Please tell me if this is a really bad idea

[JRL]

I have 3 inexpensive Omega boar brushes, which work very well for me. I've had them all for 6 mos or more, using them in rotation. They're never immersed in water, rinsed carefully after each use, stored brush down on a rack between uses, etc. Two of them are rock-solid stable, but one sheds like crazy. I find between 2 and 6 bristles each time I use it.

Now, I know I could just keep on using the shedder -- and the brush will last a good while. But I'm annoyed by the shedding. I suppose I could just toss it out and buy another, or even replace the knot, but I'm thinking I should try to "save" it (In my house, frugality is a big virtue).

Here's what I'm thinking. With the brush sitting handle down, I'd splay the bristles, and using a toothpick, place a few drops of epoxy as far down near the handle as I can get, repeating that in multiple locations across the knot. If I keep the epoxy nice and warm, it will stay fluid for an hour or two. And with the brush sitting bristles up, I'm hoping the epoxy will head south toward the handle.

In my mind, the brush has minimal value as it is. So, if my 50-cent epoxy experiment wrecks it, I'm no worse off than I am now. But I realize I have no idea what I'm getting in to. I searched the Forum, but didn't come up with anything specific. Suggestions or guidance from the group would be most welcome.

 

[mblakele]

As long as you are comfortable working with epoxy, it sounds like a harmless experiment. I am pessimistic about the results: my guess is that the knot has cavitation or some other pervasive flaw. But if you try it let us know how it works out.

 

[Bear_Blade]

I an experiment its destined to be... I would use CA glue. its thin, and will flow easier through the base.

 

[tomcj2]

Email Omega. Give them the opportunity to replace it.

 

[blzrfn]

It is cheap enough so I wouldn't cry if the experiment was a fail. Although, Tom does bring up a very good point and it would be hard to seek retribution once you try and correct the problem yourself. The worst case scenario is Omega says no dice and you get to run your mad science jaunt anyways.

 

[skipnord]

I like the CA idea - i'd use the thin variety. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. Please post results.

 

[AceByTerror]

I'd be surprised if the CA would hold for long. It's a very hard, yet somewhat brittle medium when dry that I think will crumble with any torquing of the bristles. At leas the epoxy would have some flex to it. Agree that the CA would be much easier to get down inside there though. Just my two cents anyways. Interested to hear of the results.

 

[Ducati Scotty]

How much did the brush cost? Is it really worth your time to repair it? If you're after a new brush contact Omega or the supplier you bought it from and see what they say. If they say no or you're just curious, go ahead and try to repair it. A caution on epoxy: people who work with it all eventually develop an allergic like sensitivity. Though it would not be in direct contact with your face, having it in the bristle bed is going to have the water up against it. CA might be a better option.

Also, depending on whether it's a nicer handle you may try re-knotting it. Knots can be had fairly inexpensively and then you could have something like a nice silver tip for far less than you'd pay for a complete brush. That's a way to be thrifty and have some luxury. There are plenty of threads on re-knotting and suppliers of knots here on the site. Developing these skills could be way more valuable long term than glueing bristles together. I'd say it's a much better use of your time.

Personally I'd just ditch it and get a new one. Omegas are so inexpensive I don't know if I'd even take the time to write them about it. For 2 minutes online and a few dollars you'd have one in the mail in a few days.

Scott

 

[JRL]

Thanks to all for the thoughtful and informative feedback. The comments are reasonable and very helpful for me. I'm not inclined to hassle Omega over a very low-priced brush that's shedding after 6 or 8 mos of use. So, my thought process is that the brush is on its way to being discarded or re-knotted. Might as well try the experiment and see what happens. Can't really make it worse. And who knows, it just might help.

PS -- I appreciate the thoughtful warning about epoxy sensitivity. And your statement is correct. The common cause for that allergy is exposure to the resin -- the main ingredient in one of the two components we all mix together to form the adhesive. However, as I understand it, when one mixes the 2 components together, a polymerization reaction takes place, binding up virtually all of the resin into long chains. There should be very little resin remaining in the finished material, and most of that will be internal to the hardened adhesive. I suppose there will be a small amount remaining on the surface, and that could result in allergy, but it strikes me as a relatively minor risk.

 

[Ducati Scotty]

I've had lots of epoxy on me but I don't do it often. A agree, really minimal risk but I just thought it worth mentioning since you might end up rubbing it all over your face every day

 

[Doryferon]

A agree, really minimal risk but I just thought it worth mentioning since you might end up rubbing it all over your face every day

My thought too
I would do it.

 

[JRL]

Follow Up -- The answer to my question is: it was a bad idea.

Things I learned:

It was much harder than I thought it would be to get down near the base of the knot. I won't bore you with my many futile attempts, except to say that the closest I ever got was probably 1cm above the handle.

With the brush sitting on the handle, and a heat lamp keeping things warm, the epoxy did not flow toward the base of the knot. In fact, it seemed to rise a bit toward the tips of the bristles, before setting into a solid mass.

The brush is in the trash bin, and I'm going shopping.

 

[global_dev]

should have kept the handle for a different knot.

 

[inspiringK]

Follow Up -- The answer to my question is: it was a bad idea.

Things I learned:

It was much harder than I thought it would be to get down near the base of the knot. I won't bore you with my many futile attempts, except to say that the closest I ever got was probably 1cm above the handle.

With the brush sitting on the handle, and a heat lamp keeping things warm, the epoxy did not flow toward the base of the knot. In fact, it seemed to rise a bit toward the tips of the bristles, before setting into a solid mass.

The brush is in the trash bin, and I'm going shopping.

Best of both worlds: You got to try the experiment, and you get a new brush