My step-daughter earlier asked me when I was going to change my brush cleaner? I told her when it didnt clean my brushes anymore! No one has ever told me when or how often I should change it when I got started modeling…So let me ask you all.
When is it time to change your cleaner/thinner? When do you do it?
Chris
I don’t use a container for cleaning brushes. Each time I clean a brush, I moisten a paper towel with a little thinner (mineral spirits), and clean my brush on the towel. If it’s really scuzzy, I’ll repeat the process.
Gip Winecoff
I’m like you Chris. If it doesn’t clean anymore, I change it. [:p] Or if it gets too much paint residue in the bottom and is getting in the way of cleaning them. I should mention that’s for my enamles. If I’m using Acrylics I just have a cough medicine cup with some water in it and dump it each time I use it.
Eric
I usually change it when the moon turns blue. Its just one of those things that I need to be forced away from the desk to do. I actually dipped my brush into the bottle a few days ago and pulled out a big gooey paint monster with my brush. I figured it was time to clean it out lol
When it’s all gone and there’s only some awful gooey stuff at the bottom of the jar left… Then I get a new jar as well!
As soon as I can’t see into the bottle anymore. Once the walls are coated with enough crud I just buy a new bottle. Though I find once I buy a new bottle I was way overdue because the new stuff is always much more potent than the stuff I got rid of.
I keep 3 different bottles of cleaner, and go thru each one in order as the first gets to the point where I can not see thru the thinner I move the next one up and start a new bottle, small baby food jars work well.
Cheers McCabeb
There was an article on making trees in a recent FSM…using twigs from around the yard. I used it on my GMC Red Ball Express diorama… you find appropriately sized twigs-- glue them together…coat them with a water/ white glue mixture and add stips of tissue paper to the twigs…then use that sludge at the bottom of your thinner bottle to paint on the “tree”…once it dries-- realistic bark. Plus you can peel off some strips of represent peeling bark…
HEY,
I thought i was the only one here who did that. I just cahnge mine when it stops cleanin. If it still works, no sense in wasting the money for another one.
Randy
Ok now for another question, that kinda ties into the first one if you stretch it far enough!
What type of thinner do you use for your enamels?
Chris
That’s exactly what I do, right down to the baby food jars.
I change it when it won’t clean brushes anymore. The thinner I use is the stuff wal-mart carries that costs $1 for a quart. It seems to work well and cost a whole lot less than the little bottles do.
Chris what type of paints are you using…I have some low-odor thinner I bought in a gallon jug from wallyworld…but just doesnt seem to be cutting it…brushes arent cleaning up very well…so I went back to Testors which you cant get in any type of quantity for a reasonable price!
I use the same thinner and since it’s so inexpensive, I change it after every project.
I change my brush jar when the stuff inside turns into a color! So I just slap a label on it-like “Sewage Umber” and get some new brush cleaner.
PS-Chris-anything labeled as “safe” or “low-ordor” probably doesn’t work worth a D–N.
I usually change my cleaner every six or so projects as for brushes I pay a fair amount for them and they seem to last forever if I take care of them.
Like most of you. I change my thinner/cleaner when it starts to look nasty. The next question is; What do you do with the old thinner? I pour mine into an empty mineral spirits jug and when it gets full I take it to my local hazardous waste drop-off location. I’m no tree hugger but I don’t like the idea of this stuff going into the landfill.
Rich
i change it once a year, the small humbrol container is enough for me, and soapy water is plentiful for the acrylics.
You mean you’re supposed to change it !!!
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