Would a Purdy all paints brush be ok for...

[lcm1947]

This Purdy brush is a " all paints " nylon and polyester blend brush by the way. Am I correct in thinking that this brush would be good for both the Olympic water based Polyurethane & Zinsser Bulls Eye Sealcoat which is a 100% Wax-free formula that I plan on using on this coffee table I am preparing to build? Sorry that it seems I have to have everything spelled out for me. The main reason I am questioning this brush for these two is that on the Olympic product it states to use a synthetic applicator ( doesn't mention anything else like the type of brush ? ) and the Zinsser states to use a quality natural or synthetic bristle brush. Is nylon/polyester considered a synthetic bristle brush? As always I would appreciate your help.

[MilDoc]

Michael Dresdner says he likes the Purdy Syntox brush for all types of finish (shellac, oil based varnish, and water based).

Or, for oil-based coatings such as shellac he states that ox hair, fitch, or blends of these two with China bristle are best. For water-based he prefers a nylon brush, or, better yet, a paint pad for flat surfaces.

[lcm1947]

I don't think HD or Lowe's sells the Syntox brush. They do have the all nylon ones however. I wonder if the results between the nylon as apposed to the nylon/polyester would make a lot of difference in the appearance of the finish? Anybody happen to know?

[davethegolfer]

Brushes

I think they do make a difference. The natural hair brushes do a better job on oil based finishes, particularly good ones. The brush material and tapered ends leave fewer and shallower brush marks, making sanding easier or not necessary. This still does not mean that you should not dilute with the proper solvent or use a retarder or flow enhancer to get the best brushing results.

[lcm1947]

Thanks for the advise Dave. I guess I'll break down and buy a natural bristle brush then at least for the Bulls Eye. After doing some more reading it seems the nylon/polyester brush I already have would be just the perfect type brush for the water based poly. I really want a good finish on this table.

[Jeffrey Schronce]

I would simply pad the shellac. IMHO creating a shellac pad results in a much better application. No brush marks, no bristles to worry about, no clean up (just let it dry out and throw it away), you can store it in a ziplock bag for months and MUCH LESS DRIPS AND RUNS!
What you want to do is take lint free material (old t shirt) cut it up until you can ball it up about the size of a small orange. Then wrap some clean lint free material around the ball and tie up the end with a rubber band or something. A lot of folks like to use a shellac dispenser with this method. Any plastic (not metal) bottle with a squirt applicator works well (think condiment bottle). Squirt some shellac onto the pad until saturated on the bottom. THen squirt shellac onto surface and wipe with the pad.