I have been really bogged down with work/studying recently, and haven't had any time to add the inevitable next brush to my restoration list. I had been looking for an orange bakelite brush for quite some time - as it is my father's favorite color. The only ones that came along were either a) too bulky b) too expensive or c) required more restoration work than I commit right now. But then a handle popped up on eBay that met all my criteria - a nice, classic, compact design that I could get for under $20. And to seal the deal - the knot had already been removed, it had been peripherally cleaned up, and I knew I could restore this little bugger on one of my study breaks. As 30 minutes is literally the max amount of time I could commit to this project right now, that was my deadline.
Here is how it arrived. Pretty much ready to go, right?
Well, less so than meets the eye. No complaints here, as it is - compared to some other brushes I've worked with - in great condition. I had momentarily hoped I could just polish it up, and come in well under my 30 minute deadline. Alas, it needed to be sanded, and I'm not really into shortcuts.
I started at 320, then to 400, skipped to 800-1000-2000-2500-3000. I got into a bit of a zen mode around the 800 grit paper, and in a flash the sanding was done. I checked the clock, and was at 28 minutes (yes I was timing it ... and yes I have problems). Some Rubbing Compound and PlastX for 5 more minutes, and it was shining nicely. I use paint crayons to color in lettering, so it takes literally 30 seconds.
The lettering still needs a bit of work. One of the flaws I noticed when I received the handle is that it appeared as though someone had tried to either clean out the letters with something sharp, or perhaps "deepen" the letter grooves, as there was some digging in and stray scratches around the letters. Someone had clearly given this at least a brief sanding, as some of the lettering was already too shallow to paint/color effectively. So it was a calculated risk I took going at the letters, and indeed, some of them just aren't going to be crisp ever again. But the "Ever~Ready" and the "101 A" will be fine. I set one layer of paint, let it "cure" for a week or so, then go back to finish the job ... so the lettering will crisp up more than the current picture shows.
The knot is on its way from China. It's a 19mm 2-band finest that I custom ordered from the people who supply Frank Shaving with their knots. They were able to work with me on getting the starting loft and knot size just where I want it, so I went with them. And the price was ridiculously low (we're talking under $10). Plus, it will be fun to work with another knot than TGN.
Final pic to come, but the current restoration came in just over budget, including taking the photo: 34 minutes. As the epoxy dries within 5 minutes, I better darn well be able to set the knot in that time, so I'm hoping for the whole thing to come in under 40 minutes.
Gotta feed the brush restoration addiction at least a little!
Here is how it arrived. Pretty much ready to go, right?
Well, less so than meets the eye. No complaints here, as it is - compared to some other brushes I've worked with - in great condition. I had momentarily hoped I could just polish it up, and come in well under my 30 minute deadline. Alas, it needed to be sanded, and I'm not really into shortcuts.
I started at 320, then to 400, skipped to 800-1000-2000-2500-3000. I got into a bit of a zen mode around the 800 grit paper, and in a flash the sanding was done. I checked the clock, and was at 28 minutes (yes I was timing it ... and yes I have problems). Some Rubbing Compound and PlastX for 5 more minutes, and it was shining nicely. I use paint crayons to color in lettering, so it takes literally 30 seconds.
The lettering still needs a bit of work. One of the flaws I noticed when I received the handle is that it appeared as though someone had tried to either clean out the letters with something sharp, or perhaps "deepen" the letter grooves, as there was some digging in and stray scratches around the letters. Someone had clearly given this at least a brief sanding, as some of the lettering was already too shallow to paint/color effectively. So it was a calculated risk I took going at the letters, and indeed, some of them just aren't going to be crisp ever again. But the "Ever~Ready" and the "101 A" will be fine. I set one layer of paint, let it "cure" for a week or so, then go back to finish the job ... so the lettering will crisp up more than the current picture shows.
The knot is on its way from China. It's a 19mm 2-band finest that I custom ordered from the people who supply Frank Shaving with their knots. They were able to work with me on getting the starting loft and knot size just where I want it, so I went with them. And the price was ridiculously low (we're talking under $10). Plus, it will be fun to work with another knot than TGN.
Final pic to come, but the current restoration came in just over budget, including taking the photo: 34 minutes. As the epoxy dries within 5 minutes, I better darn well be able to set the knot in that time, so I'm hoping for the whole thing to come in under 40 minutes.
Gotta feed the brush restoration addiction at least a little!
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The transformation was better than I could have hoped for. The knot should arrive today, so I'll post a final pic tomorrow or the next day once everything is cured up.
