blzrfn's brush restoration log

[blzrfn]

Hi Dave,
That looks fantastic. So, you use hot glue to set the knot as well? Can you describe your procedure for that? I'm about to tackle a similar situation, where Ill be filling a cavity with glue, and figured I'd get it level with hot glue, and then use epoxy to set the knot.

It is a fairly simple process. First measure your knot's entire length and determine the loft you wish to set it at. This knot was (going from bad memory) 67mm tall from end of glue to tip of hair and I wanted about 45mm of loft. Subtract the desired loft from the overall length (in my case 67-45=22). Using my cheap Harbor Freight calipers I had set to 22mm I used the protruding end of the calipers (the very skinny shank that sticks out of the "measuring stick" portion of the tool) and a pencil to mark the approximate area to fill to. I then used my wife's hot glue gun to fill the cavity to just below that mark (it is way easier to add more glue than to try and get it back out) and let the glue cool. After the glue had solidified I re-measured using the protrusion from the top of the glue to the top of the brush handle, I was really close so I just went with it. I then got the hot glue gun warmed up again and put a dime sized dollop of fresh glue in the handle, inserted the knot gave it a quick light twist to evenly spread the glue across the knot. That's all there is to it.

I will add a couple of words of caution though, the hot glue is pretty permanent and will solidify very quickly when inserting the knot so make sure you get it in there straight and properly aligned. Also, I wouldn't recommend this method if you are unsure of the loft as there is not an easy way to adjust it, for that I would use silicone adhesive, which by the way is not compatible with a hot glue fill. Hot glue can be a little messy but is easy to clean up, use a piece of paper or cardboard under your brush though so you don't make a mess of the dining room table.

 

[JaxJim]

Thanks, Dave, for the particulars on this process.

 

[blzrfn]

My pleasure Jim!

 

[Capslock]

Yes, thanks Dave! Just waiting for a knot to come in the mail to try it out.

 

[blzrfn]

Here's another one I threw together out of shear boredom. I used it this morning and the longer handle and big knot will take some getting used to, but its not as awkward as I expected. The brush is a Rubberset 49-4 and originally had a large boar knot. I unscrewed the top portion of the brush and drilled out the knot from the back. I did a light polishing on the plastic band and then lightly sanded the handle followed by some stain/sealer. I didn't want it to look brand new, I wanted it to show some age, but utilizing a knot that I would actually enjoy. The 26mm knot is from Chen via Aliexpress and is a bit scrichy, but not too bad set at this higher loft (60mm) as apposed to when I originally installed the knot in the Olivewood handle above at 55mm. Also helping to relieve the scritch factor is that the larger bore in the brushes handle allows for more bloom so the hairs are less densely packed. Without further ado...

 

[mattdenicola]

Looks great!! The knot suits that brush beautifully.

 

[blzrfn]

Thanks Matt!

 

[Capslock]

That Rubberset looks great! I like that it has a bigger knot - the Rubberset I just did barely fit a 20mm knot. I've used your hot glue technique twice now, and both times seem to have worked well.

 

[blzrfn]

Made Rite 750

Before:



After drilling and dremeling out the original knot I decided on using a "Manchurian" badger knot that came in one of those defective handle shave brushes sold on eBay a few months back. To remove the knot from the new brush I simply placed the brush in my bench vise, covered it with a towel to prevent shrapnel from flying around my garage and proceeded to tighten the vice until it popped. I used a utility knife to trim the remaining epoxy from the glue plug. Using some Flitz and an old sock I polished up the handle while watching Saturday Night Live (remember when that show was actually funny?). I then used five pennies as spacers and some silicone adhesive to install the new knot.



to be continued...

 

[Snargle]

From rags to riches! Nice restoration.

 

[mattdenicola]

Intrigued to hear what you think of the "Manchurian" finest.

FYI, if you send a message to that ebay seller asking for just the knots, they will indeed set up a custom invoice and sell you whatever it is you are looking for.

 

[blzrfn]

I washed out the new brush with some shampoo and proceeded to do a test lather with Arko (no more badger funk!). During the test lather I felt that the brush felt too stiff, even though the tips were as soft as feathers. Using the brush for this morning's shave, I face lathered some vintage Old Spice soap and all concerns about too much backbone were relieved as the brush felt great. It reminds me very much of the Simpson Emperor 2-band that I recently sold, but with softer tips. I need to take a measurement of the final loft as I set this totally by feel. I am very pleased with the way this brush turned out.

Post bloom (still wet from the trial run)

 

[blzrfn]

Intrigued to hear what you think of the "Manchurian" finest.

FYI, if you send a message to that ebay seller asking for just the knots, they will indeed set up a custom invoice and sell you whatever it is you are looking for.

Thanks for the tip, I have several other defective brushes that I got dirt cheap before others caught on, but will heed your advice in the future as the knots from Frank's are among the finest (pardon the pun) for the price.

 

[blzrfn]

From rags to riches! Nice restoration.

Thank you Larry!

 

[JaxJim]

Another great restoration, Dave. You've really been cranking them out lately!

 

[blzrfn]

Although not true restorations, I did clean up a couple of old brushes that I scored recently.

First a Rooney and second a Simpson Floris P2 (I've never seen another Polo 2 and it is an amazing performer!)

Before:


After:

View attachment 374298

 

[blzrfn]

I also took the opportunity to finally attack my Vie Long BGS2012 horsehair brush and transform it into something I will actually enjoy using. I will post the process in a different thread, but for a quick snapshot here are before and after pics:

 

[Bestarrkin]

Here is my latest, it is an unknown brand marked only with a meaningless (to me) number on the front below where the decal once resided and sterlized non-split on the back. This brush was pretty rough looking when I got it and I wanted to retain a bit of that character and yet still turn it into sweet butterscotch eye-candy.

Before:

View attachment 331300View attachment 331301View attachment 331302View attachment 331303View attachment 331304

That brush was made by Clemak.

 

[blzrfn]

That brush was made by Clemak.

Thank you sir, I would go back and edit that post to reflect this update but it looks like that is no longer an option. I believe Mark has a NOS version of this brush posted in one of the Butterscotch threads. It is a cool little ergonomic brush for sure.

 

[blzrfn]

I have many updates that I need to post to this thread, but none are more important (to me) than my AS2M that I scored and restored. I left work early today to avoid a snowy commute and decided to give this old and abused brush a breath of new life. I chose a 24mm Virginia Sheng Silvertip knot that I had laying around, which was a bit of an upgrade from the 20mm Pure Badger knot that was installed originally. I polished the handle with a flannel buff and blue compound. The knot is set with clear RTV silicone to allow for loft adjustments if necessary. Final measurements are 25mm at the base with a 49mm loft.