Restoring with a smaller knot?

[flutewhistler]

While it's rather a simple process to enlarge a knot hole in a handle to accomodate a larger knot, I'm thinking of creating a brush with a smaller knot than the original knot opening was designed for by, say, replacing a 21mm knot with an 18mm knot to make a little face scrubber with a short, stubby loft, like a Simpson Special.

Has anyone had any luck with such a knot replacement - going from larger to smaller? What did you do to reduce the circumference of the knot hole?

Thank you.

 

[alpster]

Shimming the hole with extra epoxy when you reset the smaller knot would work. The knot will bloom to make it look OK if you are careful. I think I would re-set the 21mm to a shorter loft to get the scrubbing effect you are after. You won't have to reduce the hole size or buy a new knot.JMHO

Ronnie

 

[flutewhistler]

Thanks, Ronnie, that's a help. I've had success with lowering the knot in another restore of a floppy badger (my first brush), and it is one of the best in my rotation.

 

[JaxJim]

I wonder if it might be feasible to install a sleeve in the existing hole? Provided you can find a suitably sized piece of plastic or metal tubing, I think it would work. For that matter, you could fill the existing hole and then drill it to the desired size as well. In any event, good luck, and I'm looking forward to your subsequent post on how this works out for you.

 

[flutewhistler]

All: After further consideration, and taking into account your helpful posts, I realized I was overthinking this a bit. All of my restores (two now, with two more to come), have been done with smaller knots in larger holes without issue. This is because I had set the new standard length knots at lofts under 50mm. The "stuffing" of the knot filled the hole in each case very well and reduced the splay of the knot, thereby enhancing the backbone and the "scrubbing" action I was seeking in my original post.

In this way I was able to take a clumping synthetic knot into a little scrubber that is now producing better lather and I like a lot better. It will become my travel brush.

Thank you for your creative ideas and encouragement.

 

[jkingrph]

I wonder if it might be feasible to install a sleeve in the existing hole? Provided you can find a suitably sized piece of plastic or metal tubing, I think it would work. For that matter, you could fill the existing hole and then drill it to the desired size as well. In any event, good luck, and I'm looking forward to your subsequent post on how this works out for you.

You might try a piece of PVC pipe or one of the fittings.

Also remember that for a given internal pipe diameter the schedule 80 pipe will have a greater outside diameter than the schedule 40. It's all easy to cut with a hacksaw, or most power saws if you are careful.

 

[brother cavefish]

they sell inserts or ferrules, such as Semogue and Omega uses

 

[flutewhistler]

Brother, do you have a vendor for the ferrules?