When using a brush to apply the finish, how far should you dip the bristles?

• A. fully submerge the bristles
• B. just the tip of the bristles
• C. never dip the bristles into finish
• D. halfway into the finish

Answer: (D)

Loading the brush to about halfway up the bristles gives you a controlled amount of finish that coats smoothly and evenly in a single pass. This amount helps you avoid drips and runs, and it prevents finish from wicking into the ferrule and drying there, which can stiffen the bristles and make the brush hard to use. If you dip too deep, you soak up too much finish and your application becomes prone to globs and messy cleanup. If you only dip the tip, there isn’t enough finish on the brush to lay down a uniform coat. Not dipping at all would leave the brush dry and unable to apply finish properly. So dipping halfway into the finish balances proper loading with clean, even results.