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Varnish Brush
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Message
Posted
Yesterday I applied varnish to an oil painting using a 1 1/2" pro arte series 22 hogs hair brush.
These are sold as being for use with varnish. I have used it a few times in the past.
The description says:-
"Made from the best white Chinese bristle, these brushes perform well and will not easily shed their hairs."
When I subsequently cleaned the brush in White Spirit, hairs began falling out of the ferrule in clumps.
It looks as if the glue used to hold the hairs in place had failed.
The brush is a few years old but it has not had that much use.
Has anyone else had this problem?
Is there a better varnish brush on the market?
Posted
Detected as spam - which obviously it isn't - so I've restored it.
This is a well-known standard varnishing brush, and should not have behaved in this way: I'm surprised that it has, since you've used it before - something has happened to it to weaken, or by the look of it destroy, the glue. There are several possible causes: the white spirit you used to clean it - better use soap and water; any hot water you might have applied to it, which can also melt glue in the ferrule; a nasty attack of moth - not uncommon at this time of year; a manufacturing fault - though that should have shown itself much earlier.
If none of those look like probable causes, I'd suggest you contact Pro-Arte.
There are other companies supplying these sorts of brush, including Rosemary and Co, which is where I got mine - Pro-Arte is a well-respected company, so I wouldn't abandon them on the strength of this experience, but Rosemary & Co is an excellent alternative.
Posted
I'm pretty sure soap and water alone would not clean varnish like Winsor & Newton Artist's Varnish (either Gloss or Matt).
In the past I have used white spirit followed by washing in soap and warm water to remove any residue. That prevents the bristles becoming stiff when they dry.
I try to only submerge the bristles in the white spirit. I avoid dunking the ferrule although a small amount may find it's way in.
I wrap the brush in brown paper to keep it in shape when stored.
My guess is that the glue they use deteriorates with age. I think the brush must be about 15 years old.
The recent heatwave may have exacerbated the problem: The bedroom where I keep my art materials probably reached at least 32 degC
I have never had this problem with paint brushes used for decorating.
I have ordered a replacement. The cheapest I can find is around £8 including delivery.
Posted
It is possible - if you get it in a bit of warm water and Fairy Liquid quickly enough - just to use soap and water. But you're right that White Spirit should not have caused the hairs to come out in clumps; and also that probably most of us use white spirt or other solvent to clean varnish brushes - depends a bit on the varnish. W & N's is what I normally use, and as their varnish range isn't large, we probably use the same one.
Probably wasn't my best guess, but I was struggling to think what else would have caused the glue to fail after years of use. Fifteen years old - well... that is a bit of extra information, though I have brushes 20 or 30 years older than that, still in good nick.... It's a bit of a mystery. But at least you've got two alternative suggestions now. Good luck with bristles staying in place in future. From your even fuller account, I can't believe it's anything you've done wrong - I'm still quite keen on my moth theory, though! They won't make glue fail, but will get into to bristle and sable brushes and feast on the base of the hair - the white-shouldered moth is one of the worst: they don't last long in my place, if I see 'em first.