I am excited to have bought the first model for my son and I to work on together! We purchased a revell P-51D Mustang
I have a question already :)
We are painting parts first (after washing them). How do others clean their brushes as they go? Do you use thinner in a cup and clean the brush between each color? Is it actually thinner I should be using to clean the brush? The stench is unbelievable!
Thanks,
Gavin
P.S. I'm using acrylics : )
Acrylics are great. Don't use regular (enamel) paint thinner (mineral spirits). With acrylics, you can use soap and water!
FWIW Places like Michael's which deal in arts and crafts supplies sell a couple of brands of acrylic brush cleaner. It comes in a bottle and you squeeze a little in a small cup and work the brush around in it and then finish by swishing the brush around in a container of water. I have a couple of old Olive or pickle jars that I keep water and thinners in for brush cleaning. Cheap and handy.
Bill Shuey
Gav>
Yes, clean the brushes thoroughly between colours. A little left on the brush will alter the colour you're working with.
Bill Banaszak, MFE
The acrylic brush cleaners behave like extremely soapy water, and are very effective at cleaning brushes with acrylic paint on them. I usually rinse the brush in water first, then put it in the cleaner to clear the last of the residue--this keeps the cleaner in the cup from getting yukked-out too soon. The petroleum-based thinners are unnecessary unless you have let the acrylic dry rock hard on the brush, and even then, sometimes I have good luck just letting the brush soak in acrylic cleaner for a day.
Mark Schynert
Hello Gavin and Son, Be sure to clean the brush(es) between changing colors, otherwise you might get some very "exciting" colors! Find a small glass jar with a metal top, preferably a screw on type, and fill it with just plain old mineral spirits or if you're using acrylics use some windshield wiper fluid or Windex or just plain water, baby food jars work well for this. Dip the "dirty" brush in it and swirl it around and wipe the bristles on the edge of the jar as you withdraw it. Then use an old cotton cloth, such as an old much laundered T-shirt and squeeze the brush dry with the cloth. Do this as many times as it takes to clean the brush. This ought to get your brush(es) clean enough to reuse between paint changing sessions. Always clean each brush thouroughly before putting them away.
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