Brush Question

[itsmedave]

I was going to PIF this brush but decided instead to keep it to try my hand at restoring.



I got all the bristles cut out except for where it needs to be drilled out but I notice the handle is hollow where the other brush I'm doing is solid. Is this one worth putting any time into or tossing it since it's hollow

 

[inspiringK]

If the handle looks good, it is worth it (can't really see from the picture). All you would have to do is fill the handle with Epoxy. Most vintage handles are not solid anyway, they tend to have a cavity under the shelf that the knot is attached to. It is not uncommon to simply drill through the shelf to set the knot deeper than the original.

 

[hig789]

Drill the knot out and be careful not to bust through the bottom of the handle. I always fill my hollow handles with epoxy, to help stabilize them if dropped and to add a bit of weight to them. Just make sure you leave a few mm's shy of your depth you need for the loft you want so you can account for the epoxy when you set the knot.

 

[Mick]

Go for it.... Like others have said fill it with 2 part.

 

[Snargle]

Good luck on the restoration. Just be aware that you'll probably ruin a drill bit when drilling out those synthetic (nylon) bristles. Nylon has a nasty habit of melting at low temperatures and the heat of the drilling bit will turn them into a gummy mess.

Is it just the photograph or is there a good-sized crack(s) in the bottom of the handle? If there are significant cracks or other damage, I probably wouldn't bother restoring this handle, particularly because of the difficulty in drilling out the nylon bristles.

 

[inspiringK]

Good luck on the restoration. Just be aware that you'll probably ruin a drill bit when drilling out those synthetic (nylon) bristles. Nylon has a nasty habit of melting at low temperatures and the heat of the drilling bit will turn them into a gummy mess.

I was also struggling with a nylon knot,

see the one on the left^^

I actually found that slower speed with progressively larger wood drill bits ends up popping the nylon bristles out with no burning whatsoever. Before figuring that out though...... well it was a dark time back then....

 

[itsmedave]

It does appear to have a crack so I'll just toss it and go with the other brush I have. Thanks for the tips

 

[itsmedave]

Tomorrow morning I'll begin TAD (Tool Acquisition Disorder) and acquire a vise and some marine epoxy as well.

 

[yeahboyyy]

This worked for me one time (might have been a fluke)....but I put a couple of pennies in a hallow handle for weight and then put a wine cork inside to make it "solid".

 

[Snargle]

Tomorrow morning I'll begin TAD (Tool Acquisition Disorder) and acquire a vise and some marine epoxy as well.

After a year-and-a-half of screwing around with hand tools and itsy-bitsy Dremel bits, I finally broke down today a picked up a couple of Forstner drill bits (5/8" & 3/4"). I'm kicking myself now for not doing it sooner. The Dremel still comes in handy for clean-up work, but that Forstner bit makes quick work of the old, tough knots!

Now that the handles are ready, it looks like TGN is out-of-stock on several knot sizes/types that I wanted. I guess these restores are going to have to wait after all!

 

[inspiringK]

It does appear to have a crack so I'll just toss it and go with the other brush I have. Thanks for the tips

Tomorrow morning I'll begin TAD (Tool Acquisition Disorder) and acquire a vise and some marine epoxy as well.

If this is your first handle and it sounds like you are itching to buy tools etc, that handle may be just fine to use despite the crack. Since you fill the handle with epoxy, the crack has no effect on the structural integrity of the handle anyway.

Alternatively, if you order a knot from TGN, you can buy a blank to make your own handle. Or, order a knot from Larry at Whipped Dog and get a $4 precast handle at the same time (they are nice handles).