I read that vinegar was the best stuff for storing epoxy brushes, that it didnt dry out over time like acetone.

has anyone tried this, does it work, will it be ok even for a "finishing" brush?

it seems plausible like they say in mythbusters :p 

i am trying it.

Great, Thanks for sharing your findings

So initial tests seem to confirm that this method is OK.
Soak used epoxy brushes in vinegar for a while ( i tested from one to a few hours) after use (make sure the vinegar gets right into the brush as i found is you just drop the brush in the vinegar some areas of resin may still cure) then clean off the creamy residue with methylated spirit and dry with a clean rag. I think i could have left the brushes in vinegar for much longer but was keen to get the vinegar out of the brush before reusing so i did it sooner rather than later. I was using a synthetic brush that i use for applying coating resin. When i re-used the brush on a test piece with coating resin there was no noticeable contamination. Whilst this may be risky for coating certainly this would make re-using brushes used in laminating very possible. 

Just use acetone, it doesn't leave any residue on the brush, cleans thoroughly and won't dry out in the pot if you put a lid on it.

Clean the brush in the acetone using stippling action etc until clean then dry the brush completely using a clean rag/lint free cloth, put lid on pot. job done, you can reuse the brush as soon as it's completely dry with minimal risk of contamination

ChrisR, 

I don't follow I'm afraid?

All I use is epoxy and 90% of my work is in carbon, if you introduce something to the brush i.e. the vinegar then you have the issue of ensuring it's all removed prior to re-using the brush otherwise it will contaminate the laminate and potentially cause problems down the line such as non cured sections, delamination or surface imperfections.

or just use really cheap throw away brushes

I have always used acetone on my finishing brushes ( that arnt so cheap) and have found that they do dry out after a month or so even in a sealed jar. The result is a ruined brush and a jar full of jelly that may as well be thrown away too. I understand there are risks involved in this but so far my tests have worked well and i have read of people commonly doing it on boats and surfboards so i thought it was worth a try. The vinegar neutralises the resin the meths cleans off the vingar/resin residue, the meths evaporates and is possibly compatible anyway.....I do use throw away brushes for laminating as im not so concerned about bristle loss but either way throwing away brushes is annoying for me.