Brush cleaning / reclaiming

[Neil]

I discovered today that a couple of brushes I used a lot were not cleaned properly last time I used them. I only use acrylics, but it may have been a few months since I last used them.

Normally I’d just buy some more but I wondered if anyone had tips for actually reclaiming a brush that has been left too long. It’s not completely useless, but just some of the bristles are stuck together.

So bin ‘em and buy some more, or buy some magic recovery and try that? I tried Tamiya acrylic thinner and plain old water but not really cleaned it fully. I have a few brushes that could do with recovering so if there is something, I might give it a whirl.

[stillp]

Do you have any Masters brush cleaner? That will soften dried paint, given enough time.
Pete

[Neil]

Seems there is brush restorer! Looked in Scale Model Shop which in hindsight, I should have done first.

As tech-support for many years, RTFM is a mantra for users to follow, and I really should follow my own advice 😀

[Tim Marlow]

Unfortunately I’d say bin them and buy more. The paint will have dried in the ferrule ruining the point. You really can’t clean that out. You can get the paint out of the bristles, which will make them usable for rough stuff, but fine work is now in their past.

[PaulTRose]

Try soaking them in some brake fluid.....overnight should do it.....then flush through with LOTS of clean water

Take the usual precautions

[stillp]

Good tip Paul. When I was restoring my TR4A the boot lid had been painted with a thick layer of primer that resisted every paint stripper I tried. I left a rag on it that I'd used to wipe up the brake fluid after removing the master cylinder, and some time later when I lifted the rag, the impenetrable primer lifted off with it, leaving clean bare metal.
Pete

[Neil]

Try soaking them in some brake fluid.....overnight should do it.....then flush through with LOTS of clean water

Take the usual precautions

Brake fluid? I don’t think I even have oil in my garage! Washer fluid is about as far as my car maintenance stretches these days.

[PaulTRose]

Lol......i always keep a bottle of it handy......and a big enough tupperware box......cos then when i mess up a paint job on anything...especially a car body its easy to strip off the paint
i learnt the trick on an american model site years and years ago......apparently thier brake fluid is/used to be purple so its known as 'the purple pond'....
in my head i still call it that even tho its a grotty brown lol

[Pitar]

Hi! I’ve had similar issues before. When acrylic brushes get stiff or bristles stick together, soaking them in a dedicated brush cleaner or brush soap really helps. Another good method is to use a gentle brush cleaner with warm water and gently work the bristles with your fingers to loosen dried paint. Avoid harsh thinners as they can damage the bristles. Also, keeping brushes clean right after use is key to avoid this problem.

If the brushes aren’t too far gone, a good soak and careful cleaning can bring them back to life. Otherwise, it might be time for replacements. Good luck!

[Neil]

Well I got some VMS 30ml Restore Brush Plus from SMS and tried it - seems to have worked for a few of the brushes I tried.

Even better, the headset for my H&S Infinity had become “stuck” and wasn’t working at all well - turns out that it was so gunked that the nozzle could not be separated from the head. A few hours soak and it came apart - and a bit more soaking and cleaning off the old paint residue from both parts and hopefully it now works. Sunday is modelling day, not on vacation next week so back to weekends only for modelling 😢