Best Brushes for Varnishing

[PenRex]

Hello all,

I am getting madder and madder when have to pick out brush bristles from a freshly varnished surface. I guess you pay for what you get (and vice versa).

Are there any 'recommended' brands or styles of brushes that are ideal for varnishing jobs ?

------------------
Dear Lord,
May my Woodworking someday aspire
to be as good as my Darts,
and vice-versa. . . .

Rex

[Shane Watson]

I have actually had good success using a rag.
I used a t-shirt material folded up like a polishing rubber. Got a better finish doing that than using a brush.
Personally I rather dislike brushing finishes, but hey, thats my five cents worth

Cheers
Shane...

[ubeaut]

Try a polishers mop. Hard to get, but a suitable alternative is an artists mop.

This is a brush between 1" & 2" wide and made with either camel hair or sable. The hairs are extremely fine and when touched to the face feels a little like the soft kiss of an angel. Well!!

The bristles act as a reservoir for the polish. A good 2" Camel hair mop should hold enough shellac to adequately cover an area of about 1 metre x 300 mm with one dipping of the brush.

This works well also with varnish and other finishes. A 2" brush should cost around $25 from an art supply shop. They tahe a bit if getting used to as they are used with a flowing motion and not like an ordinary paint brush. Make sure you clean it out well, or leave it hanging in some of the polish or thinner to keep it in good condition.

In theory the more you pay for a brush the better it will be, but you need to buy the right brush for the job. Pretty well all of them will lose hairs when they are new. Try gently tugging at small clupms of bristles to remove any lose ones before starting.

Hope this is of some help.

Neil

[Mac Simmons]

Other good brushes are Fitch Flowing Brush and Badger Flowing.

Have you ever tried using the (spongy) Poly Foam brush? (no hair to worry about)

MacS

[PenRex]

Mac I've seen them of course, but never tried them. The 'better half' uses them for her ceramics painting, so I will borrow one of hers and try it out. Thanks for suggesting them.

If 'she who will be obeyed' doesn't know I have it, or, if I survive the onslaught after she DOES find out, I will post the results of my attempt at using it.


------------------
Dear Lord,
May my Woodworking someday aspire
to be as good as my Darts,
and vice-versa. . . .

Rex

[This message has been edited by PenRex (edited 14 April 2000).]