Where can I find good paint brushes?

[jaxs]

I have a confession,I know where to buy brushes and which to buy. Lets talk about choosing the right brush for the job and how to use it for each type paint and surface. Save your u-tube links,we've already seen them. I'd like to start with this and ask others to share knowledge aquired from experience and mistakes they've had.
Does this sound familiar? "Expensive brushes don't last any longer than the ones I pay $5 for". That's because a fine brush that hasn't been properly cleaned doesn't work well. I challenge you to buy a decent brush (just decent,not neccessarly fine) and clean it imediatly every time it's used. $15 to $20 will buy a decent 3" flat brush at Lowes or Home Depot. Wooster and Purdy brands are a good value. Buy Nylon,polyester or a synthetic blend. Firm bristle for latex and all around use. Soft bristle if used primarly for clear coat and varnish. If you are'nt experienced and have firm preferance for oil base finish,stay with soap and water cleanable paint and varnish because it's expensive to clean with paint thinner every time you do a 15 minute project. Save empty bread sacks to use thusly. If you need to break for up to a few hours,without cleaning wrap brush air tight in bread sack. Below 70F indoors or in shade is ok for an hour or so. At higher temps and overnight,lay it in fridge.
When you are ready to clean and store your brush,rinse well in clear water then follow with soapy water. When you think you have it clean,use 1 pint of new soapy water(heavy on the soap) in a container 3 time in diameter as brush width. Dip brush and lay flat on a hard surface. Comb bristles firmly several time with a wire brush,first on one side then the other. Rinse with clean water then repeat with wire brush. Rinse,sling off excess water,use fingers to smooth bristles then HANG to dry indoors or deep shade. Some prefer wrapping dry brush with cardboard,paper or origional package while stored. All mine are hung for storage and some are older than my adult children and are in great codition. Clear coat and varnish (both water base and oil) are treated a little different and I believe those deserve a thread of their own to include proper application methods of those finishes.

 

[buck12]

I have several Purdy brushes that have been used for years. One brush is over twenty years old and I still use it. I only use Latex paint. As you stated the key to the life of a brush is to clean it after use.

 

[4570Man]

I don’t buy the horrible brushes but I find a $10 brush is just as good as a $20 Purdy brush.

 

[/pine]

I'm not making fun of anyone here...but a majority of the general public that considers themselves capable of painting their living room...does not even know how to properly hold a paint brush...!

The above contributes to the early demise of quality paint brushes...

 

[buck12]

I don’t buy the horrible brushes but I find a $10 brush is just as good as a $20 Purdy brush.

i did buy a “best” brush from Wal Mart recently that has been much better than I expected.

 

[4570Man]

A wood handle brush cramps my hand pretty quickly. I’ve started using stubby rubber handle brushes and found them to be much more comfortable. Also if you’re using a roller head by itself you’re doing it wrong. A 2-4’ pole will make your job much easier.

 

[4570Man]

I'm not making fun of anyone here...but a majority of the general public that considers themselves capable of painting their living room...does not even know how to properly hold a paint brush...!

The above contributes to the early demise of quality paint brushes...

There’s maybe 1-10 homeowners that can do a presentable paint job. Most are terrible at it. Well you could pretty much extend that statement to home repairs in general.

 

[jaxs]

You could say that but more homeowners paint their stuff than repair elect,plumbing and hvac so that's where advice is most needed. Without question,there's far more to painting than just moping it on but anyone that doesn't take car of their tools aren't interested in making efforts on the other requirments.

 

[PILOON]

I made a discovery by fluke last spring.
I had done some touch ups on my car using a fine camel hair artist brush.
Wanting to clean and save for future use I carefully cleaned it and strayed it with WD40 to keep it moist.
Come December I needed that brush again so I rinsed off the WD40 residue and used it again.
That quality brush was as good as new!
I had retained the same snap of a new brush.

Commercial artists had a habit of using petroleum jelly to preserve their precious lettering brushes.

Oh, and I hate synthetic brushes, give me quality natural fibers any time.
I have a nice selection and do I ever do my best to keep them in top shape.
Have a few that are probably 20 years old or more.
Used properly I can cut a straight line without any masking tape,

I know it'll sound crazy to many, but I often use hot water and dish detergent to do a final cleaning of my brushes and the come out like new. I usually hang them to dry afterwards so they keep their shape.

Better brushes will use a quality bristle binder that wont dissolve with thinners while cheaper ones sometimes even dissolve with water leaving stray bristles behind. Hate that!

 

[jaxs]

I wouldn't say anything you said sound's crazy but I disagree with some of it. I advise folks do some research before exposing paint equipment to WD-40. WD-40 refuse's to identify the "secret" ingredient but if it isn't silicone,most agree it behave's like silicone and treat it as such. Silicone is presistant and near impossible to completly remove with conventional cleaners and the slightest amount can ruin an otherwise quility paint job. Most auto body painters and furniture refinishers use special silicone remover on every job rather than taking a risk.