I picked up a brand new B2 privately, so I have not technically heard from them either. Will let you know when I do.
I sanded the brush handle and went with 4 coats of Tru Oil sanding between coats. After the final cure I went with 3 coats of Renaissance Wax. I thought of a WD Synthetic Knot for this handle but by the time I got around to ordering, Larry was out of stock. Patience is not one of my finer points, so knowing that I love TGN Finest knots, I decided to go with a 24mm TGN Finest Fan set at 50mm. I decided to use silicon adhesive instead of epoxy in case I have issues with the handle or want to change the depth of the knot. I need to let it cure for 24 hours so I'm looking forward to using this on Monday's shave.
Beautiful. You made a great choice for the knot. I have a finest fan in a frank shaving brush and I love it.
What a stunning work! Looks amazing. Thank you for sharing it with us. I am a little jealous I didn't go with badger as I am on the fence with my synthetic. I love the marbling in that handle. Great job!
Thank you guys for the kind words. I'll try to get rid of some of the badger funk in the brush this afternoon. Looking forward to using it tomorrow.
Test set WD High Mountain Knot this morning and all went well. Used Loctite Epoxy Instant Mix. The hardest part was breaking the seal on the epoxy. It tore my finger up pretty good. Kept the blood off the brush while I set the knot. Success! It looks pretty good for my first brush project. Final sanding on Saturday 5/23 Knot set at 25X50mm on Sunday 05/24
Very nice. I like the HM Badgers. I have two. I am going with the silvertip for my OWH. Edit: somehow very nice just doesn't do it. Beautiful. Unfortunately I am no wordsmith. But you did a great job there.
Thank you gentlemen. Working on the brush was a lot of fun. This brush will be sent to @michaelAD who lured me back to Wet Shaving after years of carts.
Okay guys.....Since I have absolutely no knowledge or experience working with wood I have a couple of questions: 1. Could I use the Tru-Oil aerosol can instead of wiping it on with a cloth? If so, what would the downside be, if any? 2. Why do you sand after each coat of Tru-Oil. What is the purpose? I thought the objective is to build up layers. 3. What do you use to sand with? Steel wool, sand paper, what? Thanks in advance for your help.
Not sure about the aerosol so I will leave that to the experts. You sand lightly between coats to eliminate any imperfections in that coat. For sanding between coats I used a synthetic pad that approximates extra fine steel wool. Be sure to wipe down with a damp cloth or tack cloth after sanding before you apply the next coat.
