for kids" according to RU-vid. Is this correct?

Thanks. I have been using nearly this technique for years. But, discussing brush cleaning and showing application with a disposable foam brush is questionable, I'd say.

Here is another tip from a professional yacht varnisher in ft Lauderdale. He varnishes multi million dollar yachts and “museum” boats. After he cleans the brush, he puts it in a brush spinner and spins it dry. Available at good paint stores and i think HD and Lowes. Ive had mine for over 15 years and use it for any brush or paint. It will even spin dry rollers. Really......

Life is too short. Chuck it in the bin when finished. Buy a new one. Repeat.

Before pouring solvent into your "plastic" cup.... THINK! Will the solvent dissolve the cup?

I just don't bother with brushes. Just use an HVLP spray gun. And even then, I will opt for the water based stuff, because it is so much easier to clean (and doesn't smell like chemical war).