How to Rescue a Hardened or Splayed Paint Brush

Identify the coating first, then soften it only with a cleaner the coating maker names, and comb with the 45950. If the coating is unknown, stop.

What you need

Set the brush on a protected surface. Do not knock it on the bench or flex a hard heel.
Find the original can, data sheet or job record. Record the exact product, not just latex or oil.
Open the fill gently. A hard wedge at the heel is dried coating. A clean, flexible heel with a leaning fill is storage splay.
Check the ferrule and handle. A loose handle, filaments pulling out in groups or corrosion means the brush has failed.
Storage splay only: comb to parallel, re-form the brush, and test its shape on a board.
Known coating: soften it with only the cleaner the coating maker names, in a stable, labeled container. Follow its contact time and endpoint.
Comb root to tip with the 45950 over the contained cleaner, only while the deposit is soft. Do not rake sideways or toward the ferrule.
Wrap the brush in its keeper or clean paper, dry it in a ventilated area away from ignition, and test it on a board.

Do not drive the comb into a solid block of cured paint. It bends the comb and pulls out filaments.
Keep soaks to the instruction. A long soak can swell the handle and attack the setting compound.
A failed cleaner is not a reason to try a stronger, unlabeled solvent.
The 45950 handle is unaffected by most common paint thinners, not every aggressive cleaner.

If the coating or prior cleaner is unknown, isolate the brush and stop. Do not smell-test, burn-test or try solvents.
Remove ignition sources before opening a solvent cleaner. Do not seal solvent vapor in plastic.
Treat flakes and used cleaner as coating waste. Keep them in labeled containers and dispose of them under local rules.

Questions about the right tool for your job? Email cs@hydestore.com or call 508-916-6442.