Rubberset brush, looking for a bit of advice, please!

[Celester]

Hello, B&B!

My father gave me his old Rubberset brush that he used to have and I am looking to restore it, but I have some questions and am looking for advice as well.

First, the pictures:

The bristles on the inside are all gone and just the ones around the exterior remain. Those are quite brittle and can easily fall out or break. There is no writing on the black band and no other markings save for the bottom of the brush.

I haven't taken any measurements as of yet, as I only received it last night.

The handle feels like plastic, so, from what I've read, it's not the best idea to steam it to loosen the knot. I am assuming drilling it out with a Dremel would suffice?

Thank you!

 

[GDCarrington]

You are correct about steam and plastic or wood handles. The steam method works well with acrylic handles that can handle higher temperatures.

A Dremel will work fine with removing the knot. A "secret tool" well really not so "secret" is the Dremel 115 bit. Once you get a tap hole established large enough to get the 115 bit in, you can grind away from the inside out. Makes removing and clean the knot easier than using a sanding drum.



Good fortune.

 

[rts9364]

That's a nice handle. Regardless of the tooling you use, be sure to mask off the handle to protect it from a wandering bit.

The tool pictured above works very well. Sometimes too well, so be careful. I find that a sanding drum offers a little more forgiveness and doesn't tend to jump around as much. But, sometimes you get into nasty glues where the above is helpful and even necessary. Good advice above.

Before you start with a Dremel, cut those old bristles off as close to the handle as possible. I use a (sharp) single-edge razor blade right next to the handle. You can put the brush down horizontally on a bench/table and just slowly roll it as you work the blade around and into the knot. With a little patience you end up with a clean cut right next to the handle. Then, drill/Dremel away!

 

[Celester]

Great ideas. Thanks for the tool suggestion, GDCarrington!

As for cutting the bristles... since they appear to be falling out, would some needle-nose pliers work if there's some give to them?

 

[theretroshave]

Hi Chris. Funny thing is that I replied to your posting of this brush on G+ just the other day, and asked a member on B&B (turtle) who has a similar brush that's made in the USA. If you're in a space that is well ventilated, and you have a dremel you could tape your bristles together, and TAPE YOUR HANDLE (trust me, I forgot to, and I got kinda lucky, but it took 20-30 minutes to "fix" the mistake)- then just use a cutoff tip on your dremel to slice through the hair. It can get pretty smelly though when it heats up- Just a word of warning. I think the single edge razor blade sounds like a cleaner solution. I wouldn't pull too much on the knot. I had a handle crack from pulling on the knot. It's not worth finding out. Here's my current restore-in-progress, if you care to take a look. Good luck with your restore.

 

[tomcj2]

I have used a sharp chef's knife to cut the hairs off, safer than a razor blade and less likely to slip and cause damage.

 

[GDCarrington]

Retro is correct. Masking tape and many layers is your friend.

I have one up on the chef's knife. Go get a good pair of electrical wire cutters. It will cut the hairs well and is the safest method. Here is the type I use.

 

[klundtasaur]

Wire cutters--that's a fantastic idea! Thanks!

 

[Celester]

Looks great! I'll have to get started on it this weekend taping and snipping... Polishing and the new knot will have to come later, unfortunately.

 

[hig789]

A pair of scissors will do the job just fine. I am going to have to try that carbide bit above. Looks mean and fast.

Chris here's the tools I use.

http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php/328177-My-Restoration-Process

 

[FL shaver]

The handle looks lightly used. This handle will look great reknotted.

 

[GDCarrington]

A pair of scissors will do the job just fine. I am going to have to try that carbide bit above. Looks mean and fast.

Chris here's the tools I use.

http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php/328177-My-Restoration-Process

That 115 works great to get the bulk out and allows you to save using your sanding wheel when you are near the edge. Saves a lot of time and effort.

 

[Celester]

Just a quick update - Knot is out and I didn't have to use the 115 bit. The rubber was so degraded, it just came out with the sanding bit.



I drilled out the knot initially, but I went too deep and now there is a hole just shy of 13mm in diameter, right in the middle where the knot sits. I can now look into the hollow handle. I am not sure what I was thinking... but will chalk it up to a rookie mistake and definitely know for next time. The diameter is 26mm, so even though I made a mistake in drilling, there is more than enough room to work with the epoxy and get a good seal.

At 26mm, this will be a nice, large brush and the knot will not sit deep inside. Only 5mm between the top of the brush and where the knot will rest. I will probably leave it there without raising it.