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**Bunkerbarge** · 22-10-2007

Firstly a warm welcome to the forum.

Secondly you're right the brushes do look a bit tired. Without knowing the whole story I can only give you a few tips as follows:

1) Try not to overload the brush, you should only usually have the tip soaked in paint. If you need more then you should be using a bigger brush.

2) Clean the brushes as soon as you finish painting, do not leave it around while the paint hardens on it.

3) Use the correct thinners for the paint. Water will work with some such as acrylics but it is not as good a solvent as the correct thinners.

4) Do not leave the brush standing in the thinners to "soak". Clean it immediately you have finished with it and lay it down again.

5) While you are cleaning it wipe the brush on a clean tissue and do not stop cleaning until you have no colour showing on the tissue.

6) While you are wiping with the tissue gently roll the bristles across the tissue between your fingers, do not pull or bend the bristles as you wipe them.

7) Store your brushes either laid down in a drawer or upright in a jar so that nothing is laid against the bristles. If the brush came with a plastic sheath, refit it after you have cleaned the brush, you may find it helps to wet it slightly to help it go into the tube withour bending any bristles.

8) Cheap brushes are a big mistake. Buy the best you can afford and you will be surprised at how long they will last if looked after.

Nothing too cosmic there but they might help to to get the most out of your brushes.

22-10-2007	#2 (permalink)
Bunkerbarge Moderator Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Halifax, Yorks: Nassau, Bahama's:Port Canaveral, USA: and all points in between. Real Name: Richard My Models: Robbe U-47, Deans Marine Cossack, Steam Coaster, Revell U-Boat, Motorcycles. Visit Bunkerbarge's Gallery Posts: 3,554 Thanks: 1 Thanked 2 Times in 2 Posts Images: 230	Firstly a warm welcome to the forum. Secondly you're right the brushes do look a bit tired. Without knowing the whole story I can only give you a few tips as follows: 1) Try not to overload the brush, you should only usually have the tip soaked in paint. If you need more then you should be using a bigger brush. 2) Clean the brushes as soon as you finish painting, do not leave it around while the paint hardens on it. 3) Use the correct thinners for the paint. Water will work with some such as acrylics but it is not as good a solvent as the correct thinners. 4) Do not leave the brush standing in the thinners to "soak". Clean it immediately you have finished with it and lay it down again. 5) While you are cleaning it wipe the brush on a clean tissue and do not stop cleaning until you have no colour showing on the tissue. 6) While you are wiping with the tissue gently roll the bristles across the tissue between your fingers, do not pull or bend the bristles as you wipe them. 7) Store your brushes either laid down in a drawer or upright in a jar so that nothing is laid against the bristles. If the brush came with a plastic sheath, refit it after you have cleaned the brush, you may find it helps to wet it slightly to help it go into the tube withour bending any bristles. 8) Cheap brushes are a big mistake. Buy the best you can afford and you will be surprised at how long they will last if looked after. Nothing too cosmic there but they might help to to get the most out of your brushes. __________________ “Dirty British coaster with a salt-caked smoke stack, Butting through the Channel in the mad March days"