I clean paintbrushes and scissors with acetone for removing polyester resin.
Be careful with those plastic tools: once, I submerged a pair of scissors with plastic parts in acetone. When I pick them up the day after, only the metalic blades existed, the rest…disappeared.
Do a search for “cleaning brushes” - plenty there.
I’m feeling cheap these days and am on my fourth board with the same 4" throw away brush for hot coating. Though, I do use a super expensive brush for gloss - have had the same one for 5+ years.
I use the $.50 throwaway brushes. Give them a couple strokes with a wire brush before using - gets the loose bristles out so they don’t end up stuck to your board.
Plastic laminating squeegees are $.40 each, I like the bigger ones. Once its cured, epoxy peels right off if you flex the squeegee back & forth a little.
El Cheapo hint… A plastic squeeze bottle for pancake syrup cut in half is a perfect size for soaking the 4" chip brush. You don’t need to use as much acetone. Also really scrape the bristles against the edge of your bucket to get as much resin out as possible before soaking. Maybe use a couple with final cleaning in fresh acetone.
I also use a heavy foil disposable baking pan (from grocery store) for soaking squeegee and metal scissors. Again - close fit uses less acetone. I cut my squeegee to fit the pan.
If using acetone, be careful. Wear gloves. Reports that resins (esp. epoxy) can soak through skin when thinned in acetone have been posted.
I use a spam can for soaking the brushes, takes less acetone. Have enough acetone in the can to reach 3/4 up the bristles, bend the bristles into the bottom of the can and twist the handle. Turn the brush over and repeat. I clean brushes twice in separate acetone cans, then again with lacquer thinner which removes any residue and keeps the bristles soft. I clean squeegees with an old 1" brush first, wipe with clean acetone, and finally with lacquer thinner. For repairs I cut small squeegees out of plastic or paper milk cartons and just toss them when done.
I did a thread on this a while ago. I have used my last brush on about 16 boards. Here is a golden tip. Once all the excess resin has been cleaned off and the brush cleaned with acertone. Clean the brush with washing powder and warm water.
Yes washing powder with built in softners are better.
This works a treat and you brush will be as good as new. I also clean my squeegees off with washing powder by wiping the excess resin off then springling washing powder over it and then rubbing it in and rinsing it off
I use cheapo brushes, which will surprise no one that knows me. A 3-inch “chip brush” is good for more hot coats and finish coats than I will bother to count, as long as you clean it. There’s no need for anything other than a real cheap brush to be used on a hot coat.
If you have good bush skills, cross stroke and “tip off” technique, the same brush will do just fine for finish coats. Most of the quality of a finish coat is having a dust-free board, clean room, clean resin. You’re gonna have to wet sand and polish anyway, right?
When through brushing, I first squeeze out excess resing using a piece of scrap paper. First from one side, then the other, the first side again, the other side again.
I use acetone, but I keep a running batch of used acetone in a covered jar. Put the squeezed brush in another jar, pour in about a couple ounces used acetone, smush it around, and shake it out real well on the street or in the garbage can (keeps the flies away). This first rinse I use only enough acetone to wet the brush, and when I shake out the brush (sometimes twice) it’s all gone. Then pour a couple ounces of clean acetone in the jar and clean the brush with that. Shake it out well and lay aside to dry.
I used to also clean the brush as a final step, using laundry soap. I stopped this when I suspected that soap remnants were contaminating my finish coats. Damn. No change in quality of brush; so I don’t bother with soap any more. Since I now use disposable gloves for all resin work, there’s less reason for soap.
I’ve found that a good squeegee is essential for a good lamination, I ordered one in from Oz from shapersaustralia.com, I think it was about $17.50 and it was well worth it as it works great for laminating boards as well as fin panels and you can leave it in acetone for as long as you want without it getting damaged. I think that medium quality brushes are best, as the super cheap ones drop too many bristles and the expensive ones are unnecessary.
We had a chemical engineer at my work and he gave me the tip. I tried th acetone exclusively but the brush always got a bit harder and the quality of the bristles would eventually reduce to un usable. Now I use acertone and then washing powder on brushes
I tried th acetone exclusively but the brush always got a bit harder and the quality of the bristles would eventually reduce to un usable. Now I use acertone and then washing powder on brushes
Howzit Swifty, try drilling some holes in the metal band that holds the bristles, this will allow all the acetone and any resin in that area. Not draining all the acetone is what causes the brush to get a little harder. After cleaning the brush soak it in a bucket with a hole in the top for the handle, I leave my hot coat brush and glossing brush in acetone all the time excepr when in use. Aloha,Kokua
