Best brush/applicator for DCM (Dichloromethane)?

[Jonny Retro]

My "glue" of choice for styrene modelling/scratchbuilding is Dichloromethane (DCM) applied with a small brush from a 10ml glass jar, I know there's supposedly some risk with it, but for 99% of applications, I find it easier to deal with than the pong, blocked nozzles & set times of regular poly glues.

 

Currently, my two "lucky" DCM brushes are a pair of the cheapest, nastiest, luminous red plastic shafted, anonymous items - they may have come from an Airfix kit a while back (or I may be doing Airfix a great disservice there), but they do behave predictably - e.g. no going floppy & holding very little solvent like every natural bristle brush I've tried, and no turning into a 1:20 hedgehog on a stick after a few uses like the middle of the road artificial bristles (italieri, Heller, Humbrol).

 

The problem is, they lose a bristle now & then and are becoming less useful as time goes by - but with no way of identifying them, I can' t try to replace them. Has anyone got any suggestions as to what brands/grades to try? I would also consider some sort of applicator, but they'd have to come very highly recommended, as jizzing solvent across the workbench or model is not an option

 

TIA

[azureglo]

From the wikipedia entry on DCM:

 

"DCM is the least toxic of the simple chlorohydrocarbons, but it is not without health risks, as its high volatility makes it an acute inhalation hazard

 

Symptoms of acute overexposure to dichloromethane via inhalation include difficulty concentrating, dizziness, fatigue, nausea, headaches, numbness, weakness, and irritation of the upper respiratory tract and eyes. More severe consequences can include suffocation, loss of consciousness, coma, and death.[1][13]

 

It may be carcinogenic, as it has been linked to cancer of the lungs, liver, and pancreas in laboratory animals.2

 

Never mind the brush, ever thought of a face mask?

 

A