Thread: A baker's first brush

Nice work. I'm always impressed when folks carve a rounded handle without a lathe. Not sure I'd want to try that. To the cracking issue - the hole diameter will usually shrink if the wood is not completely dry - @less than 10% or so. I've often had to enlarge holes after brush handles have sat around for a month or more before they get a knot. A $30 moisture meter is a good thing to have, if you are going to make brushes. Hope to see more of your work in the future.

Originally Posted by bruseth

How did you shape them? On a drill press? Maybe you could fill us in on how you made them?

Sorry, I tried explaining it, but I guess my english isn't that good. Wish I had taken pictures of the process. I started from a rectangular shape, almost a cube. I then cut the longest corners, to the center of each side. So if you look at it from the top, you have 8 sides (an octagon). I was trying to get as close to a cylinder as I could.

After that, i cut a V shape in each of the 8 sides. What I used on the drill press was, instead of a drill bit, a little sanding drum, like that:


Once the inside of the grip was to my liking, I started going at it on a sanding wheel, trying to make it as round as possible. Am I being clear? It's kinda hard to explain without showing it.