Ruberset 100

[Ferris]

My first restore and I have a question.

I used a pair of pliers and pulled out the hair after wetting, which went surprisingly quick. The platform to place the knot is only 2-3mm below the top edge. Is that enough room or is it common practice to drill it out and refill?

What would you consider the minimum depth required to place a TGN knot?

Thanks for your help,

 

[Snargle]

I would definitely drill it out. 2-3mm isn't enough to even cover the bottom of the glue plug of the knot. The end result would be a very floppy brush. How deep you want to go depends on what loft you want. I'm mostly a face-latherer, so I've been setting mine around 45-50mm. If you use a bowl, you might want a higher loft. Once you get your knot from TGN, just play around with the depth until you find your sweet spot.

 

[FL shaver]

Yup. Gotta drill down there. Be careful with the drill ao as not to mar the brush.

 

[Captain Pre-Capsize]

Drill it out and start with a clean slate. Be careful drilling though. I had a friend, yes it was a friend - a very close "friend" - who told me he drilled right through the side of a handle once. Ahem! My preference is for the handle to have more heft to it than it came with. To date I suppose I have restored a half dozen or so. Each brush can be different. Some are filled entirely with hard rubber. Others have a "shelf" on the interior that supports the knot but underneath the shelf it is empty. My protocol is to drill it all out and then dribble epoxy off the end of a dowel into the bottom of the handle. Use the longer acting epoxy rather than the five minute version - who needs the time pressure, it will be ready in the morn as it is.

Usually I add BB size lead fishing sinkers to add weight to the handle although the epoxy alone adds weight. They sink (sorry for the pun) to the bottom and give the handle some authority to it when you pick it up. Personal preference rules here but that is me. I swipe up the epoxy on the end of the dowel and then let it dribble into the handle. I keep dribbling it in until it gets close to the top. Then I let it sit overnight. The following day I set the knot. I can dry fit it and see just how deep I prefer it to be. This then tells me how much epoxy to add. That's it!

 

[Ferris]

Thanks for the advice guys, I am actually doing 6 at a time for my first try. It is easier to do each step 6x vs each one individually IMO.

Some were hollow and some were solid, but using my drill and a small diamond bit then switching to a dremel and rough sanding cone worked very well (but dusty).