Brush handle rebuild question

[Rivguy]

I have begun to rebuild several of my older brushes and have successfully removed the knots from several of them. I am using a variety of tools to remove the knots including forstner bits and a burr on a flexible shaft connected to my Proxxon (think Dremel) tool.

My question concerns an Ever Ready 200T handle. I have drilled down a ways and then used the burr to proceed further and broke through to the hollow handle. I am wondering if this handle has a "shelf" for the knot or did the knot just get bonded to the side of the handle. I am down about 3/8" and am proceeding carefully with the burr and am unable to discern a different material that would represent the "shelf" if in fact one existed. I can fabricate a false bottom or shelf if it is required or perhaps fill the handle but I am curious about what others have encountered rebuilding different handles.

Any help will be greatly appreciated,

Doug

 

[Schwert]

I have done a few hollow brushes and for the most part I think what sometimes seems to be a "shelf" really is just the bottom of the brush originally.

If a handle is hollow I always drill through this "shelf" and fill the base with chopped cork and epoxy.

 

[Rivguy]

I agree with your assessment on the absence of a shelf. I have carefully moved down with the process described above and even after wetting the material, can see no evidence of a shelf. I am of the same mind as you that there was none to begin with and that the knot was just bonded directly to the side of the handle.

Thanks for your help,

Doug

 

[Gamma]

I refurbed a 100T and it was totally hollow, no shelf.
The knot was glued to a trim ring/beauty ring that was press-fit into the top portion of the handle. I didn't notice that at first so I wound up messing that ring up geting the knot out. Not bad - just enough to tick me off.
I had to put it into boiling water to soften it up, then reshape it to fit back into the handle.

 

[Brownbear]

I haven't found any brushes that had shelves, except perhaps solid handles that have a floor in the knot hole. The hollow handles appear to have been built by inserting the knot (with or without a metal ring around the base where the glue plug is on the TGN knots) into the ferrule, inverting the ferrule and injecting the adhesive or molten rubber in, then screwing or gluing the ferrule with knot onto the handle.

I think what people refer to as shelves are the bottom of the adhesive or rubber formed when the knot was inverted. I just drill through the whole mess and clean it up then glue the new knot around the perimeter and push it in to the desired depth. If there is a lot of clearance I'll smear epoxy around the inside of the knot hole, put a little around the bottom of the plug and shove it in. With my handy ruler I just insert it to the loft I want and I'm done. Since I use 6 min epoxy I can lather it up in 15 minutes.

If you choose to do it this way there are a couple things to note. One, perimeter gluing makes it slightly more likely to get epoxy gooshing up above the top of the ferrule so it shows. You'll gain judgement about how much to use, but if that happens the fix is easy. Have a small bowl or glass of white vinegar handy and a toothbrush. If you need to remove excess glue from the outside of the hairs, just invert the brush and gently brush away from the ferrule with the toothbrush saturated with vinegar. Rinse brush and repeat until all the excess epoxy is washed away, then when it sets lather the brush and wash the vinegar and denatured resins out. Works like a charm.

The other thing is that perimeter gluing is a challenge if you are gluing into a solid handle. The small air volume compresses since the glue acts like a gasket, and it there is too much pressure it may push the knot back out higher than you want it to be. Solution there is just to glue the bottom since in that case you do have a bottom to glue to. Or you can just hold the knot in place till the epoxy sets.

I use 6 min gel epoxy because it stays put and is easier to fill voids with.

 

[woodfluter]

Disclaimer:
I've only refurbished two vintage brushes. But they were different!

1. The Ever-Ready F40 had a completely hollow handle as Brownbear and Gamma described. It appeared to be edge-glued. I added 3 pennies for weight on each side of a wine cork, and epoxied all that in place to make a shelf. Then glued the knot in with glue at the base and sides.

2. The StrongSet "acanthus leaf" or "tooth" pattern handle had an actual shelf, and underneath that a hollow handle. The old knot was glued on sides and bottom of a fairly deep depression. I excavated the depression until the shelf bottom was quite thin, then drilled a small hole through the bottom. I added steel shot and epoxy through that smaller hole into the lower portion for heft, then glued the new knot in place onto the shelf.

I have often used, but really hate fast-setting epoxy for almost anything. It doesn't give me adequate time to assure proper alignment, nor to clamp when needed, nor clean up spillage or seepage. I don't mind waiting overnight to use it! Rather be sure I'm getting it right.

- Bill