Thread: When life gives you lemons, make a brush handle!

I got a silver tip badger knot from Santa this year. So I didn't have a choice but to make a brush with it, which is good because I wanted to do that anyway. I made it from some left over aluminum scraps, allegedly from a machine shop that made pieces of the Panama Canal gates. My great grandfather was a machinist who happened to work at the shop that made parts for the gates. Kind of a cool piece of history about where the aluminum came from if you ask me.

With the help of Walleyeman here on the forums, we made a cutting tool out of a worn out pipe threading tool (see pictures, it was a Rigid threading tool if you care about the brand). Then threw the gates of the Panama Canal into the lathe and got to turning. You can see the condition the piece of aluminum in the chuck of the lathe and what was taking the shape of a brush handle. Got the rough shape then filed a little here and there then sanded (400, 600, 800) and polished. Glued the knot in place and left to dry and this is what I wound up with. I'm extremely happy with how it came out. Being aluminum and not plastic, horn, or wood, it does have substantial weight to it, but not enough so to justify not using it! It was make with a 24mm knot and my first brush handle I have made. While I appreciate and do love the wooden/acrylic handles, I was going for something a little different here and I think I was successful!

Cheers!!

The form of the handle starting to take place.


The drawing I based my handle from, the tool used to get the rough shape, and the finished product.

Very nice! Great way to get you motivated to make one huh

How is the weight on it?

Well done young man! Well done. Don't think I could have done that good. Thanks for the mention though....

That looks fantastic - nicely done!

Simply beautiful & a nice story to go with it.
Thank you for sharing it.

Originally Posted by MuskieMan33

my first brush handle I have made. While I appreciate and do love the wooden/acrylic handles, I was going for something a little different here and I think I was successful!

Cheers!!

Very interesting history. Interesting that you thought aluminum was light.

I would have never thought of that.

Nice work, well proportioned. Cool bit of history too.

Originally Posted by MuskieMan33

I got a silver tip badger knot from Santa this year. So I didn't have a choice but to make a brush with it, which is good because I wanted to do that anyway. I made it from some left over aluminum scraps, allegedly from a machine shop that made pieces of the Panama Canal gates. My great grandfather was a machinist who happened to work at the shop that made parts for the gates. Kind of a cool piece of history about where the aluminum came from if you ask me.

With the help of Walleyeman here on the forums, we made a cutting tool out of a worn out pipe threading tool (see pictures, it was a Rigid threading tool if you care about the brand). Then threw the gates of the Panama Canal into the lathe and got to turning. You can see the condition the piece of aluminum in the chuck of the lathe and what was taking the shape of a brush handle. Got the rough shape then filed a little here and there then sanded (400, 600, 800) and polished. Glued the knot in place and left to dry and this is what I wound up with. I'm extremely happy with how it came out. Being aluminum and not plastic, horn, or wood, it does have substantial weight to it, but not enough so to justify not using it! It was make with a 24mm knot and my first brush handle I have made. While I appreciate and do love the wooden/acrylic handles, I was going for something a little different here and I think I was successful!

Cheers!!

The form of the handle starting to take place.


The drawing I based my handle from, the tool used to get the rough shape, and the finished product.

Very nicely done, indeed.

A cool story and a very fine looking brush to come out of it. Nicely done sir!

very very nice !!!! you just gave me some motivation to finish a restore on a brush i started weeks ago and haven't touched since ..lol