Well my process was to crack the handle - steam it for an hour to weaken the epoxy, cut the bristles off and then knock the knot out using a narrow screwdriver and a hammer (gently) then pick out the remainder and clean the insides. Then the sanding begins and its all by hand - I think I got up to 13 grades eventually, from 240 grit to 7000. I could only do one of these a month as my thumbs ached so much. Finally as the shine was really coming through I would use 3m Rubbing compound, then Autosol and finally Maquire's PlastX - then pop a knot in! Here's some piccies of the process. Ratty
Fantastic work. I am amazed at the difference between brushes in the # and severity of casting flaws from manufacturing process. Our process is not that much different. Instead of steaming, I cut the bristles and drill a small hole thru the knot. Then I use your screw driver method. I am curious on your process for the black one and the blue one. I have a friend with one that is so deeply pitted that it would be impossible to sand and polish. Wondering if the coloring process would help with that.
I have pursued a couple of possible aluminium colouring services out there Clint - but none of them really worked out - I tried anodizing - there's a company in North Wales that have fantastic anodised aluminium alloy climbing gear - but as soon as the specialist looked at the handle and dated it - he said the aluminium would be impure and the colouring would take "like swiss cheese". I tried PVD too - but just to prep the handle to take the PVD would be £300. (maybe he was pricing just to get rid of me). I eventually went for powder coating, they sandblasted my shiny finished handles (ouch) then powder coated them, baked them and finished the black one off with a low reflectivity (20%) thin varnish. I dyed the knot with jet black hair dye to make it more stealth on the black one - the blue one has a boar knot. In fact I got approached by a Veteran to do a stealth one for him with a marksman angle to it - so I set a boar knot but inserted four plastic 'L' pieces down the length of the knot - then dyed the cornered off areas black - that way it had crosshairs running though the brush. It looked fab. Ratty
CT's are rarely that straightforward. I could see him ending up with "Mr. Greyfingers" or something similar.
Unless a cheap double ring, or red ring eclipse or Leresche 77 or some round lady-armpit shaving one.
If you want to beat me in this endeavor, offer to sell me your Rubberset 400 for a wannabe player low-ball price at the beginning of the month and see what happens Or an '04 double ring, or a red-ring, or a 77. You know me too well
