Varnishing - Sponge or Bristle?

[Aaarrgh]

Seems that many of us have different definitions for:
"Cheap"
"Expensive"
"Pickiness"
My particular understanding of these terms, with regard to the owners of the items being coated, has provided me with a very successful painting contracting firm.

Personally, I am a perfectionist - sometimes to a fault. Everything depends on what value you put on your time, what value you put on what you are trying to restore, preserve, or freshen-up.

Also, I have learned that "quality" looks different to an unlimited array of onlookers. Whenever I am asked to just make something look good, I have to ask, "From what distance?", and "For how long?".

I have a very valuable portfolio of historic property preservation accomplishments, and I understand that not everyone here has the same experience with coatings selection, application, preparation processes, etc. I've just performed the particular intent of the originator of this thread, professionally, for my entire career. Ask me about fiberglass, and I'm as dumb as a box of rocks! Ask me to represent someone in court, and I assure you that they will be fitted for an orange jumpsuit. We all have our specialties that have made us enough money to buy a sailboat, but many of those specialties won't give us enough experience to know that the keel is supposed to be on the bottom.

Sorry to ramble on,
Aarrrgh!

[Capt.Don]

Great thread! I keep wanting to use an expensive badger hair brush. I like the feel and end result. However, I usually use disposable foam brushes.

My problem with bristle brushes is after cleaning, next use I still get a lot of "dust" coming off the brush. I assume this is dried varnish that I didn't clean thoroughly. I've tried different thinners, washing, hanging/soaking,.... I can't seem to get the brush clean and it leaves a lot of dust in the finish coat.

I don't think the foam brushes leaves as nice a finish, it seems a bit dull. The reality is in 6 or 8 months I have to redo anyway, so the foam brush is good enough.

Don

[Aaarrgh]

Well, speak of the Devil... As luck would have it, for those of you in the U.S., my Sherwin Williams rep just gave me a courtesy call to let me know that all Purdy products will be 35% off all this week. It's a Sherwin Williams promotion, and I'm not sure if it's nationwide, rather than just in my region. I'm gonna do an inventory, to see what I might need to stock up on. FYI

Aarrrgh!

[Luther]

I had no idea that foam brushes were used on so many boats.

I use cheap brushes for the first coats but last 2-3 coats with a quality brush.

Once clean I ALWAYS rinse brushes in water with a drop of hair conditioner. It leaves them supple.

[Hoodsail]

Sponge for the first few coats where I've thinned the varnish w/ paint thinner. Then switch to cheap bristle for the last few coats. the unthinned varnish was too thick for me to effectively apply w/ the sponge, but didn't think to cut them down to increase stiffness. Worked well on my companionway lid, now time for the cockpit teak then onto the teak toe rail in the next couple of months..

[Wireless1]

Sable brushes here... stored in diesel for decades---never been dry since their first use. Properly cleaned by very hard brushing heal to tip (one direction only! Duh!) with a large stainless wire brush in three successively cleaner lacquer thinner baths, (hand spun dry between), then carefully laid back into the ol' surplus ammo can half filled with diesel---varnish looks sprayed on and a foot deep. [emoji16]

[Cheechako]

I prefer brushes. I just dont get it done well with foam, especially on curved surfaces. The brushes hold more varnish and you can flow better... or I can anyway. I often just use cheap brushes though as I hate all the cleaning of brushes and often end up with residue in the brush.

[angelfish2]

I'm glad to see this thread come back. It is so interesting to read how y'all varnish.

Of late, I have learned to use a sponge brush on things like the handrails and side rails where the teak isn't so wide. I have to work fast, though. On the cap rails and around the cockpit, I still use a brush. For me, the sponge brush does not work as well in those big, wide areas. There is not any way I can use a sponge brush on those pesky eyebrows. A brush flows varnish better. Honestly, those would be much better in SS.

[CarlF]

When my Shannon was built, the 8-10 coats of Ephifanes on all the woodwork (even interior) was all applied with a foam brush.

One trick is that they only use a brush for a short time. 10-15 minutes or so. After that they say it loads up with varnish too much.

[Aaarrgh]

Originally Posted by Wireless1

Sable brushes here... stored in diesel for decades---never been dry since their first use. Properly cleaned by very hard brushing heal to tip (one direction only! Duh!) with a large stainless wire brush in three successively cleaner lacquer thinner baths, (hand spun dry between), then carefully laid back into the ol' surplus ammo can half filled with diesel---varnish looks sprayed on and a foot deep. [emoji16]

Not sure where you learned that, but that's exactly what I learned 38+ years ago, by former generation artists (painters) that were still convinced that paint rollers would never be a lasting fad. They also taught me how to paint walls with a 6 inch brush... and the finish was beautiful!

After 38 years in the painting business, what you explain above is still the way to forever-preserve a brush that you're "attached" to.

However, I'm a contractor, with guys that still have trouble opening a bucket, after claiming they have "experience", and a good ox-hair brush does not cost nearly as much as when they were built in the good ole USA. And, due to the agenda of certain environmental wackos, the cost of thinners and solvents has consequently made cleaning brushes not cost-effective.

I was pleased to hear your conviction to maintain a brush, as new.


Aarrrgh!