"Do you trim your brushes." Topic

Recently I was in a excellent store that sold all sorts of knives and scissors. They had thousands of high quality models of each type in stock.

We all get a problem with brushes where even the best ones crimp, turn bushy, and have some breakage in the hairs. They get a lot of hard work. I told the clerk the problem and I needed a scissor to clip the stray ends or even cut down a too large brush for fine work. She sold me a pair of scissors that were very small, but excellent for trimming the brushes. Best investment I ever made!

Never. I paint full time though, so I go through several every week and see it as a business expense. If a brush lasts three or four days I'm very happy.

What I do do, is keep old brushes, especially size 03 and larger for doing rough stuff. Sometimes I clean them afterwards, sometimes I just throw them away. Once in a while, every six months or so, I have a clear out. I'll keep the best dozen and throw several dozen in the bin.

Looking at my brush stock at the moment a clear out is due, I have:

Still in wrapper 14
In use 17
Big oldies (terrain and for 'rough' brushes) 20+
Used (mostly 03 and smaller) and in the 'rubbish jar' 80+

I have done – its always a mistake in my experience…

Yes, when necessary.

I have rarely been successful, any tips (so to speak)Otto?

Very rarely. It usually didn't turn out well.

Scissors? The idea just doesn't cut it for me. Indeed, I'm not getting the total picture, Ottoathome. I'll have to brush your suggestion off. Indeed, I don't find it palatable.

I usually just slip a scalpel between the 'stray' hair and the others, then cut down towards the metal ferule, removing the stray hair.

No, when brushes get beyond recovery using hair conditioner the get downgraded to use for rough jobs or with glue.

No.

As above, old brushes become glue, ink or drybrushing brushes.

I do have one brush I clipped deliberately to make a stippling brush which I use from time to time for particular camo patterns.

I no longer use nylon brushes, so this is no longer an issue. High quality sables, properly treated, last indefinitely, even on minis.

Rarely, but it always seems to work well with a knife.

I do on occasion.

trimming is only for the moustashios.

No. I just never throw brushes away. I have done that date back to the Harding administration.

I just started the practice so I have no real tips and I'm at the base of a learning curve. What I am having success with is of course, doing the Lease trimming as possible. The key seems to be an excellent pair of scissors, which I seem to have acquired. I wash my brushes regularly with soap and water and have switched from mineral spirits to linseed oil which might help also.

Oh yes, I use oils almost exclusively to paint my figures.

the methodology seems simple.

Yes.

Only when the stray hair gets to be troublesome.

Very rarely and even more rarely, successful.

Same as Punisher, only when a stray hair gets to be a problem.
Brush soap is the best way to prevent hair fatigue.

I read "bushes" and giggled.

Dirty mind…

Scalpel if odd hair goes stray but cut down at the ferrule as Jarrovian notes. Never trim the tip. I feel as if I get a reasonable life span out of those I buy.

No. I don't use synthetic brushes unless I'm desperate. Usually not a problem with sable unless they've had years of hard use.

I have in the past trimmed them.

Tony

I've done this from time to time. The thing that has really saved my brushes is brush soap. Any will do though I use the brand called "Pink Soap." I saw on another thread that you use oil based paints now. I think that brush soap will still help as you will still have to get the residue of thinner off the brush threads.

Tried to trim a couple of times. Complete failure. I will second the use of brush soap. I started using it last year and it's really made a difference.

Use brush soap. Most splaying is due to accumulated paint residue up by the ferrule. Repeated applications of brush soap will get most of this out.

You can also use the suds from the brush soap to train the clean brush into the shape you want. Let dry that way.

In the past when I've trimmed stray hairs, I've either used a hobby knife like JARROVIAN, or the scissors on the mini swiss army knife on my keychain.

Yes, but only if the brush has some life left in it!