Measuring the knot diameter

[Bruce Wayne]

My old man gave me a brush that he gave to my grandpa in 71 or 72. It lathers nicely, the the bristles move up & down in the handle about an eighth of an inch & something is rattling inside the handle. Some of the bristles are easily pulled out as well. I would like to replace the bristles, but I don't want to cut into it just yet. Is there an easy way to measure the knot diameter without cutting the bristles off?

Thanx!!!
Charlie

 

[Legion]

Vernier calipers

 

[NoelyDeezNutz]

I don't know an exact way (im a newbie when it comes to stuff like this) but this is just an idea.

Grab a piece of string, tie up the brush nice and tight.
get a second piece of string, measure and mark (sharpie? cut it?)
Measure that length of string, write down the number, divide by pi (3.14) that is the diameter of the circle.

I could be way off, but from a logic standpoint, it should work.

 

[Brownbear]

You can buy cheap plastic calipers that will do fine or take a crescent wrench and adjust it until it is the width of the base of the knot, pull it off and measure the gap with a rule. Or use a compass as a makeshift caliper. Using three pieces of cardboard slide two pieces at right angles to the third to form a U shape that fits on either side of the knot base, tape them in place and measure the gap. Push a pin through the base of the knot in the middle until the head butts up to the side of the knot, mark the other end with a sharpie, pull it out and measure the distance from the head to the mark......

Get your kids to think of as many ways to measure the diameter of the brush base as they can and give em a quarter for each good idea......

 

[Piff]

Replacement knots aren't measured by the diameter of the knot at the opening, but at the glued base. That's not to say they can't be the same, but knots mostly have a wedge shape, so depending on the depth at which you'd like to set it, your needs may vary. Definitely talk to whomever you want to buy a knot from and ask their advice first. If you knew all this already, just slap my face and call me Nancy.

Regards.