My brush is cracking! It started about a year ago and was small it started getting worse in the last month. Would gluing it help? I have a new badger on the way. That might help with reducing stress on this brush. Any ideas will be welcome!
Brush handle cracking!
- Thread starter braxis
- Start date
Had the same thing happen to my Pro49, I took the knot out the handle and filled the handle with glue, so far so good.
Boar bristle soaks up a lot of water into the shaft, I never leave my boar with the molded (hollow plastic) handle wet sitting on it's handle (bristles up) to dry, seems the water collects in the bottom of the knot and expands, cracking the handle. You have to get the excess water out. At least that's been my experience others will vary.
Boar bristle soaks up a lot of water into the shaft, I never leave my boar with the molded (hollow plastic) handle wet sitting on it's handle (bristles up) to dry, seems the water collects in the bottom of the knot and expands, cracking the handle. You have to get the excess water out. At least that's been my experience others will vary.
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- Thread starter
- #4
My brushes hang upside down after I use them that is there storage. Though that was not the case when I first noticed the crack. I don't want to damage it further trying to remove the knot intact.And using super glue is not a good idea because if it heats up it releases a toxic gas.
Curious - at what temperature does this happen?
- Thread starter
- #6
I do not remember the exact temp but if you get the water steaming and float a soda cap with superglue. The glue with start to vaporize releasing cyanide gas. If you do this is in a closed container and have an object like a beer can you can get finger prints off of it.
Have had this happen to both my Omega's and epoxy does just fine. Another option is to wait till it breaks properly and transplant the knot into a vintage handle or something of your own making.
The boar knots are bullet proof but the handles not so much.
The boar knots are bullet proof but the handles not so much.
my google-fu tells me that it only happens (possibly) at extremely high temps (heat gun attached to it, not boiling water temps..hotter)
Having had a similar experience with an inexpensive Tweezerman brush, I started only soaking the bristles, keeping the brush handle out of the water.
- Thread starter
- #11
My experience in working with it"WAS" telling me it only takes steaming water to get the vapor going. This video is a little different we used hot water instead of the lamp.
And upon further review the heat only accelerates the process that it would do on its own. The lesson for me is to double check the teachers science before you embarrass yourself 
EDIT: here is something similar to what we did http://youtu.be/M1togQ9L8uY
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Well liquid super glue will vaporize at a fairly low temp so alarming as your comparison sounds your water is probably not all that hot. It will boil around 120 degrees fahrenheit. Set super glue... well that's different, way above the boiling point of water. I highly doubt that heat is your problem here. Boar bristles absorb a lot of water and the expansion of the knot in the handle during soaking has probably cracked the handle. If you're immersing the entire brush during soaking stop doing that and just soak the brush just up to the handle. Your brush handles will likely stop cracking.
- Thread starter
- #13
I stopped soaking the brush all together about six months ago I now just wet the brush under the faucet and the crack still got bigger. 
I applied the superglue today and I hope that help halt the cracking. I shall see if that helps. Is this a common thing with Omega brushes.
I applied the superglue today and I hope that help halt the cracking. I shall see if that helps. Is this a common thing with Omega brushes.- Thread starter
- #14
After gluing it and letting it sit over night I used it this morning to test a soap remix. I came back after it dried and it was cracked further. So I will have to use it to re-knot a different handle. Good thing I got a new badger today.
Good advice.
