Brush help

[cpool222]

I got this in an antique shop hoping that I could make it look better and then replace the knot. It is made of a rubber feeling material and unfortunately has a dull whitish look over the handle. I had hoped that I could clean that off and make the black shinier than it looks now. I washed it with soap and water with no improvement, then tried isopropyl alcohol and it was no better, no worse afterwards. Does anyone know if I’m out of luck improving it or if there’s a good solution? Thanks for any advice or information.

 

[LJS]

A polishing wheel and some flitz polish would probably take that out. If it is deeper you might need some fine sand paper first.

Scroll down to the bottom of the brush section here and you will find a brush restoration and makers section that you might find some helpful older threads in.

 

[dmshaver]

Please let us know if you get it looking better, & what you used. And of course, we hope you post pictures!

 

[brucered]

To me, the whole appeal of a vintage/antique/well used handle, is the natural patina and it's bumps and bruises.

Re-knot and use as is.

 

[Boti2634]

I got this in an antique shop hoping that I could make it look better and then replace the knot. It is made of a rubber feeling material and unfortunately has a dull whitish look over the handle. I had hoped that I could clean that off and make the black shinier than it looks now. I washed it with soap and water with no improvement, then tried isopropyl alcohol and it was no better, no worse afterwards. Does anyone know if I’m out of luck improving it or if there’s a good solution? Thanks for any advice or information. View attachment 1828843View attachment 1828843

Unfortunately I don't have any answers for you, but that's a great find, sir! Congratulations!

 

[panzerkiller13]

You could try methyl salicylate (oil of wintergreen, possibly diluted in isopropyl alcohol if you want to get a larger volume of solution) to try and rejuvenate/soften the rubber a bit! I learned this trick from some automotive forums years ago and tried it on some lawnmower breather tubes with acceptable effect!

 

[cpool222]

Thanks for the tips and suggestions. I tried a little bit of everything but I think the things that helped most were fine grit sandpaper and then I used this 3 step system, NOVUS, that’s made for plastic and I was really impressed with the results on this hard rubber brush handle. It’s not perfect but so much better than I expected when I look at the 1st picture above. Let me know what you think.

 

[Rudy Vey]

Thanks for the tips and suggestions. I tried a little bit of everything but I think the things that helped most were fine grit sandpaper and then I used this 3 step system, NOVUS, that’s made for plastic and I was really impressed with the results on this hard rubber brush handle. It’s not perfect but so much better than I expected when I look at the 1st picture above. Let me know what you think.
View attachment 1837621View attachment 1837621View attachment 1837622View attachment 1837622View attachment 1837623View attachment 1837623View attachment 1837624View attachment 1837624

Came out nice! I use Novus on all my brushes!

 

[cpool222]

Came out nice! I use Novus on all my brushes!

Thanks, Rudy! I've been a fan of your brushes for a long time, so I appreciate the kind words.
Cleave