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First resto, Fuller bristle to badger

So I won a lot off ebay with a sight unseen shave brush, not what I wanted the lot for but I'll take it. So I get it and it's pretty pitiful looking, I didn't even want to touch the knot let alone lather my face with it.
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After searching here I found out Fuller was a fairly reputable maker known for selling door to door. So after looking through this section of the forum I figure, what the heck? For $20ish I can get into a good quality badger brush AND get to say I made it myself (more or less). So I taped it up and started drilling until it looked like I was into the Bakelite. Pliers weren't making any worthwhile progress so off to Lowe's I go to get a ball cutting bit. Now we're cooking! I got it all hogged out and pretty much cleaned up.
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Now I've decided that I'll try out a Best badger knot from TGN. I considered a Silvertip and Finest as well, but I really like the scrubbiness of my boar brushes so I decided to try a Best for my first time out.
I measured the hole in the handle & it looks to be about 23mm, so I figure a 22mm knot is going to be my best bet. The depth of the hole is about 8mm right now, I just have to decide on how deep I want to set the knot. TGN has 22mm knots with a 65mm loft and 55mm loft. If I just stuck one in now I would be left with either 58mm or 48mm. I have seen 48-51 suggested for a Best badger knot so I figure it's as good a place to start as any. I am wondering if I should just go with the 55mm knot & epoxy it in place as is, or if I should take a forstner to it & use the 65mm knot. The forstner would help even out the base of the hole, but epoxy would fill all that in regardless. A 7/8 forstner bit is just a hair over 22.2mm so it should be a good size for the base of the knot along with a slight step out above where it's drilled. I have some room to drill down and I'm fairly certain the handle is solid, but I still don't want to drill down too far into it. So I figure this is the place to ask what way would be recommended to proceed with, I would really appreciate your input.
 
Just my two cents, I would go with the 55mm loft set at 48mm. Why drill deeper when you will have a scrubby short loft brush as it is, plus do you know if you can go deeper without problems.
 
Isn't it OH? Hahaha Thanks
Yeah Mondo, that's kinda what I was thinking, just figured I'd see what those with some actual experience would say. Thanks, confirms what I suspected. In the search for something to clean it up the only thing I could find was some Brasso. It says it's a metal cleaner & polisher. If this isn't something I should be using I guess I can take a look at Advance Auto tomorrow, just kinda tired of having to deal with people that have no clue what I'm talking about.
 
Isn't it OH? Hahaha Thanks
Yeah Mondo, that's kinda what I was thinking, just figured I'd see what those with some actual experience would say. Thanks, confirms what I suspected. In the search for something to clean it up the only thing I could find was some Brasso. It says it's a metal cleaner & polisher. If this isn't something I should be using I guess I can take a look at Advance Auto tomorrow, just kinda tired of having to deal with people that have no clue what I'm talking about.

You will be better off with Flitz than Brasso. Too much Ammonia in Brasso can damage certain plastics. I have used both and Flitz is my favorite general metal and plastic polish.

$98027438-260x260-0-0_Flitz+Flitz+Liquid+Metal+Polish.jpg

http://www.shopping.com/Flitz-Flitz-Liquid-Metal-Polish/prices
 
Yeah, that's what I figured. Just got tired of the idiots at Lowe's & Home Depot looking at me like I'd asked them for the crack pipe aisle when I ask where they'd have a metal polish. I'll see if I can't scare some up locally, my leathersmith ought to have something, I may just have to add it into an Brownell's order. Thanks
 
Well I ended up going with Turtle Wax Chrome & Metal Polish, it's the closest I could find at Auto Zone. The handle has cleaned up nicely and while it's not going to look like glass, it does have a nice glow. I also got my knots from TGN today and with my order another conundrum. They sent me TWO knots. I think I know why as I can see the base is kinda messed up on one of them, however the other one that the base is properly formed on looks to be tapered. I don't think using that one will be a problem, but I will have to relieve the opening a bit no matter which one I choose.
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Man they are beautiful, I can totally see now how badger would be preferable to boar. I can't wait to try it out! I'm just not sure whether I should take a chance with the malformed base on the one, or risk the "good" one on my first brush attempt. I do know (knowing me) I will have one setting up in epoxy by the end of the day. I can't wait to get a lather going! :D
 
Hey, what did I tell you? Do I know me or what? :wink2:
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I was opening up the bore of the brush and the one with the goofy epoxy job on the base is about a half mm narrower than the other, so I ended up deciding on that one. I mixed up a bit of marine epoxy and slathered a thin coat inside the whole handle & shoved the knot in there. The fit was close enough that the knot actually popped in & out & held itself in there pretty well so I knew I wouldn't need much epoxy. There were only a couple little spots where the marine epoxy I used seeped out a bit and I got them with a stick and an acetoned Qtip. The epoxy says it cures in two hours, should I use it tonight or wait till tomorrow? Even just feeling the knot with my hand it feels incredible. I didn't think it could get much better than my Semogue 1800, but man this knot feels full and soft even dry. I can't wait to try it out! :w00t:
I will shut up momentarily after a big thank you to Vanessa and everyone else at The Golden Nib. This was my first order from them and already I'm blown away by their service above and beyond what I ever expected. THIS is the kind of stuff that makes people loyal to vendors no matter what their prices are.
 
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