What on earth is that little bunny creature model with the turnip?? I desperately need to get one!

Thank god there's finally a video on this with someone with a science background and knows the subject matter. There's so little good information, and a lot of dubious marketing around brush products.

Scientific method brought to paint brushes, that's why I love this channel.

In 25 years of warhammer hobby, I'm embarrassed to say I never understood that cleaning the brush could actually restore the tip. Bought 99,5% IPA , and it worked like a charm.

Your video saved 51 of my brushes. B4 I came across your video I was sad but now I feel like a boss lol

I thought about abusing back-channels last week just to recommend you do this exact topic. Thank you! My poor abused brushes are going to be so happy.

I am all for more brush under a microscope content!

Brent casually answering every single question regarding the painting sode of the hobby i had the last 20 years while beeing amazingly charismatic. A pleasure to watch.

Who else loves it when Brent deep dives on a topic and really uses that chemist brain?

As an artist who spent a lot of their early years in STEM, this was *so refreshing*. So much of what are considered 'trade important products' don't actually explain the science behind them beyond marketing. Please keep doing videos like this!

As a signwriter who uses russian sable brushes for most of my signs, use neatsfoot oil (from a saddlery shop) to keep your brushes well oiled when you re not using them, when I store mine I never know when I will need them next and its a fantastic product to stop your brushes from drying out from under use

This is exactly the video I've been needing lately, after depression caused a craft hiatus where I left all my brushes unwashed and crusty for over a year. >_< And I'm so grateful it's you who made it, Goobertown! I appreciate your calm and reassuring voice so much :3

This could not have come at a more perfect time. I'm new to miniatures and was using basic brushes but finally ordered some better ones. So this is a godsend.

I have used my wife's hair straightener to fix curled synthetic tips with mixed results. I figured it wasn't really worth the trouble but might be worth looking into.

I honestly didn't know before you made these videos that Army Painter brushes use natural hair. I always thought they were just higher quality synthetics. I already thought that they offered a good value when looking at hobby-branded brushes, but that value and appreciation just went up even more.

This was a great topic Brent! Thank you for your time and effort getting these videos out 🙂My most favourite moments are your chemistry lessons: the videos about epoxies and super glue were awesome and continue to share these with my peers several months after first coming across them. I would love to learn more about the chemistry behind both paint removing and pain thinning from you/your channel if not too much to ask. 😊

Well done. Wwaaayyyyyy back when I was in high school I had an amazing art teacher and at the end of each semester a few of us would join him to do a deep clean of the tables and brushes. As we were using acrylics we used Isopropyl to clean and recondition them. Nice to see it validated all these years later.

This is soo helpful. Having been painting minis for years now I have never seen a video for a creator as large as you talking about this. Wonderfully helpful.

I love it so much when you get all science on a subject. So good.

Once I learned you were a Phd Chemist your videos like this became instant watch. I support a bunch of really smart chemist as part of my job and you are every bit as thorough as they are. Understanding what's happening to your brush with every paint, solvent, cleaner is eye opening compared to pseudoscience "in my experience" A lot of mini painters are amazing artist without understand why X,Y,Z gives them certain results.

the timing on this video could not have been more perfect, I am in need of finally cleaning some of my brushes, so I really appreciate this.

You have inspired me to clean a brush for the first time ever

extra thank you to your assistants for helping give us such an informative video ;) exactly what i needed

Two of my favorites, hobby science and cats!!! Love this video, great informative content!!!

So fascinating. Thank you for taking time to get into this. it really helps the hobbyist make science based decisions on how to upkeep, restore and finally when to replace brushes of all types. Much appreciated.

I really enjoy using "The Masters" brush cleaner. It works really well for helping a worn out brush forming a sharp point again. A container of that will last a lifetime.

Probably one of the most useful videos I've ever seen.

Exactly what i was looking for and it released a minute ago, like you knew it. Thank you Brent!

Thank you, you guilted me in to a brush cleaning session before I pack in for the night :) I hadn't heard leaving the soap in the brush tips going to try that tonight

Very well done video, much appreciated the microscopic demonstrations to prove a point 👍

Gave this a shot today with IPA, rescued a bunch of gw layer brushes I inherited. Thanks for the video!

Absolutely love when you do these science based videos 😁❤️👍🏼

Yes!! A goobertown video always makes the day better!!

I use shampoo and hair conditioner on mine (I paint on canvas as well as miniatures) and they come out lovely and soft and springy again. The cheap stuff is best. It makes them easier to clean if you do it regularly.

Super helpful stuff! Been meaning to get better about my brush care and now i know whatll probably serve me the best!

I'm surprised at how effective the IPA was. Good video!

I always enjoy Dr. Goobs breakin' out the science

I was looking forward to this video and as usually you do NOT disappoint. Thanks for the helpful tips!

Very good to see this. I had actually just started using a bit of the hand sanitizer myself, so I'm glad that you find this to be a viable cleaning method. Great information!

Thank you for making this video. I really appreciate your careful science-based approach to these sorts of problems. Once again you have cut through all the folk knowledge to get to the actual truth.

Ever heard the saying "You learn something new everyday" I can guarantee that this Channel lives up to that saying.

I'm glad to see this video. Tackling the idea of restoring hooked synthetics is especially helpful, at a certain point it's just not worth the effort on a cheap brush.

As a materials physicist, the evidence-based approach is *chef’s kiss*, but as a Brit, I’m horrified that you boil water in the microwave. Excellent video, lots to take away here for my own brushes!

Thanks for the tips Brent! Great to see how simple it can be to clean up these old brushes. I have quite a few built up, many medium dry brushes too, look forward to seeing if this may be able to restore them! Thanks

Speechless. Never seen such a detailed video of its subject. Fantastic work.

Thanks for this! My brushes are still in quite good condition but it's good to keep this in mind for the future.

Thanks again Brent. Another awesome and useful video

Thanks for speaking to the effects of IPA on the bristle glue. I kept hearing people say it will dissolve it but I've never had any issues. Since everyone else is listing their routines, here's mine: immediately after a painting session I rinse everything in room temp water. Any brushes with globs of paint or paint up to the metal I hit with IPA and a cotton swab. Then all brushes go through the tan puck until they aren't leaving paint on it anymore. Only takes a few minutes each night and everything stays clean!

Another excellent video, Brent. In my mind you are now the Mr. Rogers of Miniature Painting. Solid, data-based recommendations, a genial manner, and a sense of humor. (I'd also call you the Mr. Rogers of smallmouth bass fishing, but your lures are a bit on the odd side. 🙂) By the way, I use that fancy soap and conditioner in the tan plastic tin for final cleaning of my brushes at the end of a work session. While painting I use a bottle of water (of course) and a jar filled with windshield washer fluid for mild cleaning. For hard cases I also use Createx 4012 thinner. Unfortunately, as a model railroader it's still difficult to avoid getting paint above the bristles when using an old-school bottle of paint. Cheers from Wisconsin!

Your science background really makes this the go to video for this sort of thing. I really love your unique take on this hobby. Kudos to you Brent! Any shot you can give pointers (no pun intended) on restoring/reforming the points on brushes?

Fantastic video, Brent. Much appreciated.

Probably been said a thousand times in the comments, but I'll feed the algorithm. Even the best brushes with the best care wear down. But many can be reporposed either as other types of brushes or for other purposes. Examples could be as a dry brush, to clean an airbrush, or even to apply glue (this is usually the last stop for my brushes).

Great video, I am about to embark on my first real foray into acrylics, and this has been substantially informative to reducing cost and experimentation. Thank you kindly.

So glad, I found you and even had Isopa at home!!! And it really works. You made me happy!! Thanks a lot! Regards from Berlin

Dude. Thank you so much. You're like a hobby tool necromancer. Thanks to you I now have about a dozen formerly dead brushes back in the game, as good as new. I'm going to see if i can tip you somehow, seeing as i'll probably now save a fortune on new brushes. Thank you again!

That was so informative, thank you! I loved seeing the bristles under the microscope. I'm super hard on my brushes since I do a lot of scumbling and pouncing. After seeing how well the natural bristles restore and how kinked the synthetic get (most of my brushes are synthetic and have very damaged tips, (I try to only used those old damaged brushes for scumbling and oiling out) I think I may need to make the switch to natural! PSA: Wear gloves when washing brushes. In the video you demoed rubbing a brush in your hand with soap to clean it. I used to do this until I was informed that, especially when combined with soap, certain pigments such as cadmiums and other heavy metals and toxic compounds can penetrate and be absorbed through the skin. Less of an concern if you're very careful choosing non-toxic pigments, but still a good practice. Ps. I just read in the comments that you're a phd chemist. Please let me know if I was misinformed about the safety concern of washing brushes without gloves.

Brent, thank you! It’s always a great time watching your vids. Reminds me of How It Works but for modelers! Well done, mate!

Great video and brilliant tips, I have a collection of brush cleaning products in my collection but its good to get the science from someone who knows his stuff. Thanks Brent

Such a great video for any mini painture. Thanks Goobs.

Thank you for this great cleaning tutorial!

Ive been using alcohol denatured with heptane i got for free from my lab, and if a brush gets too messed up, i rinse it in the alcohol then use masters brush cleaner to recondition the hairs. Ive been using the same $1 natural hair brush for a couple years and it still has a good tip!

Cheers man, this video is an absolute godsend for all your fellow hobbyists.

Heck yeah man! Ive been so looking forward to this video since you got the "ENHANCE" machine! So awesome to debunk and learn new stuff within the hobby!

Another video I can point people to for an educated approach that makes so much sense!

Fantastic video, thank you so much for the information, it has already restored a number of my brushes to use. Loving the microscopic view, genuinely helpful and useful. Double thumbs up from me

thanks for your test and your thoughts on it. Its helps a lot to see step by step try outs. Great vid :3

Fantastic as always Brent!

Great video. I really appreciate ur scientific approach to this video.

An amazing video about parts of the hobby most people neglect or dread (me included). Thank you for that!

I appreciate all the sciencey terms and experiments!

As always, informative and entertaining. Thanks, Brent!

I appreciate that you've not left us hanging, and hope that you continue to with putting out a bit more regular content :)

it's always good to discover other methods to clean my brushes there are certain methods that I discovered thanks to you thank you for the video 👍👍

soothing and educational, another great trip to Goobertown

I really love Josonja Cleaner/Conditioner. It is the most effective option I've found without being caustic

I've had pretty good luck with the Windsor and Newton. Its nice because it works on any type of paint I could throw at it, including enamel and even wax paints.

Just watched this one with the hubby and it gives me hope that we can probably repair some brushes I've been a little too rough with XD Thank you so much for this!!

Thank you. I have been waiting for this one.

Great video! I regularly use IPA as part of my airbrush cleaning (I think it is 70%, not there at the moment) but never thought to use it on my brushes. I do always use brush soap since I started this hobby so that has helped keep them looking good.

Dude. Fantastic video. Thanks for your insight

Man, this is the ebst guide i've found online! Thank you! i'll test all these out :)

Great video, got me almost to clean some of my brushes even!

Awesome video Brent. This is information that everyone needs.

I had some decent success for the care of my synthetic brushes with a combo of hot water and Mastersons brush cleaner when forming the bristles into a tip after every use to not get into the hook-tip in the first place. I leave some diluted soap in the brush to dry when forming the tip. Seems to be working rather nice with my synthetic Kolinsky imitation brushes from the 8344 series from Raphael. Been using one set of size 2-1-0 now for 3 months and almost daily use and so far I can see no sign of them wearing out and hooking is all but absent. I usually run through a set of the natural hair 8404 brushes about once a year. Considering the price difference between the 8344 and 8404, if I can make the 8344 work for at least 4 months before replacing them, I am saving money.

This was SO HELPFUL! thanks!

My buddies call you “creepy chemist guy”. And this is exactly why I come back. Good stuff here. I never thought of using isopropyl for my brushes. Thank you sir!

Very informative, Brent! Thanks.

Thanks for the experimentation and the tips.

Great 👍 video 🎉thank you for sharing these tips 😀

This was super helpful to learn, since I always have IPA on hand for cleaning 3D prints. Never knew I could use it to repair worn brushes!

Useful, concise and interesting.

You are awesome, I love watching your videos!

Thanks for this video! Been trying to take care and help brushes recover and stay more healthy and this came at a perfect time!

i just used ISO and it worked so good! it was so simple! thanks bro!

Hit the lottery by finding your channel as I’m two years into painting. Thank you.

Funnily enough, in Gunpla, we use Purple Power or other degreasers to take Plating off of certain runners when doing repaints. Gave me a giggle to see it took the plating off the brush ferrul too.

Love Relicblade and you Brent ❤

Love your assistant.

Great video! Definitely have to try just using IPA to clean my brushes, I've always used brush soap so far. On a side note, the "don't get paint near the ferrule" tip. I'd only partially agree. Yes, it makes the brush last longer and easier to clean. However, it also makes paint application, especially on smaller brushes, much harder since the paint you have on the tip can more easily dry up and becomes harder to apply.

Thank youuuuu!!! Was looking for this