Ready to use finish jars.

[Honest John]

I seem to be forever picking up used paper towels and putting them in the bin. The most common materials I use in my lathe work are sanding sealer both cellulose and acrylic. The acrylic is mainly because I can’t get away with using cellulose sanding sealer without comment from SWMBO. I also tend to like to use shellack as that is also less confrontational on the domestic front. I’m thinking of using some recycled glass jars by epoxying natural bristle sash brushes into the lids to hold these products. My thinking is that by keeping the brush in the product, I don’t have to wash the brush, and I can easily top up and dilute the products in the ready to use jars. Is this a good idea do you think, or am I starting a rocky road to a gummy disaster?

 

[Rorschach]

I have a few finishes with the brush built into the lid for just this reason. They can gum up a little but you are talking about a few minutes of cleaning up every year or so, totally worth it.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

I can't speak for acrylic but cellulose and shellac brushes will soften completely when soaked again so so long long as you know which brush has been used in what you cab reuse them again without cleaning. I do keep a small amount of cellulose s/s in a little chewing gum pot with the brush jammed through a hole in the lid - it evaporates over a time, but I just top it with a drop of thinners.

 

[Honest John]

Just sourced some brushes today so I’m going to have a go epoxying them into jar lids and have a go. I’m thinking I should be able to flood sanding sealer on with a brush and wipe off the excess with a towel. I find applying it with a towel slow and parts are drying before I’ve covered the whole turning. This is what prompted my thoughts on using a brush, enabling me to slosh it on, then wipe off the excess. Il see what happens.

 

[ColeyS1]

Not sure if you saw this on the knotting solution thread ?

If you screw the knob on you'll have something substantial to fix the brush to whilst also having something to hold onto.

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[Rorschach]

Little advice from a real world user. You see these things promoted on videos and articles as "tips" or "hacks" and all the ones I have seen tell you to set the brushed so it is just touching the bottom of the jar.

Don't do that. Set the brush higher, at least a 1/4". Reason is you don't want the brush submerged in the finish and if the brush is low you can only put a little finish in and you are constantly topping it up.

If you set the brush higher you can fit more finish in the jar without totally drowning the brush, and all you need to do before you use it is simply swirl the jar around a bit to totally coat the brush.

 

[rafezetter]

Not sure if you saw this on the knotting solution thread ?

If you screw the knob on you'll have something substantial to fix the brush to whilst also having something to hold onto.

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wow great idea!

 

[Honest John]

I’m really liking the idea of a turned knob on the top of the jar. I’m definitely going to go for this pattern. I was looking at my selection of saved jars today, and was a little surprised to find that they all had a soft flexible “button” in the middle of the lid presumably as a anti tamper or freshness indicator. I was concerned that this would not provide a very strong base for the brush to be epoxied into. The wooden knob will resolve this. In the photo the lid appears to have a couple of screws into the knob from the inside. I’m wondering if epoxy is also used to glue the whole thing together, or is it totally reliant on the screws?

 

[ColeyS1]

From memory I think I put a bit of silicone on the knob before screwing it down. After I wood glued the brush into it I smeared silicone around the screws and brush just to be extra sure it would be airtight.
Back in the day it was always a push fit snug wooden lid. Completely fine if it got used often but if left for a long period of time it was stuck fast. I use to save the jars from tescos cocktail onions. Think they've changed the shape/size now though.

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[CHJ]

I just use taller jars and leave the whole brush inside, make sure they are wooden handled brushes though.

 

[Honest John]

ColeyS1, I’m seriously liking the silicone. This would allow me to disassemble the arrangement and change the cap when it no longer sealed. The modern screw top caps don’t seem as robust as the ones from yesteryear, and it was a concern. Thanks for the advice.

 

[ColeyS1]

Happy to help John. Here's how it developed lol

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