And the good thing is you can use them for applying nearly all types of paints, stains, and varnishes on furniture, cabinetry, and trim. Before applying the varnish, it’s important to stir it well. Shaking the varnish will introduce bubbles and make the varnish sag and run. To prevent any contamination of the source can, pour it into a separate container. When using an oil-based varnish, be sure to wear rubber gloves and a respirator. You should also tip off the varnish with a small paintbrush. This will smooth the surface and prevent streaks and bubbles from appearing. If you’re painting the surface of a furniture, try tipping off the varnish in the direction of the wood grain. Using a chamois A foam brush however will generally take more work and will wear out much faster compared to a bristle brush. Firstly, you should understand the parameters of the varnish before you start the application process. You must know the exact time required for each coat to dry, and the time between successive coats. It is also crucial that you keep the temperature in your workspace between 65 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit, as anything lower than this will delay the drying process. If you’re applying varnish on an interior wall, you must consider the humidity and temperature before applying the first coat. Water-based polyurethanes recommend using a foam brush on the can, and while someday I’m going to be a rulebreaker and experiment with a bristled paint brush, I haven’t actually tried it yet, so I can’t tell you how it goes.

I use bristled paint brushes whenever I’m working with latex paint, or shellac. Oil-based polyurethanes are usually decided based on the project – small projects I’ll use a foam brush, big projects I’ll break out the paint brush and mineral spirits for. You will have to replace a foam brush more often compared to a bristle brush, but you are paying less for the product. 4- Even Application: Primer– Foam brush for oil-based, bristle brush for water-based. Bristle brushes do a better job of application, but it’s not worth the cleanup if you’re working with oil-based primer. When it comes to choosing a varnish brush, the choice is entirely up to you. While you can use a foam brush to apply varnish, it will not produce the smooth finish that you desire. Instead, you should opt for a natural bristle brush, which provides better control and feel for applying the final coats. This brush is also inexpensive and can be used over again. However, if you aren’t too careful, foam brushes will cause streaks and drips. Using a roller Wood Conditioner– Foam brush. Wood conditioner is super thin and takes 20 seconds to apply. I’m not cleaning a bristle brush with mineral spirits for that.

The soft porous foam can absorb the paint much like a sponge pad and can apply it across a surface (no matter how small or large it is). Another consideration is that which brush you chose will depend on the type of paint that is being used. There are reasons to use either brush, but making your decision based on brushstrokes doesn’t really make sense to me. I talk about that a bit more in this post on painting furniture without brushstrokes, but tl;dr, there are other paint brushes that are good too!

Mod Podge– Foam brush. This is mostly an impulse habit though – I can’t actually think of a reason why a bristle brush wouldn’t work. I also use them a ton when I’m testing stains and finishes. Since I only need to use a little bit of product, it seems annoying to have to clean a whole paintbrush afterward. By using a foam brush for testing, I can really cut down on the cleanup. Where to Buy Foam Brushes When applying varnish to a car, a chamois is a convenient and effective tool. This cloth can be used for various purposes, including polishing, blending, deep cleaning, and scrubbing. Its texture is also great for highlighting natural imperfections in the paint. Its uneven surface is ideal for blending textures, especially when applying varnish to a fresh vehicle. Moreover, a chamois can last for years when properly cared for, unlike microfiber towels.I use them most often when staining, since my woods stains are primarily oil-based, and I really don’t want to clean up oil-based products. I still own a set of Purdy brushes for super fancy projects, but for the most part I just use the Painter’s Collection brushes.

Whenever you are applying varnish, you should first preheat the water, which can be done with a heating source or by removing the pot from the heat. After removing the pot from the heat source, you should shut the heat off and warm the varnish solution in an explosion-proof spray booth. If you are using a metal spray container, leave the cover slightly open. This will prevent the buildup of vapor pressure. |Some people swear that foam brushes leave fewer brushstrokes than bristle brushes. I disagree. While foam brushes certainly leave a different type of brushstroke than bristle brushes, there is still a visible stroke. Regardless, I typically only opt for foam brushes for low-duty tasks as a result, like applying stain, or finishing smaller projects. However, do not use the expensive bristle brushes as they can be hard and can leave bristle marks on the wood finishes like Minwax polyacrylics. You will need to use a high-quality bristle brush, but the evenness of the coat will be better compared to the foam version.Another method to clean the table is to use a chamois after varnishing. This cloth can be used for polishing, as it’s incredibly absorbent. It can be used on furniture, cars, and even for cleaning windows. Using a chamois to apply varnish will help you avoid scrubbing up your furniture with a dirty cloth. This cloth can be used as many times as you need, and can be machine-washed. Using a square All the negatives of foam brushes really don’t apply when staining. The stain gets wiped off, so air bubbles aren’t an issue. Stain is really thin, so it’s not much work for the brush to spread, and therefore the brush stays intact for a longer period of time. Foam brushes may also be washed repeatedly, but they tend to break down over a much shorter period compared to bristle brushes.

Shellac– Bristle brush. I actually have a dedicated “shellac” brush. Since shellac dissolves shellac, you don’t actually have to clean the brush after use. Just let it soak in the shellac for about 5 minutes before your next project, and the brush will be nice and soft again. The handles of a foam brush are mostly made of wood, although you can find plastic handles as well.They also tend to rip or break after significant use. The plastic or wood that the brush is attached to pokes through the foam, breaking up the foam and sometimes leaving foam shreds in your project.