Stupid question: what kind of brushes do you use for wet layup?

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#1

Currently im using the cheap 2" economy brushes and throw em out after every use… 2" wide and like 3/8" thick = very time consuming to go over a big part…
http://www.harborfreight.com/pack-of-36-2-inch-industrial-grade-chip-brushes-4182.html

Do you use the disposable route or buy better brushes and reuses them? Im thinking if i can reuse a more expensive brush (like for painting) i can get a 3" by almost 1" thick brush which would mean A LOT less stippling and more area coverage…

also does anyone know where i can get a roller with the groves lengthwise vs the ones with groves around the circumference of the roller?

#2

It’s not a stupid question. The brush can make a big difference.

I like Chip brushes where all the bristles are cut square and flush with each other. The ones that you posted are useless in my opinion. When you stipple you want all the bristles to hit together firmly and in unison. When your done using them you can just put them in an airtight glass jar. The jar should be taller than the brush. Fill the jar with denatured alcohol up just shy of the full height of the bristles. Use a paper towel to get most of the resin out of the brush and then just stick it in the jar and stipple it around. Let it soak until your next layup session. Pull it out about 10 minutes before you need it and squeeze the brush with a paper towel. Change the alcohol when it starts to smell really rotten or gets really dirty.

I don’t like rollers. Most of them tend to compress the fiber format to a thinner state and squeeze out the resin. The fibers then rebound and suck air back into the laminate. Not a fan. I use low mat paint rollers for resin application in some instances.

#3

For rollers check out Bodi Co. they have a large selection of different sizes and styles. For the brushes we use cheap brushes for somethings but then we use “tooling brushes” sold by PTM&W which are a pre-trimmed 2" brush with higher quality bristles. They are a bit pricier at around $2 a pop

#4

I use the same Harbor Freight brushes…I just use them once and toss them. Occasionally have to pull a piece of bristle out of the resin on the piece, but they’re easy to see.

Never tried a roller.

#5

Can’t go wrong with the Harbor Freight brushes. Many other companies sell the same exact brand in the same exact box at 2x more. I just buy them by the box. I use them, and then throw them in a 2 gallon bucket where I keep 1 gallon of Acetone, other brushes, bondo spreaders, rollers, etc.

Its a great way to keep them clean and last a long time.

However, sometimes I just throw them out. At $7 a box its not that bad.

#6

Over here we also have 3" or 4" wide disposable brushes.

I like to pour and spread with a squeegee. That is, when doing a large layup (boats, mostly) and a guy with a shotgun behind me, who does not like infusion…

#7

I use the same cheap brushes. I do however cut them down a tad and make the bristles even. Then I will brush them with my hand and pick at the bristles. This will pull any loose bristles out that would otherwise get on the project.

#8

The ROLLERS that you are talking about are called paddle rollers (fins running from left to right) I buy them from east coast fibre glass over here : http://www.ecfibreglasssupplies.co.uk/c-1050-paddle-rollers.aspx Personally I prefer a V Notch roller (basically a paddle roller with notches radially) ie http://www.ecfibreglasssupplies.co.uk/p-2642-v-notch-roller-70mm-x-21mm-3-x-34.aspx

As for brushes I use plastic handled laminating brushes because they are easier to clean for re use than wooden handled brushes. The size I used depends on the size of the mould and the cloth or mat type being used anything from 1/2" upto 3"

#9

All my tools go in to an empty 5 gallon resin pail filled 2/3 with acetone. In the bottom is a grate that lets the sediment fall while keeping the tools off the bucket floor. Eventually, even in that much acetone, suspended resins can gel up on the bottom and muck up bristle rollers.

I use 4" chip brushes, buy em by the box from composites one.

#10

^ Faancy. :slight_smile:

#11

Hey guys, never use Acetone with epoxy. Toxic combo.

Quote from one epoxy company’s web site below

“On the health issues, with our epoxy, I have never seen any sensitization that doesn’t involve a co-toxin. The one in particular in our business is acetone. It serves as a vehicle for toxins through the skin. We eliminated acetone from our shop long ago and have never had any problems. We now use soap and water, which work better anyway.”

BTW, I like those fuzzy paint spreaders for spreading epoxy. Way more expensive than my harbor freight brushes, but no brush hairs and they push the resin around nicer.

#12

thanks guys very helpful!

is there any reason you guys are choosing acetone vs lacquer thinner?

#13

Standard clean-up (safe) products are the orange citrus hand cleaners or just plain lemon juice.

I know a guy who had to leave the business when his nervous system went haywire. He is totally disabled today from using these products. Be safe and smart about it.

#14

Acetone is only a problem if you are getting it on your skin. It can carry the dissolved resin deep into your skin. If you use appropriate protection then there isn’t an issue. Acetone isn’t the only solvent that can do that.

#15

Vinyl gloves (not nitrile or latex) when handling epoxy with cleanup using white vinegar.

#16

the orange hand cleaner- with the fibril? the gritty stuff? i assume you just rinse them out prior to using them?

lemon juice- do you water it down? if so approx ratio?

#17

I just completed building a new worktable. The Frame made out of fir and pine and the table top a cut piece of 3/4" hardwood ply.
I used 1" and 2" cheap brushes on the frame pieces to apply polyester resin. I used a 9" roller with an Epoxy Resin roller cover to apply West System Epoxy on all sides of my Table Top. Just Mix the resin and pour on the top then spread with the Roller. It worked out quite nicely. The roller covers can be had for cheap at places like Home Depot or higher quality versions at most any marine supply retailer.
Everything went into the trash after use.
Good Luck with your projects.

#18

Chip brushes are great and can last a long time if cleaned and stored properly. Some of the composite builders we know prefer a more durable brush with less bristle loss though. Here’s one that’s only a bit more but is nice to work with.
http://shop.fiberglasshawaii.com/tools/resin_tools/application_tools/brwb-wooster_brush
What are you laying up anyways?

#19

Chip brushes are great and can last a long time if cleaned and stored properly. Some of the composite builders we know prefer a more durable brush with less bristle loss though. Here’s one that’s only a bit more but is nice to work with.
http://shop.fiberglasshawaii.com/too…-wooster_brush
What are you laying up anyways?