Replacing the knot in a VDH Brush

[JonM]

I received a VDH pure badger brush the other day as part of the never ending PIF thread. While I like the handle, the bristles just aren't doing it for me. I've been meaning to take on a brush job anyway and I figured that this would be the perfect place to start (nice handle, and it was free). Now, I've never done this before and I'm curious about matching the knot to the handle. I'd like to replace the knot with a TGN Super Silvertip. I don't have calipers so measuring the hole may not be exact with a ruler. As for removing the knot, I figured that the steam trick would be the easiest way to go about it. Thanks for any advice you can give.

 

[MondoJ]

I have also that I'm going to steam, let me know how it goes, and I'll do the same if I do it first.

 

[JonM]

After doing a little digging, it seems that some people are reporting that this is brush has a 22mm knot. I guess one specific question I have would be if a 20mm knot would work well with a 22mm handle. I know that 2 mm isn't much of a difference. However, with the metal ring at top, there isn't much room to mess around and I can't very well sand it down. I've already polished up the handle & removed the windmill logo (it's not going to be a VDH brush much longer anyway ). It's actually a rather beautiful handle in person with a nice weight & feel to it.

 

[GDCarrington]

After doing a little digging, it seems that some people are reporting that this is brush has a 22mm knot. I guess one specific question I have would be if a 20mm knot would work well with a 22mm handle. I know that 2 mm isn't much of a difference. However, with the metal ring at top, there isn't much room to mess around and I can't very well sand it down. I've already polished up the handle & removed the windmill logo (it's not going to be a VDH brush much longer anyway ). It's actually a rather beautiful handle in person with a nice weight & feel to it.

Jon, the metal ring may be the binder for the knot. In other words they may be integrated. If it does not steam out then it is highly likely that the knot and the metal ring "cup" are unified.

If that is the case, it will take more work to remove the ring (cup) and the knot. If that is the case, and both must go, then you may even be able to accommodate an even larger knot.


Keep in mind the instructions for steaming with some of the general cautions from the threads below.

http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showth...tion-from-potential-to-performance?highlight=

http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showth...een-Butterscotch-with-Black-Swirl)?highlight=

 

[JonM]

Thanks for the input. I suppose I'll need to sort out my game plan once I steam the handle. If it pops out easily, all is well. If not, well at least handles are cheap. I appreciate the warning.

 

[JonM]

I have a rice steamer. I'm wondering if this would be an effective tool rather than a pot of boiling water.

*edit*

The answer is yes. The steamer worked better than I could have hoped. Between the built in timer which helped me keep tabs on the time and the fact that I didn't have to worry about overheating the handle, it worked perfectly. The knot is free and came out with a nice pop. The hole also appears to be a perfect 22mm. So, That's what I'll aim for.

 

[GDCarrington]

I have a rice steamer. I'm wondering if this would be an effective tool rather than a pot of boiling water.

*edit*

The answer is yes. The steamer worked better than I could have hoped. Between the built in timer which helped me keep tabs on the time and the fact that I didn't have to worry about overheating the handle, it worked perfectly. The knot is free and came out with a nice pop. The hole also appears to be a perfect 22mm. So, That's what I'll aim for.

Excellent! Good fortune on your knot selection.

 

[JonM]

Thanks. I'm glad I measured twice too. Without the metal ring, the hole is 22mm. With the ring, it's 20mm. So far so good!

 

[malocchio]

aren't these VDH handles hollow plastic ? If you are going to the trouble of setting a quality knot,why not use a superior quality vintage handle ?

 

[JonM]

aren't these VDH handles hollow plastic ? If you are going to the trouble of setting a quality knot,why not use a superior quality vintage handle ?

Actually, no they aren't. After pulling the knot, I can see that they're solid through and through. These handles are as good as anything you'll see on sites like Whipped Dog or TGN. They are heavy, solid, and well made. Don't be fooled by the price. Once polished up, they're VERY nice handles. In fact, I've recently had the chance to check out the top of the line $180 silvertip from AoS when I was at their Pittsburgh store. The handle has a similar look & feel to it for a fraction of the price (or in my case, free). I'll post pics when it's complete.

 

[GDCarrington]

Actually, no they aren't. After pulling the knot, I can see that they're solid through and through. These handles are as good as anything you'll see on sites like Whipped Dog or TGN. They are heavy, solid, and well made. Don't be fooled by the price. Once polished up, they're VERY nice handles. In fact, I've recently had the chance to check out the top of the line $180 silvertip from AoS when I was at their Pittsburgh store. The handle has a similar look & feel to it for a fraction of the price (or in my case, free). I'll post pics when it's complete.

I had the same situation with the Parker Synthetic I converted to a badger brush based on lack of performance. The handle was solid and excellent to work with.

This is good knowledge for the future. Thanks for letting us know about another handle alternative.

 

[Deltaboy]

Thanks for sharing !

 

[MondoJ]

I steamed mine today, the knot came out easily, downside was that the handle developed surface cracks, as i lost track of time. I glued three pennies into the bottom of the handle and trimmed down the spacer used by VDH (some type dense foam) and set a TNG synthetic knot to about 50mm. Seems like its going to be a soft firm scrubber. I will know in the morning.

 

[JonM]

I steamed mine today, the knot came out easily, downside was that the handle developed surface cracks, as i lost track of time. I glued three pennies into the bottom of the handle and trimmed down the spacer used by VDH (some type dense foam) and set a TNG synthetic knot to about 50mm. Seems like its going to be a soft firm scrubber. I will know in the morning.

Sorry to hear about the cracks. How long was it left on to steam? Did you have a base under the brush to keep it off the bottom of the pot?

With no direct heat to the brush aside from the heat of the steam itself, I guess the rice steamer worked better than I thought. It looks like I'll continue using it on future restoration projects.

Did you salvage the metal collar or did you mount your knot without it?

 

[GDCarrington]

Sorry to hear about the cracks. How long was it left on to steam? Did you have a base under the brush to keep it off the bottom of the pot?

With no direct heat to the brush aside from the heat of the steam itself, I guess the rice steamer worked better than I thought. It looks like I'll continue using it on future restoration projects.

Did you salvage the metal collar or did you mount your knot without it?

That is why I use the stove top steamer and my trusty timer.

 

[JonM]

That is why I use the stove top steamer and my trusty timer.

Exactly my thought on the matter. Before attempting the steaming method, I had read up on it (horror stories and all). That's why I went with the steamer too. Indirect heat source? Check. Built-in timer? Check. I won't use anything else at this point.