George Vondriska

Choosing a Brush for Your Top Coat

George Vondriska
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Duration:   2  mins

You’ve spent a lot of time on your project getting it ready to finish, so why not finish it right? If you’re going to apply four layers of stains or top coat with a brush, it’s important to use the proper brush for the job. A WoodWorkers Guild of America (WWGOA) original video.

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13 Responses to “Choosing a Brush for Your Top Coat”

  1. IVAN CISTERNAS

    It seems that most brushes on the market today are synthetic. I eventually discovered that “China Bristle” brushes are natural bristle but, finding chisel-tipped varieties has been difficult. Can you suggest a source where I can get chisel-tipped, natural bristle brushes? Thank you.

    Reply
  2. Stuart

    I’d heard the reason not to use a natural bristle brush for water-based finishes, is because the bristles will absorb the water and swell. I don’t know if this is true, but there result is the same – polyester for water-based paint and finish.

    Reply
    • Customer Service

      Hi Mark,
      Here is what our expert had to say: They should be ok for stain, but I believe that lacquer would melt them. I haven’t tried it, as I usually apply stain with a rag and lacquer with a spray gun.
      Paul

      If you have any other questions, please chat, email, or contact Customer Service at 1-855-253-0822. 

      Sincerely,
      Codi
      Woodworkers Guild of America Video Membership

      Reply
  3. Ed

    How about a foam roller? It always gives me a smooth coat. Just put in a ziplock bag to keep it moist between coats

    Reply
  4. James Sherbundy

    I would like to add a brush to your list. TAKLON. Not your Home Depot brush. Got mine from homestedfinishingproducts.com. The finish is like it was sprayed on. No brush marks. I would not want to try to paint the house with it, but I did do a door frame. George, maybe you would want to review some of homested’s products.

    Reply
  5. JIM

    How about the relative merits of Foam brush versus Bristle brushes.
    Jim McCulloch
    Perth
    Australia

    Reply
    • Customer Service

      Dear Jim,

      Thank you for your patience. In response to your question-

      I use foam brushes for quick jobs with a lower quality bar. High quality bristle brushes provide higher quality finish in most if not all scenarios. These are the brushes that I use for most scenarios: https://amzn.to/2J6QOYC

      Paul
      Woodworkers Guild of America

      Reply
    • Customer Service

      Hi Jerry. Thanks for the suggestion. I will forward this on. We appreciate your feedback.
      Thanks
      Jean-WWGOA Video Membership

      Reply
  6. mark.lefebvre@comcast.net

    A follow up clip on proper cleaning of brushes would be helpful as good brushes are expensive and it hurts to throw them away.

    Reply
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