Thinking of going for a restoration! Or two.

[Capslock]

Hi!
I've never done this, so I'm excited to give it a try, and I have some hopefully not dumb questions. I love vintage things, and the idea of a vintage handled brush with a modern knot just sounds great. Here are the two candidates, the first a sweet lucite Made Rite 1000 LS, and the second a wooden-handled Rubberset. Looking at the lucite (both really), it seems the knot is small - I'd guess 18-20mm. How does one ream a bigger hole into lucite? The handle is in terrific condition so I'd hate to ruin it. Also, on the rubberset, the plastic top part pops off the wooden handle. I can see the bottom of the knot - there isn't any perceivable "floor" in there. Is this normal? Is this good enough a brush to do this to? The reason I got it is that the wood is pretty perfect - no dings.

 

[FL shaver]

Both handles are in great shape to begin! There is no real trick to removing either knot. Cut the hair as close as possible, drill and sand out the plug. The wooden handled brush should be easy since you can attack it from the bottom. What you found there is normal. The knot looks useable, even. You could just epoxy the collar back onto the wooden portion. The way to enlarge the Lucite is to slowly sand it out. The recess will become cloudy with the larger grit, but it can be polished out and the recess painted. I've done 2 this way. One way to personalize the Lucite is to drop a coin or something similar at the bottom, covering it with a layer of epoxy, then painting the recess and setting the knot.

BTW, that red and cream brush in the background looks awesome!

 

[mattdenicola]

Also, on the rubberset, the plastic top part pops off the wooden handle. I can see the bottom of the knot - there isn't any perceivable "floor" in there. Is this normal?

This can actually make the process of removing the old knot a lot easier, as you can drill "up" or "down" to loosen the glue and you can completely clear out the collar of all old gunk. When you set the new knot, you can do it "upside down" with the hair pointing downward, and filling the collar with epoxy to set the knot in place. You just have to make sure to measure carefully and leave enough room to re-attach the collar. I have some pictures I will try to remember to post, and surely others will chime in too. You can deal with the nitty gritty of that when the time comes.

Is this good enough a brush to do this to?

That is 100% a personal decision. Any brush you like enough to go through the restoration process is "good enough." Now, if you were planning to retore it to sell for a profit, then perhaps whether others think it is valuable might come into play. But I for one really like these wooden Rubberset handles, and you do indeed have one in very nice condition. If you will enjoy using it, then definitely do the restoration!

 

[JaxJim]

Excellent advice from FL shaver and Matt. Don't hesitate to ask questions along the way; you'll get plenty of friendly assistance.

 

[Capslock]

Haha! FLShaver, I hold you responsible for all of this! Loving that Ever-ready, btw...

Anyway, LOTS of gouging, sanding, grinding and pulling later, I have this. It was hard to photograph with an IPhone, btw.... Now I have to choose a knot, and I think I can wedge a 20mm in there. Given the smaller size, are there any recommendations out there as to grade? I'll probably order from TGN. I'd like an all-around brush, capable of face and bowl lathering, but mostly the latter.

 

[FL shaver]

Tremendous!

 

[Snargle]

Haha! FLShaver, I hold you responsible for all of this! Loving that Ever-ready, btw...

Anyway, LOTS of gouging, sanding, grinding and pulling later, I have this. It was hard to photograph with an IPhone, btw.... Now I have to choose a knot, and I think I can wedge a 20mm in there. Given the smaller size, are there any recommendations out there as to grade? I'll probably order from TGN. I'd like an all-around brush, capable of face and bowl lathering, but mostly the latter.

Looks good! As far as a knot, in my opinion, there's only one choice for your specs...a TGN Finest. Best combination of softness, backbone, and all-around performance I've found. If you're going to primarily bowl lather, a 50mm loft should be a good compromise.

 

[JaxJim]

Looks good! As far as a knot, in my opinion, there's only one choice for your specs...a TGN Finest. Best combination of softness, backbone, and all-around performance I've found. If you're going to primarily bowl lather, a 50mm loft should be a good compromise.

+ a bunch. IMHO, TGN Finest delivers the best bang for the buck.

 

[Capslock]

Thanks guys! An order from TGN is on the way! Here are the two handles, ready to go. You all have started some bad RSBAD (Restorable Shaving Brush Acquisition Disorder!) I have ebay orders on the way. Also, some new questions: I'm going to want to repaint the lucite knot hole black (or colored???). What sort of paint is best for this? Also, I'm going to sand and re-stain the wooden handle. Any tips on that would be appreciated greatly. This is fun!

 

[JaxJim]

On painting the inside of the socket, I've had good luck so far using Testor's enamel-- lots of color options and you don't have to buy a large quantity. Be sure to let the paint fully dry before epoxying the knot. As for refinishing the wooden handle, from your photo it appears to be in pretty good shape, so I'd go with very light sanding to start. You may want to stop before taking it down to bare wood. In my limited experience with wooden handles, they tend not to be made from any species having great looking grain. But if you decide to take it down to bare wood, the usual progression from lower to higher grits will do the trick.

And yes, restoring brushes is fun and addictive.

 

[FL shaver]

I agree about the attack on the wooden handle. I'd go with a VERY light sanding and progressive light coats of a varnish, like tung oil finish. It doesn't look as though taking it all the way down to bare wood is needed and may be more work for a less attractive finish. I would recommend tinting your epoxy with a couple of drops of the same color paint you coat the recess. And I would fill the recess with that tinted epoxy, being careful to not allow the epoxy to travel up the knot. I made the mistake of not tinting and filling the recess entirely with my first Lucite restore. The paint pulled away from the sides of the recess in a portion of the handle. I haven't used the second Lucite restore, but I'm guessing it'll hold up better. I wonder how the masters set the knot in their Lucite restorations.

 

[Capslock]

Update! Here is the finished lucite Made-Rite brush. It has a 20mm TGN Super Badger bulb knot, set with about 52mm loft. To set the knot, I made up some epoxy tinted with black paint, and it just slipped right into place. My first brush restore is complete. Now I just have to wait 24 hours to use it. Thanks for everyone's help - it made this a lot of fun instead of work. I'll keep updating this thread as I finish brushes - I have several lined up.

 

[Capslock]

It's hard to photograph, but I set a coin from my travels in the bottom of the knot recess - below the black paint.

 

[FL shaver]

Nice outcome!

 

[JaxJim]

Looks great! Did you drop a medallion or coin in the bottom of the socket, or am I seeing things?

 

[Capslock]

Yeah, it's a coin from my trip to China. I epoxied it down there before I painted the recess black. It's really hard to get the iphone to focus in there instead of the surface of the lucite, but it looks better in real life than in the photo.

 

[JaxJim]

Cool! Nice touch.

I'm looking for something along those lines for an Ever-Ready Lucite handle I'm working on now.

 

[Capslock]

I just wandered around the house looking for something the right size! LOL! The coin fit perfectly. Next up is the Rubberset from the top photos. It's drying before its second coat of polyurethane now. I sanded it down and stained it darker. I thought the lighter stain and finish looked cheap.

 

[mattdenicola]

A very cool brush you are sure to enjoy for years to come!

 

[brother cavefish]

nothing like a Self customed brush