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Here is the patient.
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-o...0/100_2150.JPG
Patient suffers from age related thinning and limp performance. Pre-op prep consists of a trim with a razor blade, and razor knife. Patient is now prepared for surgery to commence. Paging Dr. Newb.
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-m...0/100_2151.JPG
Initial procedure began with a 1/2" Forstner.
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-e...0/100_2152.JPG
This was not as successful as the surgeon supposed it would be, so a 1/4" bit was used to drill through the center of the knot, and through a thick cardboard base that formed the floor of the cavity. After which, the Forstner was again employed.
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-n...0/100_2153.JPG
Once I punched through with that, I moved to a rotary file.
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-g...0/100_2154.JPG
In the end, I moved through each of these tools to remove the knot, in order to find what worked best.
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-2...0/100_2155.JPG
Next time, I'll just use the 1/4" bit and the spade bits in succession.
looks like your on the right track!
A penny almost fits through.
Attachment 190760
Attachment 190761
Calipers read 18.34mm.
Forstner skipped a bit and left that track you see below the lip of the opening. I'll sand that as best I can, and hit the whole thing with polish. Hopefully I can make it disappear.
I have a 20mm Finest and an 18mm F2 on their way from TGN. I have another handle with a 20mm opening. Whichever knot fits it the best will go in that, and the other will go into this brush.
Just got shipping confirmation earlier today, but the knots have to travel over 2200 miles to reach me, so not expecting them before Thursday or Friday. Will update when they arrive.
Thanks for looking in.
Thanks, tintin.
Nice job, keep them pictures coming of the project.
Thank you. Looking forward to setting the knot in this!
From the point you have it, a dremel sanding drum and some patience is my weapon of choice. Betya you will get 20 mm easily.
Neat old handle!
Thank you.
Yeah, I think the 20mm will go in this one.
And I like this style handle a lot. It is very comfortable to use, for me.
Very nice work and good to know what works on these projects. Some sanding and some polish will smooth that out in no time! Nice work!
Will you sand out the exterior and refinish or leave as is?
Is the handle wood or something else?
The handle is in really great shape. I will lightly sand to get rid of any scuff marks, etc, and then buff with polish to a shine. Handle is plastic/bakelite type material.Quote:
Originally Posted by rolodave
Speaking of the handle, I sanded it a bit today. About an hour's work.
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-H...0/100_2161.JPG
I started with 800 grit, since the handle was in good shape, and there were no deep scratches to deal with. That took care of the little marks made by the forstner bit. I followed that with 2000, which was the next grit up that I had available. By hand, basically just wrapped the sandpaper around the handle and turned it with my other hand.I think it looks good, and is ready for polishing out. I suspect that the opening will need to be adjusted a bit to fit the knot I choose for it. They should be here tomorrow or the next day. According to USPS tracking my knots have made it to Dulles, which is the local hub for us. Usually when it reaches there, I will see the package the following day. So I am expecting it tomorrow, but it could take another day in transit. I will not do a final buff and polish until after the handle is fitted properly to the knot.
Handle was in such good shape that the raised lettering on the bottom still have the original gold paint intact. Glad I don't have to figure out how to repaint them. I see a lot of posts on how to repaint engraved lettering, but not one I can find about raised letters.
Attachment 190922
Put your paint on a wooden dowel & roll it across ,,,:shrug:
Good idea!Quote:
Originally Posted by Hirlau
Package arrived.
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Y...0/100_2163.JPG
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-Z...0/100_2164.JPG
18mm Finest F2 on the left, 20mm Finest on the right. These knots were listed as 18mmx60mm and 20mmx60mm, respectively. They are actually 65mm loft. Guess they are what was in stock. I'm actually pleased with this, as it gives me a bit more play concerning loft. As a bowl latherer, I think I will prefer a higher loft.
The 18mm fits the handle nicely, giving a loft of 55mm if I just set it in the hole and let it settle where it wants to.
I know this is not a perfect test, but if I hold the brush in my hand and press the knot to my face, it feels like even at 55mm loft there is a bit more backbone than I might want. So I think I will set this knot at 55mm, thinking that as the knot blooms and splays a bit, it will relax a bit more, and I will be close to what I think I want for this brush.
I have a modern acrylic handle with a 20mm opening, and t he 20mm Finest sits in that opening perfectly, giving a loft of 57mm, which feels like that is going to be just about right as well. Still contemplating whether to set that knot, or save the 20mm and go looking for another vintage handle.:p Will probably go ahead and set it. If I find another vintage handle, well, you know.
Slight change. I enlarged the hole so that I can get it to a 52mm loft. I know, just 3mm probably won't matter, but I want a bit lower loft, just don't want to go too low. Used a rotary rasp. Also polished the handle out. Came out great, I think.
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-C...0/100_2165.JPG
The piece of 1/2" dowel you see to the right will be used for filler. By my measurements, if I create a shelf that ends up being just at the bottom of where the shelf used to be, I will be set for a 52mm loft.
I used masking tape around the opening, and filled the handle about a third full of epoxy, and mixed that in the handle for about one minute. Then I chucked a couple of dimes in, and followed that with the piece of dowel for filler.
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-N...0/100_2167.JPG
I then mixed a good bit of epoxy up, and drizzled it in around the filler piece until I had the level I wanted. Then it was a simple matter to put a bit of epoxy on the knot, and set it.
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-b...0/100_2168.JPG
Transplant successful. Patient is now in recovery.
Final loft is exactly 52mm. Once again, 18mm Finest F2.
I used Devcon 5 minute epoxy. The handle is no longer hot, but 5 minutes or not, that is a truckload of epoxy in the handle, even with filler. So I will wait until the evening shave before I use this brush. Will put up a post bloom photo, and post my thoughts, following that shave. Thanks for looking.
Post bloom pic.
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-0...0/100_2174.JPG
I have never removed a knot but wonder why drilling the 1/4" hole and then using the spade bit would work better. I have found that using a spade bit to drill into an existing hole wobbles a lot and is dang near if not impossible to get a round hole. Also if the original had a cardboard filler/stop in it why did they do it and why not copy them? How is the balance of the final product after the surgery compared to the original? Where they trying to save material and glue or is there a reason?Quote:
Originally Posted by SRNewb
I like the looks of your surgery and in the end that is what counts.
Normally with a spade bit (or a forstner) I will sometimes drill a small pilot hole to help center the bit, or use a punch to mark the location of the drilling. since each has a a little pointed tip that will fit into that pilot hole or indentation. I suspect the 1/4" hole was just small enough. But I also followed up with a 11/16" spade as well, with no problems. I just moved from one thing to another until I found what worked, and didn't analyze it overmuch.Quote:
Originally Posted by 32t
I will say that I learned to use a hand drill in the USAF over 30 years ago, and have continued to use one with various hobbies over the years. Most recently as an amateur guitar builder. Not bragging, but I'm really good with a drill. A variable speed drill can be controlled quite well if you know how. Most of it is instinct at this point, but I suspect the side walls of the hole the knot was in had a lot to do with helping me control the spade bits.
As to why they used cardboard, I suspect you are correct; to save material and glue, and because it was probably quicker and simpler to do that way. To me, that's a crappy way of doing things. Plus, the coins, filler plug and epoxy used in the handle added a slight bit of weight. Just enough to improve, at least for me, the way the handle feels in the hand, and the way it handles. Before, the brush was very light. Now, it just feels more solid and substantial.
Thanks for the update posting Mike, but you didn't update us on the performance with a 52mm loft.
Kindestcut, sorry about that. Didn't have time last night. Here are my thoughts, so far.
Firstly, this is the softest brush I have ever put to my face. Just incredibly soft, with not even a hint of any type of scritch. But, at 52mm, there is zero scrub, and a light backbone. It is not quite floppy, but not far away. As a consequence, there is more than enough splay on the face. In fact, if I reduce the amount of pressure used when lathering, I can get for me the perfect amount of splay on my face. I was not really aware how hard I have been pushing my boars and my Simpson D2 into my face, until now. The jury's still out on whether that's a good thing or a bad thing. I will need to use the brush more to know for certain.
The other thing that surprised me was water retention. I have a Simpson in Best, as mentioned above, and it holds water well, but this thing puts it to shame as far as the amount of water it absorbs and retains. It is something I will need to be aware of.
As a matter of fact, I think that this brush will require me to rethink my approach to brushes and lathering. I will have to "learn" this brush in order to get the best out of it.
I think that's a good thing. Something different, something else to learn.
Same thing happened to me with my recent TGN High Mountain White. It took a few days to tune in, but it's a winner so far. If I bowl lather it overflows with just a little soap or cream.Quote:
Originally Posted by SRNewb
Good luck.
If anyone is interested, here is tonight's shave with this brush.
http://youtu.be/swUUu5EorLw
