Choosing the right brush is important when applying woodstain, varnish, or oil. These are thin materials compared to paint, and they can be very sticky. If you use the wrong brush, you will struggle to work the material evenly over timber. You’ll also make a mess, because a lot of paint brushes aren’t dense enough, so they flick and drip all over the place.
After twenty odd years as a Professional Decorator, I can tell you without a shadow of a doubt that the best brush for stain and varnish is the Kana Tank. I’ll explain why as we go on.
Why Choosing the Right Brush Matters When Applying Woodstain, Oil, and Varnish
I know woodstain, varnish, and wood oils are all slightly different to each other, but they’re the same in terms of application, so a brush that’s right for one is right for all.
Most paint brushes are designed to apply, well, paint. For good paint pick up, manufacturers use thin filaments in their brush heads and there is space between each one. This is great for paint, but the bristles don’t hold on to thin woodstains etc. They drip and flick while you’re using them.
Not just that, but applying stain and varnish is a lot different to paint. Your coats need to be super thin, and you need to really work the material into the wood, then feather off with the grain. It’s artwork, and can be very satisfying, especially if you’re using products like Barrettine Armourflex or Fiddes Varnish. However, you will struggle with a lot of the paint brushes available.
Why the Kana Tank
I said towards the start of the blog that the Kana Tank is the best brush for woodstain and varnish. No other brush comes close in my honest opinion. It’s a brush that was developed by Ciret specifically for use with thin materials. You can’t really use it in paint, but it’s fantastic for stains etc.
It’s made up of a natural bristle “core” which holds onto the woodstain or varnish. This stops the material from dripping from the brush when you’re not using it and prevents flicks when you are.
There is a casing of synthetic filaments around the outside of the natural bristles. These are thinner and allow the material to pass easily. They also let you cut straight lines and really work woodstains, oils and varnishes into timber. The tips are perfect for laying off to avoid brush marks.
The Kana Tank holds around 30% more material than other paintbrushes, which helps because it means you can work over larger areas of timber. The distribution is even too, which means each coat is even, regardless of whether you’ve only just dipped your brush or you’re ready to re-dip.
Water-based varnishes and stains can cause other brushes to swell over time too. The ferrule of the Kana Tank is made from plastic, so it never swells.
For me, it’s about using the right brush for the job. And this specific job is what the Kana Tank is made for.
Where to Buy the Kana Tank Brush
Your best bet is to have a search online. The Kana Tank is available from a few places, including Rabart Decorating Merchants and Brewers Decorating Centre.
FAQs
Can I use the same brush for stain, varnish, and oil?
Yes — if you clean the brush thoroughly between uses. A quality brush like the Kana Tank performs well across all three.
Should I use a natural or synthetic bristle brush?
There’s an argument for both; Natural bristle (hog hair) holds onto the material better than synthetic bristles do because they’re denser. Synthetic bristles are better to cut in with and work the material. That’s why we always recommend the Kana Tank, because you get the best of both worlds.
How do I clean a brush used for wood finishes?
Just check to see whether the wood finish you’ve been using is water, or oil-based. Brushes used for water-based can be cleaned using warm soapy water. Brushes used in oil-based should be cleaned with white spirit or a specialist brush cleaner.
What do Other Decorators Think
As far as I know, the Kana Tank is the only paintbrush designed specifically for stain and varnish. You get drips and runs when you use other brushes in stain. I think that’s to do with how dense the bristles are.
This brush holds onto loads of stain, and then allows you to work it into the wood, you can’t go wrong with it really. It’s the only paintbrush I’ll use for wood oil too.
The Kana Tank is one hell of a paintbrush!! Great for varnish and stain, it holds loads of material and distributes it evenly. Easily one of the best brushes for woodstains and varnishes on the market.
The natural bristles in the core hold onto the very viscous materials extremely well, locking inside the brush. The synthetic bristles on the outside of the brush help to distribute the woodatain and varnish, making it easy to work the material into the grain.
The Kana Tank is a specialist brush, meaning it has been developed to work as well as it possibly can for a specific purpose.
0 Comments