Help me with this restore

[CharlieTN]

So I found this great little brush at an antique mall in Greeneville, Tn over the weekend. It was $1 so I thought it was perfect for restoration.

Sorry, I don't have an overall of just the brush.

I have the old knot out and the hole measures 21mm across. So, do I need a 22mm knot or a 20mm knot? I've read that the actual base plug is slightly undersized.

Have some other questions, I do believe that I will at least coat this one with some polyurethane or something since it will get wet a lot, any recommendations for that?

One final question, the black rubber part will spin a bit. I'm assuming that when I epoxy in the knew knot that they will pretty much take care of that, am I correct?

Oh, about forgot, what kind of knot should I get? My current brush is a Crabtee & Evelyn Best Badger small that I love. I bowl lather mostly with creams but want to start using soaps more.

Thanks so much and I'm looking forward to doing this one. I've got two Ever Ready handles stripped of the knot and will do those next but they will require some filling of the handle in order to set the know so I thought this one would be perfect for a first go.

Charlie

 

[Telecaster52]

woo lots of q's to answer!


I have the old knot out and the hole measures 21mm across. So, do I need a 22mm knot or a 20mm knot? I've read that the actual base plug is slightly undersized.
You'll need a 20mm, my experience with the "paintbrush" handles is that they have an inner metal "sleeve" which makes enlarging the bore near-impossible without damage

Have some other questions, I do believe that I will at least coat this one with some polyurethane or something since it will get wet a lot, any recommendations for that?

Personally, i use Amber tint shellac. there's a good bit of trade-off with using different finishes. Poly is tough as nails, but looks artificial, Lacquer takes a ridiculous amount of time to cure, Shellac is easily damaged by water, so you need to take care to properly dry the wooden parts after use. OTOH Shellac is very easy to repair, compared to lacquer and poly.

One final question, the black rubber part will spin a bit. I'm assuming that when I epoxy in the knew knot that they will pretty much take care of that, am I correct?

I would re-fix the collar to the base before you set the knot, just to be sure it's properly adhered

Oh, about forgot, what kind of knot should I get? My current brush is a Crabtee & Evelyn Best Badger small that I love. I bowl lather mostly with creams but want to start using soaps more.

I'm a big fan of larryandro's (whippeddog.com) knots. His stock's a bit low (especailly 20mm's) but he'll be re-ordering soon. PM me if you'd like more details on my preference of knot

Thanks so much and I'm looking forward to doing this one. I've got two Ever Ready handles stripped of the knot and will do those next but they will require some filling of the handle in order to set the know so I thought this one would be perfect for a first go.

Brush restores are very rewarding and fun Keep us updated with pics!

ETA:

Here's my "paintbrush" restore WIP

 

[CharlieTN]

Telecaster, thanks for the replies.

I'll have to get some closeups with the knot out. There's not a sleeve in this one, in fact, once you drop down a bit into the rubber it opens up another mm or so.

Been looking at Whipped Dog's knots. Will have to wait and see if he gets more in.

Been thinking about staining it first to darken the wood, my personal preference then put some sort of over coat. Have thought about the CA (crazy glue) finish as well as it makes a nice hard finish that seems to handle water too.

Thanks,

Charlie

 

[jwhite]

The Golden nib has good knots that are well received here as well.

The CA has been getting some attention here but most agree that they are difficult without a lathe to help in application on brushes. A good linseed or tung oil finish will provide good low gloss finish that is really easy to apply and repair, or for more of a gloss a good marine or spar varnish that is thinned, or wiping, will also provide almost foolproof application. Both are suitable for a wet environment.

 

[ahoiberg]

you can also find sprayable versions of spar urethane and deft spray lacquer is a pretty durable finish also.