504 IOWA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



Of these three types it Is difficult to say which is the best, different painters 

 having their own individual preferences. The advantage of a flat brush 

 is that a greater amount of surface is covered at a stroke, v;ith the dis- 

 advantage that the paint can not be as thoroughly rubbed in. On the 

 whole, therefore, it is best to use a round brush. The 6-inch bristles are 

 too long for proper working, and before being used a piece of cloth should 

 be tied around the brush about 4 inches from the end of the bristles and 

 2 inches from the binding. As the bristles are worn off this sleeve or 

 bridle, as it is called, may be pushed back, thus materially lengthening the 

 life of the brush. For painting sashes and other small surfaces smaller 

 brushes are necessary, the most satisfactory being the small oval brushes 

 with a chiseled end. For varnishing, oval or flat brushes with somewhat 

 shorter bristles are generally used. For the application of whitewash and 

 calcimine a very much larger brush may be used, since these are applied 

 lightly to the surface and are not rubbed in. A flat 8 or 9 inch white- 

 wash brush may be used with practically as much ease as a smaller one. 



In addition to the paint brushes, dusting brushes made of stiff bristles 

 are useful for cleaning the surface before painting. For cleaning rusted 

 metal surfaces, steel-wire brushes (2 or 3 inches wide and 6 inches long 

 with wires about 3 inches long) are frequently necessary. 



If ready-mixed paints are bought the cans may serve as buckets, but if 

 the paint is mixed from the paste a strong tin bucket large enough to 

 allow for stirring the paint will be necessary. Scraping knives and 

 putty knives are necessary tools for the painter, and it is well to have one 

 or two of each, but a very good scraper can be improvised from a piece 

 of sheet iron, and an old kitchen knife may be ground to a square end 

 and converted into a very serviceable putty knife. A paint strainer is 

 useful, but two thicknessf^s of cheesecloth tied over the top of a bucket 

 answers practically as well. Paint should be strained before using it. 



CARE OF BRUSHES. 



Brushes for applying oil paints must be well cleaned after using, though 

 for keeping overnight it is generally sufficient to wrap them in several 

 thicknesses of paper. Some painters keep their brushes overnight by 

 putting them in water. If, however, the brush is not to be used for several 

 days, the paint should be washed out of it. Turpentine is one of the most 

 satisfactory materials for washing a brush, but it is expensive, and a brush 

 can generally be washed as well with kerosene, which is much cheaper. 

 After washing off the paint with kerosene the brush should be rinsed 

 with gasoline or benzin, then thoroughly shaken and well washed with 

 soap and warm w^ter. As soon as this washing is complete the brush 

 should be shaken thoroughly so as to throw as much water out of it as 

 possible and hung up with the bristles down to dry; when dried the brush 

 should be thoroughly protected from dust. If much painting is being 

 done it is less trouble to keep the brushes in turpentine or kerosene. For 

 this purpose hooks should be fastened on the inside of a pall with a close- 

 fitting cover, the brushes being suspended either by holes In the handles 

 or by loops of string, so that the brushes hang In the kerosene or tur- 



