I'm seriously considering spending a little time restoring a brush. I'm a brush-guy, and having restored on all by myself would be sooo rewarding!
So, what tools would one need?
-Compaq
So, what tools would one need?
-Compaq
What tools does one need for restoration?
- Thread starter Compaq
- Start date
Restoration is very easy...minimal tools are required.
Very basics:
Sharp knife to cut off old hair.
A hand held drill and drill bit or a gimlet to twist remove much of the glued in hair.
Pliers may be useful to pull out old hair.
Drill bit to drill into handle to set loft (fortsner bit is good).
Dowel with sandpaper wrap or dremel tool to clean out old hole and widen or modify hole.
Sandpapers in various grades, polishing compound (Wenol, Flitz others)
Tape and Epoxy.
My most used basics for prep are this gimlet and shop knife...sharp with a wedge butt that works a treat to work the old hair out.
[
Very basics:
Sharp knife to cut off old hair.
A hand held drill and drill bit or a gimlet to twist remove much of the glued in hair.
Pliers may be useful to pull out old hair.
Drill bit to drill into handle to set loft (fortsner bit is good).
Dowel with sandpaper wrap or dremel tool to clean out old hole and widen or modify hole.
Sandpapers in various grades, polishing compound (Wenol, Flitz others)
Tape and Epoxy.
My most used basics for prep are this gimlet and shop knife...sharp with a wedge butt that works a treat to work the old hair out.
[
- Thread starter
- #3
Thanks a lot! I happen to be sort of handy when it comes to these things, and you just encouraged me If I ever get myself to do it, I'll post pics the before, the process and the after. Thanks!
If I ever get myself to do it, I'll post pics the before, the process and the after. Thanks!It is not only easy but satisfying too. You can start with minimal tools and add as you need or desire. One tool I really have found useful is a pen vise to hold the handle as I drill it out.
I just pad the handle with leather and slowly drill to remove old hair, set the depth, and/or grind the opening to remove stress cracks etc.
I just pad the handle with leather and slowly drill to remove old hair, set the depth, and/or grind the opening to remove stress cracks etc.
Don't even have a vice at my end 
( And I'm not actually that handy )
Sometimes you may need a drill of some sort to either drill out a shelf or enlarge a hole or just to get that really gunky glue/bristle out of the hole.
Have a squiz at my wiki from my sig, there may be some posts that help. There's a good pictorial there by Kevinm.
Go slow, take your time and yes you will get a great feeling of self satisfaction
( And I'm not actually that handy )
Sometimes you may need a drill of some sort to either drill out a shelf or enlarge a hole or just to get that really gunky glue/bristle out of the hole.
Have a squiz at my wiki from my sig, there may be some posts that help. There's a good pictorial there by Kevinm.
Go slow, take your time and yes you will get a great feeling of self satisfaction
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Thank you all for this information. I found a Ever Ready 100 at an antique store in Georgia the other day for $2.00 that looks pretty decent. I bought it for the sole purpose of restoration. Not sure what type of knot to get but I'll cross that bridge when I come to it.
I do have a couple of questions:
1. What do I need to do to clean the handle? It's a bit dirty.
2. How do I measure the knot? I've read to cut it off short then measure it but my question is whether the measure is diameter or circumference? I'm assuming diamater.
3. Will flitz be okay to polish up the Ever Ready handle?
Oh, here's the brush I found along with the razors I picked up that same day. It was a good day for AD's.
thank you so much,
Charlie
I do have a couple of questions:
1. What do I need to do to clean the handle? It's a bit dirty.
2. How do I measure the knot? I've read to cut it off short then measure it but my question is whether the measure is diameter or circumference? I'm assuming diamater.
3. Will flitz be okay to polish up the Ever Ready handle?
Oh, here's the brush I found along with the razors I picked up that same day. It was a good day for AD's.
thank you so much,
Charlie
Measure the diameter of the hole, that will be the knot size.
Depending on at what loft you decide to set the knot, you might need to expand the hole a bit bigger. As you sink the knot into the handle, the diameter of the hole needs to expand to fit the knot.
Most likely the knot will not be precisely the size of the hole.
I've used Maas to shine the handles, though it's slightly abrasive. Flitz is fine.
Good luck and this is a lot of fun. Please post your progress photos.
We love brush projects.
Depending on at what loft you decide to set the knot, you might need to expand the hole a bit bigger. As you sink the knot into the handle, the diameter of the hole needs to expand to fit the knot.
Most likely the knot will not be precisely the size of the hole.
I've used Maas to shine the handles, though it's slightly abrasive. Flitz is fine.
Good luck and this is a lot of fun. Please post your progress photos.
We love brush projects.
Nice finds...razors and old EverReady.
I would start with a polish (Flitz or Wenol or whatever) to see how it works on cleaning up that handle. That plastic is relatively soft so I would see what the polish did before trying fine sandpapers (600g or finer) to start.
I just use a soft cotton cloth with polish...nothing mechanical.
That handle will easily take an 18mm knot, but a little bit of widening of the hole and a 20mm will likely fit perfectly.
My first restoration was that same handle. I used an 18mm Best from GN, but if I did it again I would use an 18mm or 20mm two-band Finest.
My EverReady had a small "lip" that I could have easily ground away to fit the 20mm knot.
That handle will also be hollow to the base. I used chopped cork and epoxy to fill the base to the level I wanted to set my knot.
Have fun...you cannot go wrong and restoring that old Classic handle will make a great brush you can use for a long long time.
I would start with a polish (Flitz or Wenol or whatever) to see how it works on cleaning up that handle. That plastic is relatively soft so I would see what the polish did before trying fine sandpapers (600g or finer) to start.
I just use a soft cotton cloth with polish...nothing mechanical.
That handle will easily take an 18mm knot, but a little bit of widening of the hole and a 20mm will likely fit perfectly.
My first restoration was that same handle. I used an 18mm Best from GN, but if I did it again I would use an 18mm or 20mm two-band Finest.
My EverReady had a small "lip" that I could have easily ground away to fit the 20mm knot.
That handle will also be hollow to the base. I used chopped cork and epoxy to fill the base to the level I wanted to set my knot.
Have fun...you cannot go wrong and restoring that old Classic handle will make a great brush you can use for a long long time.
I have a handle just like that i want to restore, but its too light, do you think filling the handle with plaster then drilling to the correct loft size would work to make it heavy, but still hold up under use?
Plaster should work....however I have seen guys who want extra weight epoxy in a stack of pennies or stainless nuts or things like that.
Plaster was used on some of the vintage handles, but I have seen some pretty unfortunate failures of those handles.
Filled completely with epoxy adds a few grams and that would be my approach.
Plaster was used on some of the vintage handles, but I have seen some pretty unfortunate failures of those handles.
Filled completely with epoxy adds a few grams and that would be my approach.
I dropped a 22mm extra stuffed finest in my 100. I superglued two nuts together, dropped it into the handle, and then test fit the knot. I then supeglued the nut to the bottom of the handle, superglued piece of wine cork to the nuts to get the bed height I needed, then poured epoxy to the top of the cork and let cure. Finally after making sure the knot still fit at the loft I wanted, I glued it in. 2 nuts are a little heavy, but I like it.
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Kentos, that 100 looks great. I'm excited to get this rolling. I cut off the bristles and did some basic cleaning. I found that a Magic Eraser worked great to clean it up.
Unfortunately the battery in my camera has died and I can't find the charger so I'm holding on doing anymore so I can document the progress.
Charlie
Unfortunately the battery in my camera has died and I can't find the charger so I'm holding on doing anymore so I can document the progress.
Charlie
I dropped a 22mm extra stuffed finest in my 100. I superglued two nuts together, dropped it into the handle, and then test fit the knot. I then supeglued the nut to the bottom of the handle, superglued piece of wine cork to the nuts to get the bed height I needed, then poured epoxy to the top of the cork and let cure. Finally after making sure the knot still fit at the loft I wanted, I glued it in. 2 nuts are a little heavy, but I like it.
What knots do you have in your EverReadys? I have two 150's that I am restoring, but I'm not sure which knots to put in. I have a smaller red/cream that I want to put a badger in and a taller black/cream that I was thinking of putting a pure cream boar in. What do you think?
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The red/white needed some reaming to get a 22mm TGN finest extra stuffed to fit, and I set the loft at a lofty 55mm, or 2-1/4" for those metrically challenged. It's super soft and has good enough backbone for VDH and Mama Bear soaps.
The green and black was reamed out to 24mm, and that one has a 24mm TGN finest extra stuffed also. The loft on that one is at 50mm/2". It also has soft tips, and is stiff...too stiff for me as I like a brush that splays a bit. Some people hate a brush that splays so a low loft may suit others.
Truthfully, the 22mm set high is perfect soap and cream bowl lathers IMO. When I get the bug for face lathering hopefully the 24mm will be perfect.
nb. I also have a 22mm super silvertip waiting in the wings. It seems to be very soft, with less back bone, and maybe a little less dense than the finest extra stuffed. If you are after a pillowy, cloud-like soft lathering experience, that knot might work too.
I have no experience with their boar knots, but I say go for it, them pass the knowledge on...
The green and black was reamed out to 24mm, and that one has a 24mm TGN finest extra stuffed also. The loft on that one is at 50mm/2". It also has soft tips, and is stiff...too stiff for me as I like a brush that splays a bit. Some people hate a brush that splays so a low loft may suit others.
Truthfully, the 22mm set high is perfect soap and cream bowl lathers IMO. When I get the bug for face lathering hopefully the 24mm will be perfect.
nb. I also have a 22mm super silvertip waiting in the wings. It seems to be very soft, with less back bone, and maybe a little less dense than the finest extra stuffed. If you are after a pillowy, cloud-like soft lathering experience, that knot might work too.
I have no experience with their boar knots, but I say go for it, them pass the knowledge on...
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Sounds like you are well on your way! Just take your time. I found a forstner bit to work better than a twist bit since it cuts away layer by layer in a bigger area rather than drilling a bunch of holes then digging it out. The bottom 3/4 of the brush handle is hollow anyways so in the worse case scenario to can tap the bits down gently. If you want to save the old bed plug you need to only drill down about a 1/4 or so.
