Nautical Research Journal Tips & Techniques


Paintbrush maintenance or, how to keep your brushes like new By Kurt Van Dahm


Aſt er cleaning your brush in the normal manner with thinner, open the brush cleaner and preserver container and wet your brush with water. T en rub the wet brush across the soap cake media, working up lather. You may need to add water from the brush more than once to accomplish this. Using your fi ngers, work the lather into the brush. Rinse the brush in clean water and wipe across a clean, dry cloth to dry off the brush. You may have to repeat this process a few times to get your brush clean the fi rst time you use the product.


Clean your brushes – really clean them.


Most modelers think that rinsing their paintbrush in the appropriate thinner a few times until no more color transfers to a towel when wiping away the thinner is adequate cleaning.


T e fi rst time one really cleans a paintbrush is a revelation. What was thought to be a clean brush sure had a lot of crud in it. My eyes were surprised at the amount of crud that had accumulated in my favorite brush the fi rst time I really cleaned it.


Artists use their brushes daily and most cannot aff ord to be replacing their expensive brushes too oſt en, so they have learned how to care for their brushes. T e key to keeping and using a brush for years is to do a thorough cleaning job every time.


Artists use a brush cleaner and conditioner on their brushes before ending each day’s work. I have been using a product called T e Masters Brush Cleaner and Preserver that comes in a round, plastic, fl at container with a screw on lid. Cost is under $8 for 2.5 ounces, which is enough to last most modelers several years. T ere are also liquid brush cleaners that work in the same way, but I have used the soap cake type for many years and see no need to change.


Next, a brush shaper product is used to maintain the brush’s shape. Without using one of these products, the bristles will eventually start to fan out and lose the original shape of the brush. Modelers are not as rough on their brushes as some artists as we seldom work paint into a surface, but just the process of repeated cleanings will cause the bristles to fan out if not treated. Many products on the market aid the preservation of the brush’s shape. I have been using one called Brush Shaper brush restoration by Mona Lisa Products. It is not very expensive at $5.99 for a small jar (about 2.5 ounces) that will last a long time.


Aſt er the brush is clean, dip the brush in the Brush Shaper. Using your fi ngers, work the fl uid into the bristles and reshape the bristles to their original shape and set aside to dry. Stand the brush, with the handle end down, in your brush container until needed again.


When ready to use the brush again, apply a slight pressure back and forth to the bristles with your fi ngers to loosen the residue. T en with a quick stroke, run the brush across the palm of your hand to remove the Brush Shaper from the bristles. You can also rinse the brush with water to remove the residue.


By following these simple steps, you can keep a brush in very good shape for many years.


Now for a test. Take a clean brush from your selection of brushes and clean it for the fi rst time as described above to see just how much crud is in that clean brush. You might be very surprised.


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