Thinking about jumping into the brush restore pool...

[chrismikehead]

Despite my overall lack of handyman skills, I really want to try my hand at restoring a brush. I picked up a Ever-Ready 150W last week, the knot looks pretty bad but the handle looks like it will clean up nicely. Here it is next to a restored 200 and my FS Finest:



It is definitely lighter than the 200, although I am fairly sure the 200 had some weight added when it was redone. I am hoping someone with some experience restoring a 150W could share some knowledge about the brush. I would not mind having an idea of what I am going to find when I start pulling the knot out.

I am also considering doing a trial run on either my VDH boar or my Shea Moisture brush. Neither one gets used anymore, and I wouldn't be heartbroken if I messed them up.

[Mike'sWorld]

That's a nice brush and would make a beautiful restore. Try it!

[NexlevMM]

Do it!!

I'm not that great with tools either, but every time I finish a restore I have a sense of pride that I made a brush better and it's mine to use. Hell, I think I enjoy restoring more than I do shaving.

The hunt for a good brush handle, the choice of new badger to throw in it.
It gets my juices a-flowin'...

Let us know if you need any advice or tips, we all love to see a brush go from bad to great!

[buma]

Its not that hard actually - go for it. I'd just skip the throwaways and just do the actual handle. Any surprises you find will only add to your feeling of accomplishment when done. Take it slow and methodical and you'll be fine. And let us know if you need any help!

[deruitem]

Its not that hard actually - go for it. I'd just skip the throwaways and just do the actual handle. Any surprises you find will only add to your feeling of accomplishment when done. Take it slow and methodical and you'll be fine. And let us know if you need any help!

+1

[zenless]

Nice, love the Ever Ready's with green in the handles! Should be really nice when you're done! But like buma said, just take your time!

[chrismikehead]

So, I finally had a chance today to start working on the 150. No vise, so I am going at it slow with a drill, some pliers, and a dremel. I cut off the bristles, and found a good portion of the knot in the middle was already gone. I went to work with the pliers and the drill (using a 3/8 bit), and after a short time, I had this:



I wasn't getting much more done with the drill, so I went to the dremel, and managed to clean it up as bit more. I am not sure if how much more old gunk is left before I hit the shelf, but I think I'm close.



So far I have only managed to take a tiny nick of off the top edge, not enough to worry about I would guess. Also managed to avoid any injuries. Better than I expected on both counts so far.

[MeanGene]

Nice work! I'm with NexlevMM, I enjoy brush restoration more than I enjoy shaving... and I really enjoy shaving now. I can't wait to see the finished product, with pre/post bloom pics of course.

[sprite]

Insight

[IMG][/IMG][IMG][/IMG][IMG][/IMG]

[buma]

Looking like it's coming along nicely. Are you going to fill the handle in before setting the knot? And what knot are you going to put in that bad baby?

[chrismikehead]

Thank you Joe, that is exactly what I needed to know!

Buma - It looks like the shelf will be too high to get the knot at the loft I want, so I will have to bust it out and fill the handle. I would also like to add a bit of weight as well. As far as the knot, I know I like the Whipped Dog silvertip, but I really want to try out a TGN finest knot at some point.

[sprite]

TGN Finest Fan XH

[IMG][/IMG]

[chrismikehead]

The 22mm TGN Finest Fan XH arrived today. I will need to bore it out just a bit more, and make my decision on filler for the handle. I am hoping to make some headway this weekend. Here is a pic of the handle mostly cleaned out, and another with the knot and something else that arrived in the mail today.

[FL shaver]

Another one sucked in! Looking good!

[sprite]

Another one sucked in! Looking good!

Yep!!

[chrismikehead]

Well, I had to put this project aside for a few weeks - just too much going on around the house. I did manage to get the red and white 100 hogged out, and both handles filled and sanded. I also decided to give my brother in law his pick of the handles, as a thank you for getting me interested in traditional wet shaving a couple of years ago. He liked the green and black (no surprise there), so my plans changed a bit. The Finest knot I picked up is going in the red and white.

We got together today, and after some polishing, and some letter painting, and some other stuff, we ended up with these beauties:



I set the knot in the red and white this evening, and will be posting some beauty shots in the next few days. My brother in law's brush will get a knot picked out soon, once I give him my impressions of the TGN Finest knot.

[NexlevMM]

Those look fantastic! Awesome job filling the lettering in.

[Gigster]

TGN Finest Fan XH

[IMG][/IMG]

What did you set the loft at?

[Gigster]

Both look superb. The Ever-Ready 150W is awesome.

[JonM]

What did you decide to fill your handle with?