What's the Best Way to Clean a Brush After Using Shellac?
Asked by CraftyB3ar99
I recently tried using shellac for the first time and I've got a question about cleaning my brush. I noticed it started to stiffen quite quickly, and while I've been soaking it in mineral spirits between coats, it doesn't seem to help much. Any tips for keeping my brush in good shape? Thanks in advance! P.S. A quick update: I'm thinking of picking up some Everclear for cleaning after getting some great suggestions.
Answers
Another hack is to wrap your brush in cling wrap between coats. It really slows down the drying. Also, shellac can actually dissolve in fresh shellac, so if your brush hardens a bit, you can dip it in fresh shellac to soften it up again, though it might still have some bits sticking. It's definitely better than a completely stiff brush!
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I’ve had great luck with spraying shellac instead. It dries super fast, so you can just spray, take a sip of coffee, and spray again!
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If you have a go-to brush just for shellac, consider not cleaning it after a project. Just let it dry, wrap it up, and you can reuse it next time. When you need to clean it, just dunk it in alcohol until all that shellac dissolves! Plus, shellac sprays on beautifully.
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For short-term soaking, alcohol works great, but for long-term storage, try a mix of 50/50 ammonia and water. It does wonders!
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Remember, the best solvent for shellac is alcohol. For cleaning, you want to use something like high-proof Everclear if it's available to you, as it’s safe to use. Isopropyl alcohol is another option, followed by denatured alcohol, but be careful with that one because it can be dangerous to inhale due to the additives. Better safe than sorry!
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You should definitely switch to using alcohol instead of mineral spirits for cleaning your brush. It's way more effective!
ShellacSavant22: Totally agree! Alcohol really is the way to go.
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CraftyB3ar99: I was thinking about the spray too, but I wanted to save some cash. I've heard it can make cleanup much easier in the long run.