I know it has probably been here before but here it goes, I got some new brushes and paint and want to start "striping" or attempt too but I dont know how to prep, keep, clean the brushes. Some people have said oil them but dont know exactly what to do with them so they dont get screwed up. Any help to a novice would be helpful.
I'm still pretty much a newbie at striping but I use mineral spirits to clean them and motor oil to keep them from drying out when I store them. Take a look at this site if you haven't already seen it. It has a lot of great info for begginers.... http://www.sketchkult.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=1110 -Rich
To prep them, wash them in soap and water and then dip them in thinner then start painting. When your done soak them in thinner to clean out all the paint, I do a 2 step, dirty thinner / clean thinner. Once clean I put some Waldog Oil (****blick.com) oil on a paper towel and run the brush's hair thru the oil. I use my hand to shape the point of the brush. DO NOT get the oil on the threads of the brush, it can cause it to come unglued and the brush'll be loosing hair faster than a 40 year old . That's it..
I use Neatsfoot Oil,just dip in to cover the threads. No problem losing hair,from my brushes anyway. The oil stops any minute paint residue from drying in the brush. DO NOT use Linseed,or Boiled Linseed to store your brushes. Odourless Mineral Spirits for cleaning. 1-Shot High Temperature Reducer for thinning the paint as you are working. Clean the surface with Gl*** Cleaner,do your layout with White or Blue Stabillo.
Probably done more than one,just a matter of finding them. One was called: How to hold a pinstriping brush for fun and profit. And I'm sure there was more. Psychoarts has some on his site.
There are a few Pinstriping PDF files on my site Pinstriping How To I'm gonna have a few demo videos posted soon, Hopefully
a good friend that I use to hang with till he moved to FL ,Ben Neilson use to clean them in enamel reducer and when he was done he would use motor oil and shape the sword end on them before putting them up.may be the hillbilly way but he done it all the time and never had any problems with his stuff
I usually prep the surface with mineral spirits depending on the surface and then gl*** cleaner. I sometimes draw a vertical line down the center of whatever design i'm going to do with chalk. after i'm done i clean with 100% mineral spirits and dry, then use my fingers to apply petroleum jelly to the hairs and shape them into a sword and lay flat. I used to use motor oil but found the petroleum jelly is just less messy.
I have to agree no oily mess in my box. I've always worried about the brush handles soaking up some oil and then spreading it to the "to be clearcoated" paint job I'm striping on.
Amazing how much conflicting advice one can get, but I would never, ever let water touch a striping brush. Period. I will remove all resilience, what we used to call snap.
Ever wonder why a brand new brush is stiff? The Size that Mack uses on all their brushes is water soluable. A quick rinse is all it needs. http://www.mackbrush.com/brushcare2.htm Around here,Squirrels get wet every time it rains.
Ian: You forget that Siberian squirrels don't get wet;it's so friggin' cold there that it doesn't rain,it snows and the snow never gets a chance to melt!
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