Water-based finishes dry in several hours, so it’s easy to apply two or three coats in a day. In other words, unlike with oils and varnishes, you can complete a finishing project in one day using a water-based finish.
The rapid drying occurs not only on the wood but also on the brush. Instead of washing the brush between each coat, which is perfectly legitimate, it’s much more efficient to just store the brush. There are two easy ways to do this:
- Hang the brush in a jar of water. (Notice in this photo that I have drilled an additional hole in the brush handle so that I can hang the brush without its bristles touching the bottom of the jar. When a brush rests against the bottom, its bristles can become permanently bent, which essentially ruins the brush for good work.
- Wrap the brush in plastic wrap. Wrap airtight so air can’t get to the finish on the bristles and dry it. You can store a brush for several days this way without problems.
