Thread: Making a brush

Good morning!

I recently got it in my head to maybe make my own brushes. There is nothing wrong with the 2 that I already have, I just want to start making my own scales, stands, burshes etc etc.

Anyhow, I very recently purchased 10 badger hair knots and 10 boar bristle knots and found a site on google that says " You lathe the block of wood into the shape you want and at one end drill a hole1/4 to 1/2 deep just wide enough for the wrapped end of the bristles to go into after glueing."

Is that really true? Is THAT all there is to making a handle?

I need to apologize now as I suspect there is a thread on here about making your own brushes, I couldn't find it though.

Thank you for reading this.

Paul

well.. i'd imagine you'd want to treat the wood with some type of finish also.

Of course, that went without saying. I am talking only about how the bristles and handle join and become one.

That's about the guts of it mate. The finished quality is up to the maker. I've always wanted to know what sort of glue is used, myself.


Mick

well then yes.. that is all that goes into it.. be sure to use proper adhesion techniques.. both surfaces being both clean and dry ofcourse..

scour the workshop forum.. i recall at one point someone posting a very thorough tutorial which included photographs.

Originally Posted by MickR

That's about the guts of it mate. The finished quality is up to the maker. I've always wanted to know what sort of glue is used, myself.


Mick

I've heard said to use marine epoxy.

Every brush maker has differing opinions on which adhesive is best; some use marine epoxy, some use standard two ton epoxy, some use 5 minute epoxy and others use gorilla glue. I prefer epoxy. All of my epoxies are made for me so I cannot compare, but if I had to choose I would go with a standard long set epoxy.
as for how to do it the tutorial is correct. there isn't a lot once you cut it down, but many people do not own a lathe and of those that do only a select few use or know how to use them. The essentials with brush making is to set the knot with as little gap around the bristles as possible and the depth at which you set them should be to your liking. The big difference between my first and twentieth brush is the amount of epoxy squeeze out I get around the knot. I currently get no epoxy around the base of the bristles, my first had a little. Remember with most epoxies they turn yellow with time therefore become most unsightly. I personally finish with epoxy, CA or acrylic. I have specialized epoxies as I mentioned before and methods for finishing that do not involve drips, sanding or buffing. as for CA I either do it on the lathe as a pen turner does or after in my hands like i do with scales. My acrylic finishes are not the type you can purchase in the store, but rather like solid acrylic melted chemically then applied similar to CA. The Acrylic finish is a pain to make and sometimes to apply, but it is fun to polish with fire.
How much turning experience do you have? Or do you plan on carving your handle like in the wiki?
Good luck and have fun.

It makes me wonder the cost of brushes when the componants can be bought so cheaply. I have a lathe (just sitting around as I haven't been bothered to build the work station for it yet) and timber can be bought cheap enough or found for free. Knots can be bought for reasonable prices, yet I see so many expensive brushes around when I could knock one up for around $40 Australian that would compare with the $100 + brushes.
Even without the lathe you can spend a few dollars more and buy a pre-made handle and still have a great brush for a pittance and have it equal the shop bought ready mades that are so pricey.


Mick

on my first brush i also thought there would be more work involved, the only problems i had was drilling the hole the right size and the glue that squeezed out, to fix this i took some of the saw dust from the wood used for the handle and sprinkled it on the glue that was in the open gaps (from the misfitting) and after it dried you could hardly tell there was any gap

-dan-

I have been working with wood, leather and metal since I was 11. I am currently 35. I have tons of experiance turning and carving. To sum up my experiance, I make various musical instruments from didjeridus to drums to sitars and hurdy gurdies. There isny't much about wood work I don't know.