Handyman Guide > Storing Brushes

The best and safest way of storing a brush for any period of time is first to clean it thoroughly. Wipe the excess paint on a board and soak the brush in the proper cleaning liquid. Remove the brush from the liquid and slap out the fluid and the paint, repeating this operation until most of the paint has been removed.



Clean the metal ferrule with a small, stiff brush. Flush out the brush by pouring liquid through the bristles, shake it to remove the excess liquid, and hang it up to dry.

A brush used in oil paint can be stored overnight by rinsing it with a little turpentine and wrapping it in newspapers. Make certain that the bristles are straight and place the brush flat after it has been wrapped. A somewhat easier method for temporarily storing a brush is to drill a small hole in the handle and put a piece of wire through the hole. Now the brush can be suspended in a can of linseed oil or some equally good solvent with the wire resting on the edges of the container. Have the brush high enough so that the tips of the bristles do not touch the bottom of the container.

Solvents. Brushes used in oil paints can be cleaned with linseed oil, non-leaded gasoline, kerosene, or turpentine. Varnish brushes should be cleaned with benzine or turpentine. Shellac brushes can only be cleaned in denatured alcohol. Enamel brushes should be cleaned with the same solvents used for varnish brushes. Brushes used for lacquer can only be cleaned with a special lacquer thinner, and nothing else should be used. Water-paint brushes can be cleaned by washing them in warm water.

TYPES OF PAINT

There are two general kinds of paint which the home mechanic will most often use. One is oil paint, composed of a pigment such as white lead, with linseed oil used as the vehicle. The other is water paint, in which a whiting and glue are mixed with a water vehicle. There are many classifications of each kind, but we shall list only a few of the more familiar ones.

Oil Paints. Exterior, or house paint, as it is often called, is made for all surfaces exposed to the weather and to extreme changes in temperature. It can be applied to wood or metal-provided that the metal has been properly treated before the paint is applied. A good quality exterior paint is tough, water resistant, and dries with a gloss. Any wood surface that is exposed to the weather should receive three coats of exterior paint for maximum protection.

Interior oil paint is similar to that used for outside work, except that it is not as resistant to moisture and temperature changes. It should, however, be sufficiently tough and durable to withstand washings and to keep moisture from penetrating to the woodwork. A considerable amount of moisture will collect around window sashes during the winter, and if the finish on the wood is not of a good quality, water will damage the wood.

Paints for use on floors must be especially tough and elastic. An ordinary outside paint should not be used as a finish for the floor because it will not long withstand the scraping and grinding of footsteps and furniture moved about the floor.

Continue to Varnish



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The Workshop
Equipping the Workshop - Heating - Fire Precautions - The Workbench - Saw Bucks - Tool Rack.

Home Construction
Elements of the House - Building Materials - Lumber - Molding - Kinds of Wood and their Characteristics - Plywood Wallboard - Roofing Materials - Concrete - Mixing Concrete - Cement Mortar - Concrete Forms - Concrete Blocks - Cinder Blocks - Bricklaying - Fieldstone - Anchoring in Masonry - Soldering.

Furniture
Upholstered Furniture - Furniture Upkeep - Removing Stains - Removing Dents - Leather Upholstery - Cane Seats - Furniture Repairs - How to Repair Breaks - Levelling furniture - Remodeling Furniture - Polishes and Polishing - French Polishing - Painting Furniture - Sticking Drawers - Metal Furniture.

Painting
Paint Brushes - Storing Brushes - Varnish - Water Paint and Plastic Paint - Types of Paint - Paint Thinners - Mixing Paints - Preparing the Surface - Painting Flaws - Removing Paint - Exterior Painting - Painting New Wood - Repainting - Metal - Interior Painting - Calcimine - Painting Woodwork - Old Wood Trim - Staining - Fillers - Varnishing - Bleaching - Enameling - Painting Radiators - Painting Concrete - Shingles - Stoves and Stove Pipes - Whitewash.

Heating
Home Heating Systems - Chimneys - Coal Furnaces - Fuels - Burning Wood - Furnace Dampers - Starting a Coal Fire - Removal of Ashes - Coal Stokers - Oil Burners - Kerosene Heaters - Thermostats - Boiler Dampers - Fuel Economy - Warm Air System - Steam System - Vacuum System - Hot Water System - Radiators - Boilers - Maintaining the System - Insulating the System - Home Insulation - Storm Windows - Weather Stripping - Insulating Your Home - Blanket and Rigid Insulation - Unfinished Attic and Exterior Walls - Winterizing a Cabin - Preparing the foundation - Winterproofing a Cottage - Fireplaces - Reducing Condensation - Humidity.

Plumbing
The Plumbing System - Fresh water supply - Low Water Pressure - Hot Water System - Hot Water Heaters - Hot Water Tanks - Dirty Hot Water - The Sewage System - Sewage Disposal - Cesspools - Septic Tanks - Clearing Sewer Pipes - Clearing Drains - Plumbing Traps - Toilet Traps - Noisy Plumbing - Leaks in Water Tanks - Frozen Pipes - Clogged Water Pipes - Hard Water - Faucets - Shower Mixing Valves - Leaky Flush Tanks - Flush Valves - Removing Toilet Bowl - Leaky Pipes - Draining the Plumbing - Sealing Traps - Draining the Heating System - Types of Pipe - Insulating Pipes - Water Corrosion - Cleaning Fixtures.

Electricity
Definition of Terms - Ohm's Law - Alternating and Direct Current - Sources of Electrical Power - The Electrical System - Overloading the Circuit - Rewiring - Reading a Meter - Precautions - Fuses - Types of Cord - Splicing Wires - Replacing Plugs and Switches - Home Lighting - Electric Motors - Signaling System - Transformers - Burglar Alarms - Repairing the System - How to Install a Bell System.

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