I posted a week or so ago about wanting to learn to pinstripe my restored old USA machines. I am about 3 months or so into practicing and I've read 3 books, bought & watched the Wizard DVD along with about every YouTube video. And I've purchased a few styles of brushes along with OS paint. I am practicing on glass and overhead projector transparency sheets. I am progressing but I have a few brushes that are making my Irish want to cause a po-po situation. I have 2 Macks and an Excalibur that have the same "problem" . I am wondering if it is due to something I've done. I'll try to describe the issue. These brushes, after being loaded with paint, have a hair or four that stick out on the bottom. I tried different paint consistencies and this doesn't help. I don't know what to do because I can't get hold of the offending hairs when the brush is loaded. If I try I end up pulling too many others with it while trying to isolate the one or two that I think are wild. If I clean/dry/oil in attempting to pick out the wild one(s) I can no longer ring them. It is only when loaded with paint that I see them. It is especially irritating when trying to make turns because raising the brush more vertical makes the hairs almost seem to spring out as the brush is tipped up. I have kept them clean and used neatsfoot to store them. Are these ruined or is there a way to get them back? One in particular was the one I was having the best success with making curves with so now I am having to get used to another brush. Any ideas are appreciated. Thanks Howard Sent from my SCH-I500 using Tapatalk 2
Use mustache wax or wash em with soap and water and hang them tip down till dry or cut off the loose hairs or light em on fire
I buy Macks 5 at a time. After I trim them only 1 or 2 at the most will be usable. I've never seen one that was perfect right off the bat. Ones that are close but dont quite cut it get a major trim to use for tight scroll type curves. I always dip them in bristle conditioner and re-shape before I store them.
The bristle conditioner I use is made by Xcaliber, it's called brush preservative, I get mine from CoastAir.
I've never been able to do decent work with an Excaliber. Doesn't mean it's not a good brush...just not one I can get along with. I use macks and have good ones and bad ones. I have a couple that are going 35 years old and still work well, others last only a few weeks or months. I just cut off any errant hairs, but I usually use it a few times first...on wall hangers, waste cans, etc., before trimming as they sometimes take care of themselves and end up being pretty decent without any (or much) trimming.
Trimming a few hairs won't hurt,but I wouldn't take many out of the belly of your brushes? I train mine with oil and baby oil,then lay them flat on "coreplast" plastic sheeting to "train them.Clean them really well with mineral spirits and you're ready to pull. I have had some of my brushes for over 20 years. Best of luck and keep on striping!
It sounds to me like they need a slight trimming which is normal. To keep my brushes nice I have for years laid them flat in a plastic Tupperware container that was about half full of mineral spirits. It is very important that the brushes are covered with the mineral spirits completely. Then snap on the plastic lid. I have kept my brushes this year or over 15 years and each time I use one it is like new. I just wipe them off real good and start painting. The thing that kills brushes is the air and what's in it. Another tip for those using One Shot paint is to get a product called Paint Sav and add a few drops into each can of One Shot and mix it up and your paint will never skim over again. I believe Paint Sav is made by Sapphire Paint here in Florida. I believe Sid Moses also sells this wonderful product. Hope that helps. Jimbo
Yup, glass is too smooth and doesn't have the "bite" of a painted surface, which makes it harder to turn curves - which could be frustrating, which could discourage one from continuing to practice.... Anyway - when I get a new brush (i prefer Mack blue wrapped size 00) I clean it with mineral spirits then treat it with neatsfoot oil -available at Ace hardware, etc. After every use I do the same - clean w/ mineral spirits, dip in oil, shape, then store flat. I keep mine in a folding cigarette case lined with paper towels to absorb excess oil. The oil helps the brush keep its shape and keeps it from drying out. I don't trim my brushes much, just about 1/16th at the tip to even it up. I seem to wear them out fast enough without cutting half the hairs out.
NEVER,NEVER,NEVER wash your striping brush with soap and water! Mack and a few others must use wood glue to wind the hairs on with the colored twine. A friend brought me a stick and a wild hair pile and told me what he did.We took wood glue and assembled the brush and glued the thing back together again...it doesn't pull half bad? Glad it's his brush tho?
I sold one shot and lettering quills and Mack brushes for almost 40 years,and the old timers I dealt with suggested after cleaning the brushes with mineral strips (Paint thinner) they would then wet them with motor oil and taper them with the fingers. HRP
If your brush has some unruley hairs , clean it in thinner , after it's dry go to the sink , get it wet and work some shampoo into the hair and rinse it out . after it's dry put some oil on it and pull it into shape with your fingers and lay it flat . Personally I always trim the tip and the heel of all my striping brushes , gets rid of the little short hairs that are useless anyway . Good luck.
This is how I was taught to do it. I was also told that water was a big mistake due to the glue that is used is water based. I have only ever used Macks but would like to try a Xcaliber some time.
X2 on the motor oil. Have used it for 25 years on my striping brushes. The lighter the wieght the oil is the better. I seen a old video years ago of Ed Roth interviewing Von Dutch. In the video Dutch also stated that he used motor oil on his brushes. He also said something along the lines of that brush oils were just a marketing ploy by the brush companies. The video was made sometime in the mid to late 80's and was full of great info and history.
When I started in the '60's we used lard oil on our brushes . The theory being that since brush hair comes from animals ( kosinsky squirrels in eastern europe ) it would make sense to use an oil made from animal fat . Worked pretty good in warm weather , but it would seperate when it got cold . I've been using motor oil for years with no problems .
Firstly as soon as you get your new brushes dip them in mineral spirits then lay them down and trim the tip. Watch a youtube clip on how to do it so you dont completely screw your brush. Secondly I recommend buying some practice panels from tcpglobal. I found they help heaps to practice on and once you are done you can wipe em down and reuse. (or try ebaymotors) Lastly look out at car shows and watch the pro's do it and ask questions. Most are pretty helpful and will offer advice where they can. I did a workshop with Doug Dorr when he was over here and it improved my striping 50 fold after a 2 hour session!
50 years as a sign guy and one rule I was taught and always followed was never let water touch your enamel brushes. Red sable brushes are for water, mineral spirits for oil based brushes. I know many here say wash with water, but it will remove the snap and make it fat. In the Von Dutch video, his brush was in terrible shape, as you could tell by watching him letter. I had three mentors that would put Von Dutch to shame.
Von Dutch pulled lines of great consistency and was a pioneer,but if you look at his lettering it was a chiselled-style font almost every time.He never grew as a sign painter? Just my opinion,but looking around there are hundreds of sign artists who put him to shame. My opinion. His calligraphic lettering-style on correspondance and such is almost the same,so he never deviated?
This is how I treat my stuff...I don't paint everyday, but Valvoline 50 weight never dries out..... Are there any other products beside Paint Sav that work ? I can't seem to find it, and desperately need it.
Sapphire Paint Sav seems to have gone the way of the dinosaur.....nobody has it online, there's one expired eBay auction.....darn.
I am surprised to hear this. There are a couple of different sources I got this from??? Can you tell me why you feel these are bad surfaces? Maybe too smooth? Yea I have viewed all of them and they are helpful but not nearly as much as what has been contributed here. Well if I can't get my Excaliber brush hairs in line I'll send it to you and maybe you can try it? Submerged in mineral spirits? That is one I've not come across but it sounds interesting. I also cannot locate a supplier for "paint sav". Maybe I need to look at the 10000 "asian supplier for...." listings I got when searching. If someone has a can or jar or tube I have a couple of brushes I may trade BTW-why can't I use the multi quote function? I had to manually copy/past for this reply? Thanks all-Howard
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