posted
I don't paint much, but when I do, I always wonder how everyone handles this.
Generally, I use two containers with paint thinner. One for getting the bulk of paint and brush oil out and then another for a final rinse. The paint seems to settle in the bottom of the containers and the thinner becomes clear again. Does anyone recycle the thinners somehow? Would you just pour it into a new container and throw out the one with the settle paint? It seems like a silly question, but I like to try to keep garbage to a minimum.
Do you re-use your thinners or just use once and dump out?
posted
Recycle. The mineral spirits become nicer to your brushes because oils from the paint mixes with the thinner and the particulates sink to the bottom. The resulting fluid softens the brush hair. The double bath using straight (pure) thinner for the second bath removes the rest of the oils, so you can start lettering.
Before you start to letter, take the brush between your hands and "spin" the handle. This will remove the rest of the thinner left in the "heal" of the brush.
Happy lettering...
^^-in the heart of gold country... Richard Bustamante Nevada City, California www.signsinthepines.com
-------------------- Richard Bustamante Signs in the Pines www.signsinthepines.com Posts: 781 | From: Nevada City, California | Registered: Nov 1998
| IP: Logged |
posted
One of the most important tricks I've learned is to not just lay a brush in the thinner. You might think that it'll only be there for a few minutes, but then the phone rings, you've got to leave suddenly, etc, etc. What happens is that the paint often congeals in the brush, even though it's completely submerged. I can lay my brushes in the thinner because I use what looks like a small cookie baking pan. About 7" x 10" x 1" deep. I wouldn't use anything deeper. This makes the brush lay at less of an angle. When I say I lay them in the thinner, I always, always rinse them out first.This helps prevent the congealing I was talking about. When you're applying the storage oil, use the first application as a final rinse. just squeeze it into the towel, and oil again. I myself would not use transmission fluid as an oil. When I'm out in the field, a 1 qt motor oil container works ok for a brush cleaner/ holder. cut it from top to bottom, making it about an inch deep.
-------------------- James Donahue Donahue Sign Arts 1851 E. Union Valley Rd. Seymour TN. (865) 577-3365 brushman@nxs.net
Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what's for lunch, Benjamin Franklin Posts: 2057 | From: 1033 W. Union Valley Rd. | Registered: Feb 2003
| IP: Logged |
That clear mineral spirits in the container with the sediment in the bottom....it's tempting to recycle it and thin paint with it, but don't forget, it probably has motor oil in it, so it will contaminate your one shot. I don't think a little SAE 30 in one shot would hurt anything, but if it was a desirable additive they'd be using it at the one shot factory.I just use the recycled stuff for brush cleaning, and when it gets real old I use it to light my B-B-Que grill.
-------------------- Jeff Ogden 8727 NE 68 Terr. Gainesville FL, 32609 Posts: 2138 | From: 8827 NE 68 Terr Gainesville Fl 32609 | Registered: Aug 2002
| IP: Logged |
posted
I don't keep my brushes submerged in thinner at all. I use a double bath, the first bath; recycled thinner, and the second bath; clean mineral spirist, then directly into oil; non-detergent 30 weaight Pensoil.
Almost all my clothing has at least one spot of 152 blue or 104 red on them... Yes I do have those nasty lines at my waist, but its from leaning over my substraits though.
--Rich
-------------------- Richard Bustamante Signs in the Pines www.signsinthepines.com Posts: 781 | From: Nevada City, California | Registered: Nov 1998
| IP: Logged |
posted
I occaisionaly do illistration or graphics that require alot of back and forth, going between colors and brushes. That's why I lay them in the thinner for awhile.
-------------------- James Donahue Donahue Sign Arts 1851 E. Union Valley Rd. Seymour TN. (865) 577-3365 brushman@nxs.net
Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what's for lunch, Benjamin Franklin Posts: 2057 | From: 1033 W. Union Valley Rd. | Registered: Feb 2003
| IP: Logged |
posted
Yes Terry, I use a method similar to yours. I use plastic peanut butter jars (regular size). When the sludge gets to be too much, I pour the good thinner into a new container & toss the old (uncapped) in the trash. Only paint containers without lids are allowed in trash & preferably dried up.
For cleaning larger brushes I cut the side out of a gallon container after emptied of thinner. Pour in the contents of one of the thinner jars. Clean the brush(es). Then unscrew the cap from the cut-out container & pour back into jar from which it came. Works really well. Plus the 2 jars fit nicely inside the cut-out container.
-------------------- Bill Cosharek Bill Cosharek Signs N.Huntingdon,Pa
bcosharek@juno.com Posts: 703 | From: N.Huntingdon, Pa, USA | Registered: Dec 1999
| IP: Logged |
I would never consider re-using it for thinning paint. I was just wondering if there was a way to not use so many tins or jars. Also, once a bit of sediment gets in the bottom, it doesn't take much to stir it up and I find I get bits of old paint crud in my brushes while trying to clean them out.
One place I worked at had a container that had another tray of some sort placed inside. We kept the level of thinner just above that tray. That let us use that tray to work the paint out of our brushes without stirring up anything settled on the bottom of the container.
posted
I use a 3 can system. 1st wash to get most of the paint off, 2nd can with cleaner thinner to gte it pretty clean, and finally ome clean thiiner to get it really clean, then into the oil! When the 1st wash get pretty crudded up, toss it and 2nd can stuff goes into it, 3rd wash goes into the 2nd can, and fresh thinner into the 3rd can.
make sense?
-------------------- Si Allen #562 La Mirada, CA. USA
(714) 521-4810
si.allen on Skype
siallen@dslextreme.com
"SignPainters do It with Longer Strokes!"
Never mess with your profile while in a drunken stupor!!!
Brushasaurus on Chat Posts: 8827 | From: La Mirada, CA, USA | Registered: Nov 1998
| IP: Logged |
posted
I use the 3 bath method. I have learned not to pour much in the 2nd & 3rd jars. I pour off the top of the first container often and gather enough to fill the glass bulb of a hand operated centrifuge that I have. A few spins and I have some thinner suited for the #3 bottle.
I find that if you add small drops of Lacquer to top of the recycle pail of (Varsol or Minerial Spirits).. "I mean only Some Drops!" It will help desolve and seperate the solids,oils, sludge... Strain carefully and dispose of Sludge with your Enviro Depot
I will use this for future "Brush Cleaning" but never for mixing with new paint.
The cost indifference is not enough to reclaim a failed job...
-------------------- Stephen Deveau RavenGraphics Insinx Digital Displays
Letting Your Imagination Run Wild! Posts: 4327 | From: Lower Sackville, Nova Scotia, Canada | Registered: Jan 2000
| IP: Logged |
posted
Terry, yes, you can recycle your own thinner almost indefinately. Joey Madden had a great article about cleaning brushes in Sign Builder magazine.
it may have been Joey, or maybe it was Bob Bond, but i followed their advice: 3 cans of increasingly clean thinner. i use peanut butter cans because they have a wide mouth, and its easy to screw the top back (loose) on with one hand.
when the third (dirty) one gets murky i dump it into a jar i use for "settling". it sits there a week without getting stirred up and i pour the cleared stuff into my re-use gallon (where it settles out some more). i haven't had to buy any thinner in a year. i scrape out the settled gunk (the solids) with a rag or piece of newspaper and into the trash it goes.
i don't use paint thinner for anything other than cleaning brushes -- i use reducer for thinning out the paint - so i don't have to worry that my thinner isn't "perfectly" clean.
-------------------- :: Scooter Marriner :: :: Coyote Signs :: :: Oakland, CA :: :: still a beginner :: :: Posts: 1356 | From: Oakland (and San Francisco) | Registered: Mar 2001
| IP: Logged |
We here in Canada pay a small fee for deposal taxes.... Oil Changes 5 litres $2.00 Filters..............$1.00 By products..(Municipal Pick-Ups)..Free. or delivery to depot.
But I am hoping that we never..... Quote. (I scrape out the settled gunk (the solids) with a rag or piece of newspaper and into the trash it goes.)
Trying to Recycle anything we can!
[ June 09, 2003, 03:20 PM: Message edited by: Stephen Deveau ]
-------------------- Stephen Deveau RavenGraphics Insinx Digital Displays
Letting Your Imagination Run Wild! Posts: 4327 | From: Lower Sackville, Nova Scotia, Canada | Registered: Jan 2000
| IP: Logged |
Can you please explain?...As I know this one was directed at Me.
Here is my edit on this post.. Nova Scotia,New Brunswick,P.E.I. and The Great Banks of Newfoundland.. We do pride ourselves in the disposal of the recycle waste.
We turn it into GOLD or OIL on the East Coast!
[ June 09, 2003, 05:50 PM: Message edited by: Stephen Deveau ]
-------------------- Stephen Deveau RavenGraphics Insinx Digital Displays
Letting Your Imagination Run Wild! Posts: 4327 | From: Lower Sackville, Nova Scotia, Canada | Registered: Jan 2000
| IP: Logged |
posted
Right Bill. Not at you Steve, you're doing it right. Down here, California laws have caused and continue to cause big problems for many industries and individuals. To hear someone from the "Big C" say they just throw solids waste from paint in the trash is a kick to the balls of a lot of folks.
posted
i'm very concerned about the trash i create.
i asked our city "hazardous waste" people, and they said their concern was with the petroleum products. they want us to leave the lids off of paint cans before they're tossed out so the stuff evaporates! (its OK in the air, but not in the ground?). OR, to siphon off the thinner and recyle that -- they didn't seem concerned with paint pigment residue.
i'm recycling my thinner "in house", so it doesn't enter the wastestream or the air (except for small amounts).
the solids i wipe out are everything except the oil and solvents - pigments, mostly. those same pigments, if painted onto something, are going to enter the waste stream as the signs are chucked out.
the same pigments are in vinyl -- the gunk i toss out from the settled thinner is probably less toxic than the pile of trash i create every time i use vinyl.
but, if you want to save up your settled paint solids, be my guest. we live in an imperfect world -- vegetable based paints just dont seem to last very long.
-------------------- :: Scooter Marriner :: :: Coyote Signs :: :: Oakland, CA :: :: still a beginner :: :: Posts: 1356 | From: Oakland (and San Francisco) | Registered: Mar 2001
| IP: Logged |
posted
I don't exactly save the solid waste from the paint, I accumulate it and dispose of it in dry form, sometime burned in an open fire or sent to the incinerator.
posted
all that has been said about brush care and old spirts recyling has been very good....one thing that i could add is when you are done cleaning the brush and before you oil you might concider combing the hairs of your brush. using a small mustache comb or one that get lice out of hair. by combing the hairs of your brush you are able to train those wild hairs an also it helps in the cleaning up close to the ferule.
chris
-------------------- "We have been making house calls since 1992"
Chris Lovelady Vital Signs
NOW WITH 2 LOCATIONS! Tallahassee, Florida Thomasville, Ga.
![[Confused]](confused.gif)
![[Eek!]](eek.gif)
![[Roll Eyes]](rolleyes.gif)
![[Wink]](wink.gif)
Printer-friendly view of this topic