bushwacked Posted March 24, 2015 Report Share Posted March 24, 2015 Are some foam brushes better or worse than others? Or is a foam brush a foam brush? Any recommendations on a 4" or bigger foam brush. Doing a table top with a water based finish if that helps. Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wdwerker Posted March 24, 2015 Report Share Posted March 24, 2015 I prefer the brushes with the finer texture foam, although they do not last as long. Make as few strokes as possible w waterbourne finishes or it makes bubbles foam up in the finish . I only use foam brushes on samples and small quick projects that aren't worth setting up to spray. Do a couple of test boards along with your tabletop , check for dryness on those to avoid finger prints on the table. Practice on the bottom of the table. I will often put a couple of coats over stain before I sand. Sand very carefully especially near edges and corners. It can be tough to fix if you sand thru the finish and stain . Test boards let you purposely sand thru and practice the repair. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bushwacked Posted March 24, 2015 Author Report Share Posted March 24, 2015 Do you have a link to those brushes? Right now for the sample boards I have been using these ... They just don't seem top grade but maybe I am wrong? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duckkisser Posted March 24, 2015 Report Share Posted March 24, 2015 honestly for the classroom I have the kids use foam padding from craft stores I just cut it up on my band saw into smaller squares. the kids go through so many of them that its not worth the hassle of trying to buy foam brushes. can buy a years worth of foam brushes for 10 bucks and I would not get two weeks out of 10 bucks if I got normal brushes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bushwacked Posted March 24, 2015 Author Report Share Posted March 24, 2015 honestly for the classroom I have the kids use foam padding from craft stores I just cut it up on my band saw into smaller squares. the kids go through so many of them that its not worth the hassle of trying to buy foam brushes. can buy a years worth of foam brushes for 10 bucks and I would not get two weeks out of 10 bucks if I got normal brushes. How would they do applying a finish? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raefco Posted March 24, 2015 Report Share Posted March 24, 2015 I use the foam brushes more for finishes that are hard to get out of a good natural brush, the water base washes out really easy with little mess. Just spend 10-12 bucks on a good natural brush and only use it for water base material, rinse well and wrap it in plastic wrap or put in a large zip lock till the next coat. I have had issues with the foam brushes coming apart on larger jobs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
treeslayer Posted March 24, 2015 Report Share Posted March 24, 2015 I use them all the time, the ones you want are more dark grey colored, avoid the black ones. as wdwerker said the better ones are a denser foam. I use them for spreading glue, finish and stain, I put them in a plastic bag between coats and can get a couple of coats on before I have to throw them out, get mine at menards, about 40 cents each for 2 inch wide 70 cents for 4 inch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
estesbubba Posted March 24, 2015 Report Share Posted March 24, 2015 Wooster Foam King are better than the craft store ones. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bushwacked Posted March 24, 2015 Author Report Share Posted March 24, 2015 Are they worth 4 a pop? I'm sure I will have to use a few to complete the finish on a dinner table. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duckkisser Posted March 25, 2015 Report Share Posted March 25, 2015 How would they do applying a finish? well wear gloves since you wont have a handle but considering the kids are far from expert even if they have a good brush they tend to slop it on no matter how many times I tell them lots of thin coats to create a even smooth surface with a high glass. if you want to know how well they work then you will need to go buy some but frankly if i am not spraying or using some kind of oil then I will use a foam pad but you will need to throw away alot of pads since they tend to fall apart over the length of a large job. see if you can get some from a fabric or craft store and give it a try. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
estesbubba Posted March 25, 2015 Report Share Posted March 25, 2015 Are they worth 4 a pop? I'm sure I will have to use a few to complete the finish on a dinner table. They're worth $20 if they give you a great finish. Nothing pisses you off more than working on a project and screwing up the finish. Now I've never brushed waterbornes so can't answer if they're great for what you want to do but guessing they're better than the Jens. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coop Posted March 25, 2015 Report Share Posted March 25, 2015 I've found that the handles are different as well. most have a wooden handle with a plastic "blade" the extends into the foam. I bought a bag from Rockler that it must have been a bad year for plastic as there barely any into the foam. I found the ones from HD to be better than Hobby Lobby or Rockler. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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