Richeson 9010 brush - magic?

[Nathan Smith]

So, I bought a new 1½" Richeson 9010 brush from Jerry's Artarama on-line without having seen one before. I'd imagined that the bristles would be shorter than they are on this brush (about 1½" or so) ... which makes me wonder if this is the "magic" brush I have heard so much about.

Here's what I bought: Richeson Series 9010 Synthetic Flat, size 1½" (Jerry's #29125 - 3rd one down on this page)

I'd appreciate it if someone can verify this so I can return it if need be before I use it.

Thanks,
Nathan

 

[TheFlyingCamera]

That's the real deal.

 

[bill schwab]

That's it. Happy printing.

Bill

 

[scootermm]

it will make a world of difference in your printing Nathan. Good luck with it.

one key note: dont use one brush for multiple processes. Get a brush soleley for each individual process you might print in.

as bill said, happy printing.

 

[payral]

That's the one - the Queen of the brush, at least the coating one

 

[Nathan Smith]

Thanks everyone! Getting impatient now ... I'm hoping to get something done over spring break.

Nathan

 

[PVia]

I'm new to this...but was wondering, aren't alt process brushes not supposed to have a metal ferrule?

 

[bill schwab]

I'm new to this...but was wondering, aren't alt process brushes not supposed to have a metal ferrule?

It is rare that you would ever use enough sensitizer to dip the brush all the way to metal. It has never been a problem for me, I just keep it clean,

Bill

 

[Kerik]

I'm new to this...but was wondering, aren't alt process brushes not supposed to have a metal ferrule?

Yet another urban myth of alt-process work. There is no reason for the sensitizer to touch the metal ferrule. You should however, keep the ferrule clean and dry when not in use so it doesn't rust.

 

[eggshell]

While we're at this subject...Do you place your brush facing up or down while leaving it to dry after washing it? My concern is that facing up might loosen the bristles after a period of time and facing down would cause the rust (if any) inside the ferrule to flow downward to the bristles.

 

[Joe Lipka]

I place mine on its' side. The bristles extend over the sink.

 

[ann]

ditto; on it's side on a larger breaker.

 

[wm blunt]

I hang the brush by a closepin on the film drying line above the sink.

 

[TheFlyingCamera]

I hang the brush by a closepin on the film drying line above the sink.

Same here... hanging to drip dry is fine. You normally never get the entire brush wet anyway, so the ferrule should stay dry and not rust. Unless you're an idiot and forget the brush in the distilled water soak for three days. Then the brush soaks up a lot of water, the ferrule rusts, the wood handle swells and the lacquer finish cracks off. And you're out another $40 or so for a replacement brush.

 

[donbga]

I place mine on its' side. The bristles extend over the sink.

Ditto!

 

[donbga]

I hang the brush by a closepin on the film drying line above the sink.

Ditto!

 

[Nathan Smith]

Ouch ... sounds like the voice of experience

...Unless you're an idiot and forget the brush in the distilled water soak for three days. Then the brush soaks up a lot of water, the ferrule rusts, the wood handle swells and the lacquer finish cracks off. And you're out another $40 or so for a replacement brush.

 

[patrickjames]

Call me a neophyte at brush coating (puddle pusher myself), but what is so special about this particular kind of brush? I used to paint and there are many like this. Can someone enlighten me?

Patrick

 

[TheFlyingCamera]

There's something about the bristles - they're smoother and finer, and it just does a better job of providing a smooth, even coat. It also absorbs less solution, so you can use a lower drop count for coating.

 

[cperez]

It's the way the brush behaves with regard to paper surface abrasion and coating materials absorption.

Reportedly there are similar brushes from other sources, but they really don't behave the same way. The Richeson brush is quite magical, for what it is.

Call me a neophyte at brush coating (puddle pusher myself), but what is so special about this particular kind of brush? I used to paint and there are many like this. Can someone enlighten me?

Patrick

 

[Dave Wooten]

wet it a little then shake it off....I think Kerik taught me that..

 

[Lukas Werth]

I have never used this brush myself, so perhaps I just don't belong to the enlightened ones...
But I use other brushes of apparently the same kind, (from DaVinci, for instance) in the same way, and they behave in just the same way. Every process, every paper, every brush needs some adjustment, of course.

I just don't believe - it runs counter my whole experience in alternative printing - that there is one product which is such a magic bullet, even though this brush may be a very good tool.

 

[Nathan Smith]

... I just don't believe - it runs counter my whole experience in alternative printing - that there is one product which is such a magic bullet, even though this brush may be a very good tool.

This is probably true, but it sure makes life easier to skip a lot of trial and error by piggybacking on the experience of others. The trick there is to find things like this that are commonly agreed upon by a consensus of other users. Otherwise, you'll be awash in a sea of one-off favorites. That is the problem with looking for info on the web in general - somewhere, for instance, there is probably someone who swears by a 4" house painting brush from Sherwin-Williams ... and I'm sure it works for that person, but I'll go with the Richeson brush this time

Nathan

 

[Joe Lipka]

If we could explain it, it wouldn't be a magic brush...

 

[Kerik]

Lukas,

I have a DaVinci in addition to several Richesons. The DaVinci is close, but the bristles aren't quite as fine and the pad of bristles is thicker. Also, it has a very short handle compared to the Magic brush that I find a little less comfortable to use. My recollection is that it was a little bit cheaper, but not much. The DaVinci is OK and obviously works well for you, but I find the Richeson better for the reasons stated. One more thing - at the time I got the DaVinci, it wasn't available in a 4" version.