This isn't a joke question...

[Konrad]

What are foam brushes good for?

(seriously)

[Konrad]

Well that's a very interesting reply.  I've been buying (apparently) the cheap-o ones. 

I've attempted to spread epoxy with them, but it soaks into the foam and the epoxy goes off by thermo-mass and makes the foam brush pretty freakin' hot..! 

Hamilton marine...  I'll look them up.

[PAR]

Ditto what Ray says. I get mine through a Co-Op, that permits several of us to gain some purchasing power. They don't hold as much paint as a conventional brush, but also don't leave brush marks, which is a big plus. They also can be a little "drippy", but you soon learn to work neater and not try to "load" up the brush with material.

[Frank Hagan]

+2 for Ray's comment.  The cheap ones are worse than using your cat to spread paint.  But the good ones work pretty well on smooth surfaces.

[Konrad]

Like these?

http://store.hamiltonmarine.com/browse.cfm/4,1178.html

[Ken_Potts]

"The cheap ones are worse than using your cat to spread paint"

Frank!  I'm very disappointed in you!  When did you use my cat to spread paint?!?  And why?!?

No wonder Renfield's been so cranky lately...

I used the cheap ones too and decided very quickly never ever to use them again.  Maybe if I stumble across the good ones I'll stop using a mop.

[capt jake]

It really depends upon the type of foam.  Though I can't tell you the make-up difference, I have bought cases from a local bargain store that were awesome.  But the next shipment were crap.

[Frank Hagan]

"The cheap ones are worse than using your cat to spread paint"

Frank!  I'm very disappointed in you!  When did you use my cat to spread paint?!?  And why?!?

No wonder Renfield's been so cranky lately...

I used the cheap ones too and decided very quickly never ever to use them again.  Maybe if I stumble across the good ones I'll stop using a mop.

My cat was already filled up with the stuff!  Hard to get the fur clean after every use.

I hate having to fight with tools, and sometimes even the expensive ones fight you.  But paint brushes are worth spending more for; I'm sure there are some high end ones that aren't worth the extra cost, but the premium ones in stores seem much better than the cheapie ones. 

I rarely use foam brushes.  For epoxy, I found the cheap ones left bubbles in the resin.  I used a lot of cheap "chip" brushes from Harbor Freight for epoxy, but you do lose a lot of bristles using them.

[Konrad]

Cat hair is a better thickening agent than colloidal sillica. 

And the Doodness Factor cannot be beat.

And I should know.

[PAR]

If you stick a mop handle up their butt, using a cat or small dog to reach into difficult areas is pretty common place around here. Why do you think I have so many. This way I can share the work load across several animals, whom apparently have an "attitude" for a few days afterward and I get more epoxy or paint/work done. Fortunately them memory is short lived and by the end of the current "rotation" they've forgotten all about the mop handle. It helps if you supply lots of treats. This is also a great trick for cleaning the top of ceiling fan blades or Venetian blinds.

Good foam (and chip) brushes cost twice as much as the cheap ones, but work better. Good chip brushes will have twice as much hair in them and they're better attached. For epoxy work, they're too soft, so I cut them down, so the bristles are about half the length of new. Then they're stiff enough to spread thickened goo.

I rarely use foam on epoxy, except under bright finishes. There's so much sanding involved in bright finishes that a few squeegee marks aren't a big issue.