When I first used Hammerite, maybe 20+ years ago, I was too stingy to buy the brush cleaner and ruined a couple of brushes as nothing I had could clean them. A few years back I took the plunge, bought some brush cleaner, and have treated it like liquid gold since.
Fast forward to today when I needed to use Hammerite again but couldn't find the cleaner. I remembered a tip I read (possibly on here, but I don't think so) that cooking oil would do the job, but I didn't pay much attention as I didn't really believe it.
Today I had to try it or dump the brush. The only cooking oil in stock in the kitchen was virgin olive oil (nothing less in these environs naturally).
I used it and I can confirm it works and is of course much kinder on ones delicate hands than any spirit. A result !
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I use cellulose thinners. Used to work as a paint thinner too, but then they reformulated Hammerite and it didn't work anymore. Still ok as a brush cleaner though.
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When we were forced to paint as kids, my grandmother told us to clean our hands with lard - worked a treat.
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Lard? Lard? You were lucky ! We 'ad to set fire t'ands, using a still lit thrown away tab end and wait till't paint burned off. Lard? Luxury...
:-)
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If I ever need to hammerite anything, I just get a pack of brushes from the local £1 store and chuck them away afterwards. Far cheaper than trying to clean and use them again.
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I used to use a lot of Hammerite, still have a fair amount. I buy the smallest Hammerite thinners, with the screw top and just broggle the brush in it for a minute or so. Then wash brush straight away with detergent.
All the underneath of the car is painted with black Smoothrite.
Put top back and wait for next brush. Only my better brushes are cleaned. Lasts for a long time. I too buy pound shop brushes now and chuck 'em.
Ted
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It's great to see my money and time saving tip has been so enthusiastically received.
l'll have to dedicate more of my time and effort to helping others.... but maybe not here.
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It ain't the lack of enthusiasm, DE, just the fact that in the poverty-stricken shires we cannot afford Hammerite never mind posh cooking oil! ;-)
Cheers for the tip, any chance of you testing it on the servants' cheap corn oil too? ;-)
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What do you want? rose petals strewn in your path, or a Knighthood?
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>> What do you want? rose petals strewn in your path, or a Knighthood?
>>
Or perhaps an illuminated scroll?
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>> Blue Plaque on the wall?
Perhaps painted with blue Hammerite.
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When the knighthood comes through he will need a coat of arms. I suggest paintbrush dexter and Mazola sinister, with paint tin rampant.
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>> When the knighthood comes through he will need a coat of arms. I suggest paintbrush
>> dexter and Mazola sinister, with paint tin rampant.
>>
Mazola's only for commoners. He did say something about virgins but where you'd get one of those in London is anyone's guess.
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I think they must have changed the formulation. I agree it used to need special hammerite thinners/cleaner, but this thread has made me realise I have happily been using white spirit just like any other oil paint.
It works for me, but then I only ever use their black or white, if that matters.
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Did some glossing the other day with some water based paint.
Didn't feel normal to wash the brushes out in water. Years ago before I knew paint used to be oil based, I madea right mess of the kitchen sink trying to wash out the brushes.
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>> I have happily been using white spirit just like any other oil paint.
It works for me, but then I only ever use their black or white, if that matters.
Same here. I use old paint brushes when applying Hammerite, and white spirit cleans them adequately.
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It seems, like most paints, the old recipe Hammerite of which I still have a few part used tins, was the business - extremely long lasting with excellent coverage. White spirit would not clean the brushes, nor meths just cellulose type thinners or the brilliant veggy oil.
I believe that the new formula Hammerite is a pale imitation of the original and probably not worth buying. White spirit cleans it up OK.
Last edited by: Dulwich Estate on Wed 26 Sep 12 at 16:14
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Didn't Hammerite in the old days have stuff in it that clogged brushes and made a funny finish if you brushed it too much? People used to use it on heavy-duty suspension parts and the like.
I'm not a tosher myself although I've painted many things in my time, put up wallpaper, done sixties radical decor with yellow ochre ceilings and white and silver walls (like living under a fried egg)... One of my daughters used to do special finishes, rag-rolling and so on, good at it too.
I've just been painting some wooden bookshelves I've taken forever making, in satin finish primer grey if anyone's interested. Dulux product, available in hundreds of colours and mixed in the shop on a white base. It's quite expensive but very easy to use and does the job nicely if you do two or three coats. Dries in four hours and you can wash the brush in water in three minutes.
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Like most others, I find that new brushes are cheaper than the thinners...
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It seems my point has been missed.
"Like most others, I find that new brushes are cheaper than the thinners..."
For the old formulation of Hammerite - cooking oil can be used to clean the brushes.
What's cheaper: New brushes or 30 ml of cooking oil ?
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New Brushes are cheaper than black hands for weeks... and ruined clothes, sinks etc. etc. not to mention the time taken.
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Absolute tosh - can't you handle a paint brush ? Cooking oil / hammerite mix leaves no stains and the sink is fine. As for time spent, your way you have to get new brushes too.
You just can't help some people. I give up.
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>> You just can't help some people. I give up.
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Oh come on! You're having your leg gently pulled, get over it. :-)
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>> What's cheaper: New brushes or 30 ml of cooking oil ?
New brushes.
5 brushes for a £1, that's 20p each. As previously stated, cheaper to chuck away the brush and get the next one out the packet when the next paint job comes along.
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www.mysupermarket.co.uk/#/sunflower_oil_in_tesco.html
Tesco Sunflower Oil - 1 litre £1.39.
30ml is 4.17p
Throwing brushes away is a sign of decadence.
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You don't buy thinners properly.
500ml of cellulose thinners cost £7 in our local car parts shop. 5 litres cost £9.. (EEK!)
I bought 5 litres. Cleans Hammerite , anything.
Lovely smell and so cheap.. you could drink it...
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But also factor in the time:-
Throw away brush, couple of seconds.
Washing brush out in cooking oil. A few mins.
Is a few mins wasted worth 15.83p?
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I'd die before I used up 5 litres of cellulose thinners. It's DIY not a professional spray booth.
Get in car, drive 5 miles, pay for parking, drive home. store brushes. Later, try and find brushes, use and dump in bin for landfill.
You stick to your disposable brushes, I'll keep on using cooking oil which is always there in the kitchen.
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I look after my gloss and emulsion brushes, so far the same ones have completed two whole house renovations. Even had the same creosote brushes 20yrs.
But there is just one paint where I chuck the brush every time... Hammerite.
But no more... stopped using the stuff as I realised it is over rated and over priced.
Last edited by: Fenlander on Wed 26 Sep 12 at 14:24
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I employ an excellent (and exceptionally reasonably priced) local painter. He does a far, far better job than I could ever do. Buying and washing paint brushes? Wassat?
If anyone around Reading needs a recommendation, drop me a line.
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Thanks for the tip DE. I'm sure I've got some old-style Hammerite hidden away somewhere.
I hate throwing away brushes and hate cheap brushes.
It is just so much easier and less of a chore if you use good brushes. Been painting the skirting and architraves today with a £12 brush. No way I'm throwing that away!
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>> 5 brushes for a £1, that's 20p each.
depending in what I'm painting - OK, it is still hammerite - the annoyance of lost bristles on the painted article outweighs the saving.
But a great brush-saving tip - clean with thinners, then with washing-up liquid, then grab a couple of offcuts of hardboard, and sandwich the bristles as a wedge between then, securing with a clothespeg.
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Hammerite used to contain xylene, hence the special thinners and the need to overpaint within a certain time, or after a certain time. I think that's what made it especially good, something some that seems to be lacking in the new formulation.
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you could smell it in the old one, the smell is lacking in the new stuff.
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Hammerite - Brush Cleaning - Tip of the Day - Slidingpillar
