Brushes, ContinuedHandlesHandles made of wood or plastic hold the ferrule and the bristles.Orientalbrush handles are made of bamboo or twigs. People give relatively littlethought to brush handle length, but a handle that is too long or too short willimbalance the hand as it travels across a surface. Use short-handled brusheswhen you are working close to a surface and for detail work. Long-handledbrushes can counterbalance the brush tip and are better suited for expansiveareas without well-defined detail.CleaningbrushesAfter using a brush, clean it thoroughly. A brush properly cared for will lastmany years. Throw away brushes with crusted and curled bristles or reusethem as disposable paste brushes. Do not trim brush tips and continue to usethem because the bristles will not respond correctly. In particular, keep thearea around the ferrule clean. Shape and store the brush after cleaning.To clean, shape, and store brushes, follow this table:StepAction1Remove as much color as possible by initially rinsing brushes:in water for water-based paints, andin thinner or mineral spirits for oil-based paints.2Wet brush in lukewarm water after removing all color.3Lather palm of hand with mild face soap.4Stroke brush back and forth in hand.5Rinse thoroughly in clean water.6Shake excess water from bristles.7Shape bristles gently into original shape.8Store brushes with bristles up.Continued on next page1-29
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