How do I prevent my brush from hardening between coats of shellac?

[Minh Tran]

I'm using shellac for the first time (ever) and I was wondering if the pros have a secret for preventing the brush from hardening in between coats.

I bought some "brush cleaner" liquid and those things aren't cheap ($7.00). The instruction label recommends pouring enough to submerge the bristle. I'll go broke if I have to clean my brush between every application!

I suppose a rag is better since it more efficiently makes use of less cleaning solution. Is it ok to resuse a rag?

[Ryan Lee]

Isn't the solvent for shellac alcohol? Does wrapping in saran wrap help?

[Frederick Skelly]

Does wrapping in saran wrap help?

Yes it does. I do it all the time.

[Prashun Patel]

Keep it soaking in a can of alcohol with a hole in the lid for the brush handle.


Or just let it get hard and then a few mins before the next coat soak it in alcohol.

Or soak it in alcohol after each coat and then spin the brush.

[John TenEyck]

Do like Prashun said, leave it standing in a can with DNA and a hole cut through the plastic lid for the handle to go through. Also, drill a hole through the handle large enough to put a long nail or small dowel through. Put that hole at a height that with dowel in place and resting on the sides of the can, above the lid, that the brush is off the bottom of the can by 1/4" or so. That will keep the brush from getting a curve in it.

When you're ready for the next coat of shellac, just wipe the brush against the sides of the can to remove the excess DNA, and go to it.

John

[Stan Calow]

I use a glass jar just deep enough, and slip a vinyl glove over brush handle and jar to keep alcohol from evaporating.

[Ralph Boumenot]

There isn't any need to clean the brush between uses. Let it harden and before you use stick in some alcohol or the shellac itself. All the dried shellac in the brush will dissolve and it will be ready to use. I use to go nutso cleaning the brush after every use but after watching Don Williams finishing video and following Paul Sellers, I stopped. I let it dry out and 'clean' before using it again. Been doing it this way for a couple of years without any problems with the brushes at all.

[Mike Nolan]

I use Saran Wrap. The time between coats is short and the brush doesn't get hard even overnight. As others have recommended, I don't clean the brush when I finish. I have two brushes dedicated to shellac. I have a mason jar which originally had enough alcohol to cover the brush and now has an alcohol shellac mixture. It takes me a couple of hours to soften a brush if I haven't used it for a while.

[Ken Duff]

Hi, I am new on here. Looks like a very good site with lots of topics. I saw your question and thought I would share my little bit of knowledge...
I keep my brush in denatured alcohol during the time I am using it which requires thorough squeezing out of alcohol to apply shellac.
When I am finished using my shellac brush for the day I rinse it thoroughly with denatured alcohol, then, rinse it thoroughly with ammonia (be careful with fumes), then I wash it out real well in a bowl with hot water and dishwashing soap. Rinse thoroughly with cold water by swishing it in a bowl of cold water, dump and repeat about 5 times to get all the soap out. Then I sling it out real well outside. Then put a rubber band on about half way up the bristles so they stay tight. Take the rubber band off after a couple of hours and store the brush in a clean place. BTW, I use a "badger brush" from Woodcraft for shellac. I have been using the same brush for about 12 years. Hope this helps. If anyone else can shed light on this please do so.