Wednesday, November 4, 2009

The Rites of Maintenance...Paintbrush Prayers

I had a couple of paintbrushes that I was going to throw out. After months of grueling service they had old dried paint in the ferrule and the heel of the brush. They could not maintain a point, etc.

However, I was loath to, because they are my favorite paintbrushes.

Because I occasionally strip and repaint the same model two or three times, I have a stash of Simple Green on hand...

On a whim, I put some in a cup and used my third hand to hold my old paintbrushes with the brush part suspended in the Simple Green.

I waited a couple of days (forgot about them is closer to the truth) before removing them. After a good rinse and a few fluffs I was surprised to see the body was forming back up, the points were as sharp as ever, and the old paint in the heel/ferrule area was completely gone.

New brushes run about $5 apiece from the local GW store. Now, that money can go to buying new models.

The Simple Green does evaporate after couple of weeks, just add some water every now and again to keep it hydrated.

What are your waiting for Marine? See to your Wargear!

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