Well, I guess practice makes perfect

[lowjax]

Well, I decided to try reknotting a brush. I cut out most of the old hair and then steamed the rest out.

Before:


After:


The sides warped, the top smushed in, and the letters chipped out. It's only a Ever Ready 102, but was the first brush I bought to refinish and I loved the shape and color. It's made out of a gritty material and not sure what it is. Maybe that material doesn't steam well. I also did a EverReady 650 that came through just fine.

Oh well, practice makes perfect..right?

 

[Jeremydelagarza]

Yep. I dont steam anymore i had the same issue. I also have drilled through a few handles drilling out the knot....

 

[duderubble]

THat stinks. Yeah I think that steaming and hot water treatments are only safe on metal brushes like the rubberset 400. but then I drilled/dremelled both of those that I have too. I think drill/dremel is the way to go in most situations.

 

[lowjax]

I tried drilling/dremelling it out first and it wasn't going so well. Didn't have a good dremel bit that would fit. The steaming caused the knot to fall right out and it worked good on the EverReady 650, so I was hoping it would work well here too.

Oh well, I still have 3 good handles I am working with, so I will keep at it.

 

[JaxJim]

Bummer-- that was a great looking handle. Of course, there are many opportunities for things to turn brown and lumpy when restoring vintage brush handles, but it seems that the use of steam results in a disproportionate number of casualties.

 

[Dr Dulcamara]

It is preferable to use mechanical means. At low speed to avoid overheating the old plastics. I prefer drills and rasps mounted on a chuck of a mechanical screwdriver which rotates at low speed, around 200 rpm. They are effective. After that, dremel with sand drums works fine.

Caution with celluloid, alcohol is forbidden to him.

I have the first and the fourth rasp

 

[duderubble]

I tried drilling/dremelling it out first and it wasn't going so well. Didn't have a good dremel bit that would fit. The steaming caused the knot to fall right out and it worked good on the EverReady 650, so I was hoping it would work well here too.

Oh well, I still have 3 good handles I am working with, so I will keep at it.

Did you cut the knot off flat close to the handle? I find that often a very small carving bit works well to get down in there and root around a little. Once you get some chunks out it becomes easier and a sanding drum, as the good doctor said, is a great tool once you have space for it opened up. Slow speeds, as he said, too.