Vintage Brush Restoration Timeline

[Snargle]

I was checking out some antique stores last week and picked up these two brushes for a few dollars. The red one is an Ever Ready 50 CA and the ivory one is an Erskine (no model number). Both have well-worn badger knots and are basically unusable as-is.

What I'm going to do is document my step-by-step process for restoring these brushes to working condition. I'll post updates over the next few weeks as I progress.

At this point, nothing has been done other than a quick cleaning. My first step will be to cut down the bristles and drill out the knots. I'll post updates to this thread as I complete the steps.

 

[GAW9576]

What do you mean unusable. There's tons of life left in those knots.

I look forward to seeing what you do with them. That Erskine is beautiful.

 

[Snargle]

Part #2 - Cutting off the knots.

Using a sharp, sturdy knife, I sliced off the bristles flush with top of the brush. The red Ever Ready cut off easily, but the Erskine required some significant effort, due to the adhesive wicked up into the knot.

 

[Snargle]

Part #3 -Drilling the knots.

Using an electric drill with a sharp 1/4" bit, I drilled a hole down the center of the knot stump. Again, the red Ever Ready was easy, but the Erskine was a bit harder.

 

[Snargle]

Part #4 - Cleaning out the cavity.

My favorite tool for this is an old, narrow (1/4") wood chisel I picked up at a flea market. I've tried using Forstner drill bits but I don't feel I have the control. Starting at the drill hole in the center, I tap small chunks of the knot and pry them out. Once again, the Red Ever Ready pops out easily but the Erskine is going to take a lot more work. The Ever Ready has a solid base with a deep (20mm) knot cavity, so other than some clean-out with a Dremel, it won't need much extra. The hole is 20mm wide, so I'll probably just enlarge it a bit and load it with a 20mm knot. The Erskine seems to be hollow and filled with plaster. This will take grinding with a Dremel bit to deepen it enough for a new knot. The hole is only 17mm across but it looks like I can open it up to 21-22mm and also load a 20mm knot. I'll wait to order knots until I have both totally cleaned out and holes enlarged.

That's it for today!

 

[LJS]

Forstner bits are a great option to consider

 

[Snargle]

Forstner bits are a great option to consider

I’ve tried them but I don’t have a drill press or a vise, so I’m not comfortable hand holding the brush while I try to drill it out. My way isn’t as fast but I feel safer and more in control.

 

[Luc]

Nice work!

 

[ExtremelyDanger]

Very nice, those handles will look great!

I've been wondering, how do you know how deep to go with the drill?

 

[Snargle]

Still making progress. I finished cleaning out the old cement/glue/plaster/rubber/whatever. The work was done with an electric drill down the center and then chipping away from the sides. It wasn't very difficult. My next step is to take the Dremel tool with a sanding drum and enlarge the openings on both brushes. Once I'm happy with the hole sizes, I'll measure them up and order the new knots. I'm not sure if I want to go synthetic or badger, but I'll decide once I see what's available in the sizes I'll need.