When do you change your brush cleaner/thinner?

Anonymous

Member since
November 2005

When do you change your brush cleaner/thinner?

Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, October 23, 2003 6:26 AM

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

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styrene

Member since
May 2003
From: The flat lands of the Southeast

Posted by styrene on Thursday, October 23, 2003 6:33 AM

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

1882: "God is dead"--F. Nietzsche

1900: "Nietzsche is dead"--God

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erush

Member since
May 2003
From: USA, GA

Posted by erush on Thursday, October 23, 2003 6:44 AM

I'm like you Chris. If it doesn't clean anymore, I change it. Tongue [: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

Hi, I'm Eric and I'm a Modelholic too. I think I have PE poisioning.

"Friendly fire...isn't"

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Anonymous

Member since
November 2005

Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, October 23, 2003 7:51 AM

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

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djmodels1999

Member since
December 2002
From: United Kingdom / Belgium

Posted by djmodels1999 on Thursday, October 23, 2003 7:59 AM

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!

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Anonymous

Member since
November 2005

Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, October 23, 2003 9:49 AM

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.

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Anonymous

Member since
November 2005

Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, October 23, 2003 11:30 AM

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

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Jeeves

Member since
February 2003
From: Saratoga Springs, NY

Posted by Jeeves on Thursday, October 23, 2003 2:04 PM

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....

Mike

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dubix88

Member since
March 2003
From: Maine,USA

Posted by dubix88 on Thursday, October 23, 2003 2:41 PM

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

THATS MY VOTE "If a woman has to choose between catching a fly ball and saving infant's life, she will choose to save the infant's life without even considering if there is a man on base." -Dave Barry In the words of the great Larry the Cable Guy, "GIT-R-DONE!!!"

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Anonymous

Member since
November 2005

Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, October 23, 2003 3:30 PM

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

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Jim Barton

Member since
February 2003

Posted by Jim Barton on Thursday, October 30, 2003 8:02 PM

QUOTE: Originally posted by mccabeb

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

That's exactly what I do, right down to the baby food jars.

"Whaddya mean 'Who's flying the plane?!' Nobody's flying the plane!"

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lizardqing

Member since
July 2003
From: Dahlonega, Georgia

Posted by lizardqing on Thursday, October 30, 2003 10:49 PM

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 The Scale Firehouse The Lizard's Workshop

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Anonymous

Member since
November 2005

Posted by Anonymous on Friday, October 31, 2003 2:12 AM

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!

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Anonymous

Member since
November 2005

Posted by Anonymous on Friday, October 31, 2003 7:01 AM

QUOTE: 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.

I use the same thinner and since it's so inexpensive, I change it after every project.

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Anonymous

Member since
November 2005

Posted by Anonymous on Friday, October 31, 2003 11:30 AM

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.

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Anonymous

Member since
November 2005

Posted by Anonymous on Friday, October 31, 2003 5:24 PM

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.

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Anonymous

Member since
November 2005

Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, November 1, 2003 8:48 AM

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