Folks,
There must be some clever device that will allow me to hang or stow a paint brush part way into the can so I don’t get paint up into the ferrule.
However, I didn’t see any at the Vista store. I use a 2.5g bucket with roller grate and lid for common colors and often have a brush and roller working. The roller hangs off the grate. The brush…
Need some sort of hook. Bit of wire or something.
What do you do?
The ToolBear
“Never met a man who couldn’t teach me something.” Anon.
With the right approach, you can restore old hardware—whether through soaking, scrubbing, or polishing—giving it a fresh look while preserving its original charm.
"I have learned so much thanks to the searchable articles on the FHB website. I can confidently say that I expect to be a life-long subscriber." - M.K.
Dig into cutting-edge approaches and decades of proven solutions with total access to our experts and tradespeople.
Start Free Trial NowGet instant access to the latest developments in green building, research, and reports from the field.
Start Free Trial Now
Replies
i used to have something on a smaller scale for my good art brushes. artists often have a bad habit of leaving their brushes sitting too long, bristle down, in a jar of turp. there was a great device for soaking brushes without damaging the bristles. it was a shallow can with a tall rigid handle arcing over the can. there was a coil around the handle just across the top, where you could wedge the handles of the brushes. it would grip them so you could suspend the bristles in turpentine without letting the tips touch the bottom. very useful, but i've never seen something like this for house painters. perhaps you could rig up something.
BTW, you know of course that a brush left long enough with the tip in wet paint will wick the paint up into the bristles anyway. i usually just cover with plastic when i have to set them down any length of time.
Glue a magnet to the side of the can with a dab of PL premium. Place the brush on the magnet, it will stick and stay out of the paint. The ferrule is metal... it will stick to the magnet. Works perfect.Handyman, painter, wood floor refinisher, property maintenance in Tulsa, OK
...'tho the magnet should run down the depth of the can to accomodate any level of paint. good idea, but makes me think, why not just use a hook on the end of some adjustable string or chain attached to the rim?
Your'e right. Get a long bar magnet then. That way one can place the brush at any depth. I think epoxy would work.I got this idea from my paint pail buddy can. It has a magnet to hold the brush with. It is small though. Not a 2.5 galloner. Hobby Lobby probably has some :)Handyman, painter, wood floor refinisher, property maintenance in Tulsa, OK
I just thought of something, darn. As the paint receded down the bucket and the brush followed the ferrule would get covered with wet paint since the magnet will still be covered with paint. So nix that idea. Anybody else have a good suggestion? I liked that wire spring on the handle idea but it might make it awkward to paint with with that on the handle.Handyman, painter, wood floor refinisher, property maintenance in Tulsa, OK
I use a roller tray so I don't brush and roller from the same paint container which I think I understand is how your do it.
This is my cut bucket. It's called a Handy Paint Pail. Liners are available which makes changing colors and cleanup a lot easier. It also has a built-in magnet for holding the brush by the ferrule, but I don't use it much. I store my wet brushes in plastic bags between uses.
View Image
And here's my gimmick for storing clean brushes. After I clean them, I hang them in the bucket, still wet, and let them dry out. They seem to hold their shape pretty well.
View Image
-Don
Edited 6/3/2006 6:33 am ET by DonCanDo
Edited 6/3/2006 6:34 am ET by DonCanDo
Boy you got some set --- of brushes that is.
I thought my collection was getting too big, but obviously not now that I see yours. Do a lot of painting?
Don K.
EJG Homes Renovations - New Construction - Rentals
That's about 1/2 of my brushes. The ones I use all of the time. The others, hanging in my basement, are more specialized such as oil brushes and large exterior brushes.
Mostly, I'm a painter (interior), but I do handyman work as well. It's really hard to schedule handyman work because it's so hard to tell how long a particular job will take. With painting, I can estimate much better so I need the painting to keep working regularly.
I don't really think that's a lot of brushes. Just yesterday, I had 4 of them working. One for each color. I clean them when I get home. And as long as I'm on the subject of cleaning brushes, here's a tip: the second to the last rinse is with a little bit of alcohol (rubbing or denatured). It really helps to get that last little bit out of the heel. The last rinse is plain water.
-Don
Filed your pix away in the IDEAS folder. Will have to try that alcohol rinse.
Work on oil? Have a door to do Monday.
How do you dispose of the thinner used to clean those brushes? Let solids settle and reuse? Strain on occasion?The ToolBear
"Never met a man who couldn't teach me something." Anon.
No use in using an alcohol rinse for oil. Between uses on the same job, I leave my oil brushes soaking in paint thinner in a coffee can (or similar) suspended so they don't take a set. Once I know I won't be using it for a while, I clean it thoroughly.
Used paint thinner goes back into a paint thinner container labeled "used". That stuff gets used to clean the brush the next time. The final rinse, or 2, is with new paint thinner. I don't bother straining. Solids seem to settle out all on their own. And (and this sort of surprises me) I never fill up nor completely empty the "used" container. Maybe I subconsciously use more as it gets fuller and less and it gets emptier. I don't know, but it works for me.
Of course some of the cloudiest paint thinner does find it's way down the drain. I don't know how environmentally friendly that is, but what else to do?
-Don
I think the enviromentally acceptable way of getting rid of the cloudiest paint thinner is to let the bucket sit open until it all evaporates then you throw the bucket away or tap out the residue and rinse/reuse.Handyman, painter, wood floor refinisher, property maintenance in Tulsa, OK
I think the enviromentally acceptable way of getting rid of the cloudiest paint thinner is to let the bucket sit open until it all evaporates then you throw the bucket away or tap out the residue and rinse/reuse.
I thought of that, but somehow it doesn't seem more "environmentally" friendly to just let the stuff evaporate into the atmosphere either. Maybe it's it's a better way for us humans to keep ourselves from getting re-exposed to the stuff, but I don't know why Mother Earth would prefer it in her air rather than her water.
Or maybe I'm just over-thinking it.
But another (and maybe the real) reason I don't like open containers is because they're a fire hazard. After all, how environmentally friendly could it be if I manage to start a conflagration?
-Don
@@ Of course some of the cloudiest paint thinner does find it's way down the drain. I don't know how environmentally friendly that is, but what else to do?
Good for starting fires, especially campfires. Slosh a bit on the wood and paper and light. Doesn't go off in a whoosh like gas.
I've double trash bagged a load of crumpled papers that will soak the stuff up. The ToolBear
"Never met a man who couldn't teach me something." Anon.
let it set and it will clear up...
pour off the clear and paper towel the left overs... let air dry and throw away as usual....Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming<!----><!----><!---->
WOW!!! What a Ride!<!----><!---->
Forget the primal scream, just ROAR!!!
I've seen some guys screw a drywall screw at an angle facing down towards the bottom of the bucket about midway into the handle of the brush. They just hang the brush there using that screw.
Just the reverse of my screw into the bucket and hole in brush.The ToolBear
"Never met a man who couldn't teach me something." Anon.
Toolbear, I used to have a square paintbrush box that had thinner in it. The brushed clipped onto a small rack inside and the bristles remained suspended in the thinner. Sometimes they would be in there for years before I took them out again. A little spin and they were good to go.
The solids settle to the bottom and every five years I'd have to clean the gunk out.
blue
Blue -
Your box have a lid on it to retard the evaporation of the solvent?
Wonder how those plastic buckets like solvent? Suspect not too much.
We don't see much oil in this job. The front door tomorrow will be the first time I've had to paint with it for this company. Did the deck of my boat in ValSpar porch and deck paint (alykd) and like the results.
The ToolBear
"Never met a man who couldn't teach me something." Anon.
Toolbear, the paintbox was purchased in a pro paint shop. They have lids and latch down tightly. I don't have it anymore ( I gave a lot of stuff away when I moved from the lake that had the barn) but if I remember correctly, it had some sort of rubber or foam gasket that sealed the top. I thn the latch put a bit of pressure on the lid when clasped. The box itself was tin I believe with all it's seams soldered tight. It was a great tool.
blue
Sounds like a 40mm ammo can or similar would do just fine. All the ammo cans come with positive catches and waterproof gaskets.The ToolBear
"Never met a man who couldn't teach me something." Anon.
conditioning brushes:
don't laugh, but i literally use a cheap hair rinse conditioner, like Suave. once i've cleaned the brushes thoroughly, i work in some suave and smooth the bristles back into shape, then i just leave it that way until the next use. rinse out before painting again (or the day before if i want the brush dry). the bristles stay soft and pliable and the y kep their shape well too.
msm-s,I used to use conditioner on brushes too. I had a daughter who was in beauty school, learning all about hair, bringing home pictures of unconditioned vs conditioned hair, etc. Maybe I'll have to restock.Fz
Yep toolbear, the ammo cans would be perfect. you'd have to retrofit a clamping system inside it, but it works great. After getting that box, I never cleaned a brush again!
blue
@@ you'd have to retrofit a clamping system inside it,
Bar with spring clips for holding tools, or screws and holes in the brush handles.
Bigger problem - finding 40mm cans. Should be there somewhere. With this war on, the surplus stores might have some new surplus.
The ToolBear
"Never met a man who couldn't teach me something." Anon.
I really like your bucket brush holder idea. You should send that in to Charlie Miller's "Tips and Techniques" column.Also thanks for the tip on cleaning brushes the alcohol/water last rinses. I'll give that a good try. I used to have the idea of using "conditioner" on my natural brushes, but lost interest in doing it. Not sure it was worthwhile.Fz
Who's Charlie Miller and where can I find him?
I've also used paint thinner as the second to last rinse. It does help to condition the brushes, but I don't like the smell (and I can't use it when the dryer is running because all of our clothes will pick up the smell) and it doesn't really help all that much anyway.
Some painters seem to like to wet their brushes before they use them. They claim it makes them easier to clean. I've tried it and don't like it. Too wet and paint runs down the handle. Too dry and it's just like using a dry brush. There doesn't seem to be a happy medium.
-Don
"I've also used paint thinner as the second to last rinse. It does help to condition the brushes, but I don't like the smell (and I can't use it when the dryer is running because all of our clothes will pick up the smell) and it doesn't really help all that much anyway."On oil brushes I after soaking them in MS to get the bulk out I have been working in some waterless hand cleaner. Then rinsing that out.
do you have any suggestions for cleaning stain from brushes?
Just like paint or is there a better way?
do you have any suggestions for cleaning stain from brushes?
I rarely use brushes for stain. I like rags. When I do use brushes, I will either use a disposable brush (I don't have to worry about stray bristles because it all gets wiped down with a rag) or foam brushes.
For decks and siding, I'll use rollers and mini-rollers. Again disposable.
-Don
Who's Charlie Miller and where can I find him? (DonCanDo)Well, I thought everybody knew. Charlie's the editor of "Tips and Techniques" at FHB. You can send him a photo like yours email (the adr is in the mag). You went on to talk about general care of brushes - I have recently started wrapping a round and a half of duct tape BACKWARDS around the business end - not tight, just a little snug - to hold that tight shape and avoid "wild hairs". The jury is out, but it's easy and fast and there is a problem to solve with the "flaring" as brushes get age on them. If you don't like the "sticky side out" with the duct tape you can go 1 1/2 turns backwards then stop and just reverse 1 round.Fz
Thanks. "Tips and Techniques" kept bouncing around in my head because it sounded so familiar. And then I had a "duh" moment. Of course, I read it all the time.
-Don
> Some painters seem to like to wet their brushes before they use them. They claim it makes them easier to clean
Yes, the idea is to soak the solvent for the kind of paint you're using -- water, mineral spirits, alcohol -- up into the ferrule. Then strike out the bristles, and start painting. The water or thinner occupies the tiny spaces that the paint would otherwise soak up into, leaving no room for it. Being careful to not get paint that high doesn't work -- at least not for long enough. Paint creeps up into those tiny spaces between the bristles.
The other thing is to keep the cardboard or plastic that a good brush comes in, and put it away with that cover on. It helps to hold the bristles straight and together.
-- J.S.
Seems like it would be a pain to get to just a few brushes in the middle - looks like you have to dump em all to get to one.Maybe a better idea would be to epoxy rare earth magnets around the perimeter of a 5g bucket. You'd have a bit less capacity, but they'd stay put, hold their shape and you'd be able to grab whatever one you need at any given time.Plus, you could epoxy some 1.5 pvc stubs at the bottom for rollers to sleeve onto with a perforated false floor so that they could drain completely.One bucket would hold /drain /store 7-13 brushes and 4-5 rollers.That's a bunch of brushes, Seems like more than any one guy would need at any given moment - I think you'd better admit to yourself that you just like buying brushes...JT
Yeah, sometimes it's a nuisance getting a brush in the middle, but realistically, I only need to do that once per day. Well, actually twice, if you count putting it back.
And yes, it's more brushes than I could need at any one time, but they're always with me regardless of what kind of painting job I'm heading off to.
Am I rationalizing my brush obsession? No, it's really just a benign manifestation of my tool obsession and tool obsessions are okay. Aren't they?
-Don
Like the magnet idea. I have hot glued magnets to my drills and such for screws and bits to park. Also, stimulated by these ideas: spring fingers.
Might work on a paint can. Perhaps a super magnet on a track outside.
Another thought is a set of spring fingers - such as used to hold brooms - but smaller. Bolt to rim. Adjust handle up or down. I could gin up some fixture that will hook on the rim and hold with a magnet or fingers. Take it with me. I have five 2.5g cans of various shades at this one project alone.
Hate taking 5g into field. Expensive accidents await. Once on blacktop, it's forever.
Too many of my co-workers have trusted the other guy to make fast the lid. There goes $120 of paint. One drove off with a set of six quart samples. Got around the far end of our complex when he noticed. That would explain the beige streak, puddle and return streak down the drive. Looks good against the black.
I put the 2.5g inside a 5g, both with lids, and then into the van. Strap in place.
I just need a place to park the brush for some minutes. For longer breaks they get wrapped in plastic wrap. Occasionally put in the ice box.The ToolBear
"Never met a man who couldn't teach me something." Anon.
@@ Hanging brushes
Today I ran some long tek screws into a few of the 2.5 buckets and drilled the brushes I was using.
Low tech, but the screw held the brush while I used the roller. This after looking thru the Depot for a spring clip - which is probably the solution for variable paint levels. The ToolBear
"Never met a man who couldn't teach me something." Anon.
hmm that is a good idea. Simple and easy!Handyman, painter, wood floor refinisher, property maintenance in Tulsa, OK
I always found that bucket buddy or whatever its called has always worked well for me. That magnet built into it was a great idea as was the removeable liner.
I "always" clean my brushes real well after use which means to me...wiping the last bit of paint out on my wall first. Washing the brush and roller with warm water till most all the paint is out. Then I use dish soap and wash some more. Then I ALWAYS use my spinner to get all the water out, then I comb the brush out and put it back in the case it came in and if one of my guys looses the case ( I hate that) I make a new one out of a piece of cardboard box and duct tape. You'll find those home made cases all over my shop...lol.
When I'm using oil base paint like I'm doing now on the outside of my house....especially for so long (I'll be painting this house a good month or better full time with 1-2 guys + me) I keep the brushes suspended in a coffee can of thinner with the plastic lid on and a hole cut in the top for each paint brush handle to poke through.
At the end of the work week I thoroly clean the brushes for the weekend and put em' back in their cases.
To me...washing in warm soapy water, spinning and combing and wrapping the brushes in their case makes for a sharp tool. Get in the habit!
If Blodgett says, Tipi tipi tipi it must be so!
TipiFest 06~~> Send me your email addy for a Paypal invoice to the greatest show on earth~~>[email protected]
That should keep them looking good and maintaining shape. Ever try the alcohol rinse mentioned in this thread?The ToolBear
"Never met a man who couldn't teach me something." Anon.
That should keep them looking good and maintaining shape. Ever try the alcohol rinse mentioned in this thread?>>>
I've done a final wipe with denatured alcohol but usually its never necessary because I get them real clean before I get to that point.
At worst I use the DA to just wipe off the shnitzels from the heel of the brushes before I pack em' into their cases.
I also put all my brushes in one bucket of "brush cleaner" over night when the job is over.... then spin n' comb....wipe n' pack.
I look at it two ways with painting tools. When you're painting there aren't too many tools you use like when I do carpentry or tile or.....
So keeping the brushes clean and sharp should really be the least of it. I find that most people see brushes as a throw away tool. Pizzes me off actually. When any of the people that work for me loose or throw away the cases that really irks me to no end. OR I see them do a quick clean...no spin and no comb....grrrrrrrrrrrrrr.
Secondly...lets say between me and one guy that may be working for me...like on the paint jon we're doing right now. We're probably using 4-5 different brushes every day for different purposes. Thats over a hundred bucks in brushes....Adds up real fast!
Be well
a...If Blodgett says, Tipi tipi tipi it must be so!
TipiFest 06~~> Send me your email addy for a Paypal invoice to the greatest show on earth~~>[email protected]
when you are using a grid and roller just prop the bristles against the roller and the handle against the bucket. This only works for the short time before you start bend the bristles. I use a screw in cup hook which I screw into the handle of the brush just above the ferell then I can keep a loaded brush hanging from the lip of my cut/rolling bucket
I have a clip on magnet that I got at my paint supplier(Sherwin Williams). It clips onto paint cans and buckets and holds a magnet down inside so the bristles hang in the paint. I just reload the bucket if the level gets too low or move to smaller can/bucket. In between coats, I hang the brush in another bucket with water.