I am the newest member of the 400 Club. I will get a few pictures up soon!
Patience, young Jedi - restore, first flight, pix, then.....
Anybody can buy one, it takes a Master to bring out its hidden glory!
The Rubberset 400 Club
- Thread starter theretroshave
- Start date
Patience, young Jedi - restore, first flight, pix, then.....
Anybody can buy one, it takes a Master to bring out its hidden glory!
Dan is Wise, must have photos of restorations to post Gentlemen
Mine had an unfortunate mass casualty which required a full replacement knot which should be in tomorrow or the next day. Here is my sad and very depressed 400 awaiting it's new knot:
View attachment 616205
Mine had an unfortunate mass casualty which required a full replacement knot which should be in tomorrow or the next day. Here is my sad and very depressed 400 awaiting it's new knot:
View attachment 616205
That is going to clean up really nice indeed, But As Stated, Pics or it never happened LOL
Mid restore. Keeping some of the original knot glue. Going to dremel out the thin blackish layer that was under the knot. Cleaning and polishing took 2 days. Started with 220 sandpaper and worked up to 12000 grit. My hands are still a bit sore. Contemplating a TGN or Whipped Dog boar knot, in keeping with the original.
Lookin' good, BM! I've just finished one and put a TGN 24mm HMW knot about 16mm deep in it. 2 weeks of shaves on it at this point, and I'm absolutely loving it.
The thin black layer is very brittle and most of it can just be punched out from above, then cleaned up with a Dremel.
The thin black layer is very brittle and most of it can just be punched out from above, then cleaned up with a Dremel.
I agree about punching out the old black glue as it will keep you from getting the loft that you may want. To put the new knot in you place it into the cap and pour your 5 minute epoxy or silicone in from the underside taking care to keep it off the threads. You're just replacing the black glue with your new glue. People have used vices and things of that sort to hold the brush and cap upside down. I just use a large adjustable cresent wrench that hangs off the end of my desk to keep it steady while the glue dries. If you read through this thread you'll find better instructions on how to do it than I've described.
You can punch out the glue with a screwdriver and a hammer after drilling a hole through the middle of it. I think I usually use about a 3/8 inch bit. After that it usually comes out in chunks rather easily requiring very little cleanup with the Dremel. Of the three I've done the glue was a challenge with one of them (someone got carried away with the glue on that brush) requiring cleanup with a Dremel. The other two it came right out and no Dremel was needed.
Really nice job refinishing the handle by the way.
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Very Nice Work thus far BMblB I agree though, definitely remove all of the plug from it for ease of setting your depth for the new knot
I agree though, definitely remove all of the plug from it for ease of setting your depth for the new knot
I agree with David on taking out the old glue. I make a new shelf at the bottom of the collar with epoxy putty instead of the liquid epoxy.
Newb question: Do you build a shelf with the epoxy putty and then use liquid epoxy to set the knot or do you set the knot directly into the epoxy putty?
There are several ways to create a shelf for your new knot - some will place 2 or 3 quarters (or washers) on top of the base, screw the cap on, place the knot, hold the knot in place while removing the cap and the quarters, then glue from below.
I do it a bit differently - Lowes sells 1" x 1/8" wooden discs that you can find in their specialty hardware drawers, and I use 1 disc instead of 2 quarters, and I leave the disc in place, epoxying the disc in place from above while setting the new knot to the disc in a single epoxy operation. I use the wood discs knowing if I ever want to change the knot, it will be easier to remove than a quarter or metal washer.
I just put the tightly fitting knot in the cap right where I wanted it, placed the brush upside down and poured 5 minute liquid epoxy right over the plug. Just enough to go around the plug and slightly cover it. No quarters or wood shelves needed there for me. Super easy to do as well.
The 26.5mm Silvertip came in today for my 400 and I think after the ultra challenging install it came out very nicely, now to clean, condition and bloom this bugger.
View attachment 616841
This is how I did the knot, as mentioned above just upside down in a vice holding it still and pour in the liquid epoxy. Works like a charm on all of my brishes and this one is no exception
View attachment 616840
View attachment 616841
This is how I did the knot, as mentioned above just upside down in a vice holding it still and pour in the liquid epoxy. Works like a charm on all of my brishes and this one is no exception
View attachment 616840
I have done it both ways. I had to set the Omega 49 knot in so deep, I just used the putty to make the shelf and set the knot in one step. I have also used Kydex punched out to make the shelf with the epoxy putty and then set the knot with silicone or liquid epoxy. It all depends on my mood and the knot being used.
Whew, completely done with the knot now and after cleaning, conditioning and blooming overnight here she is:
27mm Knot Base
57mm Loft
77mm Crown
Result is a Huge usable brush area with a perfect amount of backbone for my liking
View attachment 617025
27mm Knot Base
57mm Loft
77mm Crown
Result is a Huge usable brush area with a perfect amount of backbone for my liking
View attachment 617025
Restoration finished. Used a Whipped Dog 24mm knot. I also kept a thin layer of the old glue so that I didn't have to construct a shelf to support the knot. First use will be tomorrow morning.
Very Nicely Done BMblB!! Even kept it original with the Boar Knot. Looks amazing
- Thread starter
- #1,039
Another beaut! Welcome to the club!
Here's my submission:
I found this amazing unused Rubberset 400-3. I felt bad cutting off the original knot--but it was musty and had to go.
Here's the restored brush.
The original brush was in pretty good condition, just some light scratches here and there. The original knot was pretty hard to remove. It seems that some people's plugs were still rubberized, while mine was as hard as a rock. I had to slowly chip away at it. Letting it sit in boiling water for a few minutes helped, but it was still a very tedious process. I started with 400 grit wet sanding up through 2500 grit (which was the highest grit available in the assorted pack I purchased). I then used a cotton rag with Flitz polish to get it to a mirror shine. Painted the "3" with black enamel paint. Couldn't find a thin enough o-ring that still allowed the threads to engage more than half a turn, so no o-ring for now. The knot is a 24mm Plisson-like synthetic. It was set using silicone, so it should be relatively easy to remove if I decide to change the loft or the knot.
I found this amazing unused Rubberset 400-3. I felt bad cutting off the original knot--but it was musty and had to go.
Here's the restored brush.
The original brush was in pretty good condition, just some light scratches here and there. The original knot was pretty hard to remove. It seems that some people's plugs were still rubberized, while mine was as hard as a rock. I had to slowly chip away at it. Letting it sit in boiling water for a few minutes helped, but it was still a very tedious process. I started with 400 grit wet sanding up through 2500 grit (which was the highest grit available in the assorted pack I purchased). I then used a cotton rag with Flitz polish to get it to a mirror shine. Painted the "3" with black enamel paint. Couldn't find a thin enough o-ring that still allowed the threads to engage more than half a turn, so no o-ring for now. The knot is a 24mm Plisson-like synthetic. It was set using silicone, so it should be relatively easy to remove if I decide to change the loft or the knot.
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