Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast
Results 1 to 15 of 23

Thread: Do any of you use cheap paint brushes?

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Feb 2017
    Location
    New York City
    Posts
    176

    Do any of you use cheap paint brushes?

    While starting out in woodworking I was shocked at the pricing of paint brushes, at Home Depot I saw loads of $15-$20 brushes, I thought how can they be that much better than the $2 ones. After losing a million bristles in my project, I realized there is a difference.

    Fast forward a couple of years, I thought let's try those chip brushes, would be great for small projects and multiple coats of Poly, obviously, had the same issue.

    I cant really fathom the purpose of cheapo brushes, do people not mind all the stray bristles in their projects?

    Would love to hear everyone's thoughts.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
    Location
    NW Indiana
    Posts
    3,078
    I use foam brunches with poly shellac and get a great finish with no streaks. I also use wipe on poly with no brush.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Feb 2017
    Location
    New York City
    Posts
    176
    Quote Originally Posted by Larry Frank View Post
    I use foam brunches with poly shellac and get a great finish with no streaks. I also use wipe on poly with no brush.
    I do the same thing, for paint I just bought the bullet, got some expensive brushes and clean them after use.
    Last edited by Bill Dindner; 07-05-2017 at 7:22 AM.

  4. #4
    If I'm painting a dog house made of exterior plywood, a cheap brush will do.
    For a lot of my furniture, I've been using good foam brushes with shellac, like Larry.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Location
    E TN, near Knoxville
    Posts
    12,298

    Hate to be without

    Quote Originally Posted by Bill Dindner View Post
    I cant really fathom the purpose of cheapo brushes, do people not mind all the stray bristles in their projects?
    Would love to hear everyone's thoughts.
    I buy in bulk, various sizes, keep a container full. I use them:

    - for applying sanding sealer at the wood lathe before sanding.
    - for naptha at lathe, to judge surface figure, color, sanding defects
    - before taking a break to add water to green turnings in progress
    - to seal end grain with AnchorSeal when preparing turning blanks
    - for heavy application of BLO on wheelbarrow handles, barn doors, trailers, deck furniture
    - with solvent when cleaning greasy parts
    - to paint glyphosate on poison ivy leaves in flower bed where I can't spray
    - at the metal lathe and mill to brush away razor-sharp metal shavings
    - to apply fly repellent to horse's faces

    Like Paul Simon really meant to write in 1973, "Mama-dont-take my chip brush-es awa-a-a-y"

    JKJ

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Feb 2003
    Location
    Griswold Connecticut
    Posts
    6,927
    I don't use them for a finish I really care about. Too many bristles left over that have to be picked out with a needle.
    Like John, I do find a lot of non critical uses for them. Great for cleaning car parts.

    John
    "to apply fly repellent to horse's faces".
    I gotta let my wife know about this one. She sprays it on her hand to do their face and it really kinda bothers me from a toxicity aspect.
    Thank you
    "The first thing you need to know, will likely be the last thing you learn." (Unknown)

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Aug 2010
    Location
    USA
    Posts
    5,582
    I've got a couple nice finish brushes but frankly I rarely use them due to the cleanup process required to keep them nice. I default to foam brushes for finishing and application these days, often use a cheap disposable brush as well.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Feb 2017
    Location
    New York City
    Posts
    176
    John,

    tons of great uses, certainly keep those in mind.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Location
    E TN, near Knoxville
    Posts
    12,298

    fly repellent

    Quote Originally Posted by Mike Cutler View Post
    John
    "to apply fly repellent to horse's faces".
    I gotta let my wife know about this one. She sprays it on her hand to do their face and it really kinda bothers me from a toxicity aspect.
    Thank you
    That was the exact reason I came up with the idea! I've told a bunch of people and often saw the head smacking moment.

    Who's going to put on rubber gloves first? Some people spray on cloth or a sponge first, wasteful and can still soak through to your hands.

    At first I tried the foam brushes but they would deteriorate quickly and the foam would fall off. I use a fairly narrow chip brush (1.5"??) which lasts forever. I drill a hole in the handle and slip it on a nail next to the hoof picks, etc. Spray directly on the brush and paint - easy to get it very close to but still keep it out of the eyes.

    The only problem I ever had was at first when I failed to follow wise horse training practices. I brushed it on two horses with no problems. When I brought it close to the mare's nose without showing the brush to her first she panicked at the new scary thing, reared, broke her halter and ran! Fortunately, no animals or humans were hurt due to my negligence. With a few minutes of proper introduction and desensitization she was fine. Horses! 1000 lbs on a hair trigger!

    Hey, one other thing about flies - have you tried the Spalding Labs Fly Predators? I've been using them for years and the farrier always tells me I don't have any flies compared to every where else he goes. They are tiny, nearly invisible wasps that lay eggs in fly larvae and kill them (WAY too small to sting people!). I buy a subscription which comes once a month with 10,000 cocoons I sprinkle around the barn. Since the flies can travel the predators don't work so well if you have close neighbors who don't use them, especially if hey have cattle!
    https://www.spalding-labs.com/produc...s/default.aspx

    JKJ

  10. #10
    So I should apply repellent to a brush to apply it to my body so I don't get it on my hands?

    Actually, it's ok if I get it on my hands. I just lick off my fingers so it won't soak into my skin.

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Feb 2003
    Location
    Milwaukee
    Posts
    907
    Quote Originally Posted by Bill Dindner View Post
    While starting out in woodworking I was shocked at the pricing of paint brushes, at Home Depot I saw loads of $15-$20 brushes, I thought how can they be that much better than the $2 ones. After losing a million bristles in my project, I realized there is a difference.

    Fast forward a couple of years, I thought let's try those chip brushes, would be great for small projects and multiple coats of Poly, obviously, had the same issue.

    I cant really fathom the purpose of cheapo brushes, do people not mind all the stray bristles in their projects?

    Would love to hear everyone's thoughts.
    Sure. I use the cheap chip clearing brushes all the time. I use them for small tasks like touch up. I don't lose very many bristles. Those that I do I have to pick out. Upon completion I simply toss the chip brush. They're cheap enough. If the task is larger, I use a good brush. The expensive one(s). And thoroughly clean them when I complete the work.

    OTOH, when I complete a project like a table or cabinet, I use a spray gun.

  12. #12

    Brush

    IMG_0382.jpg Sprayguns the way to go or rattle can
    Thanks John
    Don't take life too seriously. No one gets out alive anyway!

  13. #13
    Join Date
    Feb 2003
    Location
    Griswold Connecticut
    Posts
    6,927
    John

    Her horse is boarded, but I'll tell the barn owner out the predators. She uses Bite Free spray. The only one we've found that works.
    No dairy farms nearby any longer. Used to be all over the place in CT., but they're rapidly disappearing. A few smaller horse boarding facilities, but that's it.
    We do use ECO Smart fly spray to kill flies in the stall(s) It contains essential oils only, except for the propellant. Works great and the barn smells like peppermint and cinnamon when you use it.

    Paul
    I think there is quite a bit of difference between bug spray for a human, and fly spray for a horse.
    "The first thing you need to know, will likely be the last thing you learn." (Unknown)

  14. #14
    Join Date
    Apr 2013
    Location
    Kansas City
    Posts
    2,652
    there are cheap foam brushes, and very cheap foam brushes. I use the former.

  15. #15
    Join Date
    Mar 2016
    Location
    Coppell, TX
    Posts
    908
    Like others, when I don't want to bother breaking out the spray gun, I use foam brushes for water based paints and finishes. Buy them from Amazon by the box - Jen Mfg is the brand

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •