Brush making ?

[Toddy]

Has anyone made brushes ?
Does anyone have any links or information on making small paintbrushes ?

I use brushes for painting, for dyeing, for watercolours, gouache and for calligraphy, but I've never made a brush.

I have long hair and I've just trimmed three inches off the end. The neat little bundle is softer than the high quality paint brushes I use, and I'm wondering....would it work, and how best to stabilise the bundle and make it into useable brushes ?

While we're on the topic; I've made a birch besom (broom) but apart from that and quickly made, used and discarded bundled brushes I have no idea how else to go about making them.
How would you make a toothbrush for instance ? or a hairbrush ?

atb,
M

 

[Monikieman]

Maybe tie it in the middle and pull it through a wee tube so that it doubles.

Epoxy could then be inserted in the hollow tube end.

Can't be much more help than that. I use an old piece of cloth just for buffing personally!

 

[Toddy]

Oh good idea I hadn't thought of that; I was trying to figure out how to glue the bundle into a tight wee round shape

cheers,
M

 

[mrcharly]

Most paintbrushes are made from hair/fur that has a natural shape to each individual hair - that's how they get the taper in the brush. You definitely couldn't double the hair up - even human hair changes a bit along its length

So I don't think hair from someone's head would work very well. Maybe it would be ok for the flat brushes used for watercolours.

Although saying that, maybe you could experiment with using electrical heatshrink - put the hair in the tube, then heat until it shrinks tight. A chopstick stuck in the other end as a handle (or the handle cut off an old brush).

 

[jim.b]

i have tried this before, i first tied the hair in a neat little bundle and whipped the end with some light cotton, dipped the very end of the whipped end in pva and when itd had dried i used some heat shrink over the end of the whipping with a short stick in the other end and heated it over a candle ( very carefully ) to make the brush and then just trimmed the end with some very sharp scissors ( its best to squeeze the end between you fingers when you do this to get a nice edge on your brush ). i ended up using another piece of heat shrink over the joint between brush head and stick just to reinforce the joint but it worked well as a painting brush for a good while.

 

[Toddy]

When I cut my hair this morning it was down to my waist. The ends are definitely finer than the hair at the cut end, but it's pretty even. It was almost 'brush shaped' iimmc, and I think that's why the idea came to mind.

If I have to trim a brush, the hair is then gently rolled on fine sandpaper....it kind of both roughens and smooths it. It makes the hair more readily able to pick up paint, ink or dye, and it allows the shape to flow. I know it sounds odd, but it works.

I quite fancy the heatshrink idea too Thank you

cheers,
Toddy

 

[Skaukraft]

I see roadkill badgers every now and then, and every time I think about how cool it would e to make my own badger shaving soap brushes.
So I would also be interested if enyone had anything on making brushes.

Some usefull info here, not only for brushes:
http://www.toolsforworkingwood.com/store/more/brushmaking.html

 

[mr dazzler]

the Japanese craftsmen make one sort of brushes by burying lenghts of bamboo in the ground, it partially decomposes and your left with just the durable fibres. No idea if the soil needs to be acidic/alkaline etc.
I made a brush once from long deer hairs left from fyl tying. I got a bundle of them, tied with silk at the fat end, then glued it into a slim ash rod handle with a tiny pilot hole drilled in. It was springy and held ink well, not as good as a Chinese proper bamboo and wolf hair, but actually not far off.
I have never used human hair, but would guess it is too soft, probably much like a pig bristle brush that has been affected by caustic soda makes the fibres all floppy so you get a mop effect?

 

[Teepee]

My best brushes (Decorating brushes) have the hairs bonded into epoxy resin, natural or synthetic bristles. Even the Badger hair softeners for scumble glazes are epoxy bonded, as is my horse hair flogger for graining. Probably more for efficiency of manufacture but its a permanent bond and takes being soaked for days. The very high wetness of epoxy resin means its permeates the bristles very easily.

TBH, the days of natural brushes being any good for most modern decorating paints have long gone- a good synthetic is now leagues better, even for spirit based now the formulations have changed.

 

[mr dazzler]

TBH, the days of natural brushes being any good for most modern decorating paints have long gone- a good synthetic is now leagues better, even for spirit based now the formulations have changed.

For home decorating tasks (as opposed to brushes for drawing) I discovered purdey brushes 2 or 3 years ago after seeing them reccommended. I was skeptical thinking they would be no good because they were man made fibre. But they were a revelation. Absolutely superb. Even though they dont come cheap, they pay for themselves very quickly. I must have used and reused the same brushes probably well over a hundred times with emulsion, oil based emulsion, farrow & ball, various oil stains, water base gloss, oil based gloss, hammerite, works brilliamtly for all these. Fantastic for cutting in and on window frames. They clean up amzingly fast AND in all that time none of those brushes has dropped a single hair, something that would simply not be the case with a harris or similar. The hairs seem to be crushed or roughened on the tips maybe this helps them to hold paint well?

 

[dwardo]

I made a very rough and ready one from horse hair which worked "OK" i needed one there and then to apply a silk backing to a bow whilst in the woods.

http://www.bushcraftuk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=110533

 

[Teepee]

For home decorating tasks (as opposed to brushes for drawing) I discovered purdey brushes 2 or 3 years ago after seeing them reccommended. I was skeptical thinking they would be no good because they were man made fibre. But they were a revelation. Absolutely superb. Even though they dont come cheap, they pay for themselves very quickly. I must have used and reused the same brushes probably well over a hundred times with emulsion, oil based emulsion, farrow & ball, various oil stains, water base gloss, oil based gloss, hammerite, works brilliamtly for all these. Fantastic for cutting in and on window frames. They clean up amzingly fast AND in all that time none of those brushes has dropped a single hair, something that would simply not be the case with a harris or similar. The hairs seem to be crushed or roughened on the tips maybe this helps them to hold paint well?

You bought very well mate. I use Purdy's almost exclusively. There are slightly better but not much ( Proform, Wooster are about the best).

I've been using a 3" Purdy for 7 years now, it's only just worn in and hasn't lost a bristle, ever. The bristles are 'Flagged' lightly to help them hold a bit more paint and yes the tips have split ends. Amazing bits of kit and amzing price for £20 for 3 in a box set. Americans really know how to make some great kit

 

[mr dazzler]

You bought very well mate. I use Purdy's almost exclusively. There are slightly better but not much ( Proform, Wooster are about the best).

I've been using a 3" Purdy for 7 years now, it's only just worn in and hasn't lost a bristle, ever. The bristles are 'Flagged' lightly to help them hold a bit more paint and yes the tips have split ends. Amazing bits of kit and amzing price for £20 for 3 in a box set. Americans really know how to make some great kit

I got mine off ebay, anywhere between £6 and £9 IIRC.
LOL I actually have begun to enjoy painting, its not so much of a tedious chore now, and I have definately been able to acheive a far more consistent and tidy standard of work, (not being a pro decorator). Agreed, Americans DO make some very good kit (eg swanson speed square and Douglas hammers, hard to beat) Its good that some maunfacturers still try to maintain high standards
cheers Jonathan