How do you clean varnish brushes?

[andymania]

After I finish applying retouch varnish to a painting? What is the proper way to clean the varnish brush? I washed it with soap and water and the hairs are already stiff.......

[DSillustration]

More soap and water.

Varnish is tough because you can't see when it's all out.
You'll think it's clean, only to find out later it wasn't.
Use a bar of Ivory soap and work up lather as you brush back and forth.
Then squeeze the soap out with your fingers in an attempt to extrude the varnish from the ferrule.
Do this for a good 5 minutes and you should be alright.

Of course, if it's already dry, you can kiss that brush goodbye.

[andymania]

shit 25 bucks down the drain.

[dbclemons]

Sometimes you can restore a varnish brush by soaking the hairs in denatured alcohol for a few hours and then cleaning in kerosene. You may have to scrape out some dried resin, or use an oil rub followed by more solvent. It may not be as good as it was but still useable.

Cleaning a varnish brush in turpentine (or mineral spirits if you're using a spirit varnish) works well for me. If it's a natural hair brush I don't use water.