I keep a coffe can half full of mineral spirits with a hole in the lid for the brush's handle to stck through. I get as much paint or varnish out of the brush as I can by painting my sawhorses, wooden ladders, etc. Then rather than clean the brush, I just put it in the mineral spirits to keep it wet until the next coat. When I use it again, I just dry it on the sawhorses or ladder etc. again, and then wipe it a bit drier with a rag. Saturate the brush with the paint or varnish and scrape it along the lip of the paint can a couple of times to get the thinner out of the brush (there really isn't any), and to even out the consistency of the paint in the brush. It sounds like alot when it's explained, but once you do it you'll find it's really fast and easy.

I wouldn't use this technique for a $90 varnishing brush, but I only have one of those, and it's not for projects as large as a boat.

> Use a pretty good brush for this.
> Several people on this bbs say just pitch it rather than trying to
> clean, as the cleaner costs more than the brush, and you're poisoning
> yourself or the environment.