Hello friends. A group of us were blessed with @FlightMedic doing us a tremendous service and getting a great group price on some Holy Land Olivewood Handles. I thought, why don't all of us post our work as we go along, so that others can be encouraged to tinker with brush building, and to also motivate each other? I will start. I am doing the Olivewood handle and restoring a Made Rite at the same time. 22mm/65mm Boar for the Made Rite and 24mm/65mm 3-Band TGN Synthetic for the Olivewood Fit tested. Now to stain and seal the Olivewood and the epoxy the knots. STAY TUNED Only 1 "build bummer". The base of the boar knot is pretty rough looking, but TGN said once epoxied in place, it should be good to go!
Looking forward to receiving the handle shortly. I placed an order with TGN for 24mm Finest Fan that should be here next week.
It will be very interesting to see how everyone completes their brush project. I'm heading to the Post Office today, hoping to get my handle. I'd like to have a synthetic in my rotation, so I'll probably take that route. Now, what color do I paint it? Let's see...I have a blue-handled brush, so maybe I'll paint this one red. A big thanks to @FlightMedic for arranging our group buy!
Do note that the tendency for this to become a potential 'shedder' increases dramatically whenever the base is compromised in some fashion. A good dose of epoxy will help strengthen the base.
Great looking brushes Steve. I really like the shape of the Made Rite handle a real classic. Looking foward to seeing both completed.
Thanks Kevin. I must have sensed what you were going to say, so I did exactly that. Since the Made Rite only cost me a couple of bucks at a yard sale, and the boar knot was inexpensive, I decided to make this my "practice restore" brush. I way overdid it on the epoxy to where I had to cut out some hairs once the epoxy dried (That stuff gets everywhere!). That being said, while the entire project brush is pretty much an ugly duckling, the knot is set securely. I did a test lather at the 10-hour mark with it and lost about the same amount of hairs I have ever lost with a brand new brush. Keeping fingers crossed epoxy soaked at least partially into base hairs. I decided to go totally nude with the olivewood handle......err wait , I mean, nothing more than a clear heavy duty urethane so I see the naked wood underneath. This is it after one coat....
The handle arrived in Saturday's mail. I have a 24mm Finest Fan on order from TGN. This morning I decided to start on the brush handle itself. I sanded off the existing finish and got everything cleaned up. Following the lead of @Bobcat and @MoAllen , I have decided to use Tru-Oil to finish the brush. I plan on taking my time and applying one coat every 12-24 hours for the remainder of the week.
Still waiting... I have a finest fan Frank Shaving and I love it. I was thinking about the same for this brush. I want to see what you do with yours.
My hard-earned advice is to be sure that you get a very good coating on all the surfaces. My first attempt did not hold up very well. The problem was not the Tru-Oil varnish, it was that I didn't get a good enough coating on all the decorative grooves and the sharp edges of the handle. After many uses in hot water and soap, the finish started to look weathered on the edges and grooves. So I ended up starting over and got a properly sealed surface that is glossy and hard. http://theshaveden.com/forums/index.php?posts/832873
Thanks for your advise. I can already see what you are talking about. After the first coat, I could see that I needed more product in the grooves and edges, so I used a very small hobby brush to apply the second coat before rubbing it in with a lint free cloth. I anticipate spending the rest of this week on apply the Tru Oil. So far I am pleased with the ease of applying the Tru Oil. I only hope mine turns out as well as yours.
For my first coat, I actually dunked the handle into the Varethane Urethane can akin to decorating and Easter egg. Took forever to go from tacky to dry, but maybe that was a good thing. I love how the urethane only erases the sanding haze but really has no impact on the original wood coloring. I am doing the same thing. My ADHD is killing me but I am painting and sanding a new coat every day for 5 days!
I am planning on using Watco Danish Oil followed by Minwax Wood Paste Wax. Good results in the past on all of my woodworking projects. I guess I should ask..does this brush arrive with a finish or is it raw, unfinished wood? Also, for folks that have never worked with epoxy before...this is some nasty stuff once mixed. It will ruin just about anything it touches. If you over fill the brush knot hole and the epoxy seeps out, you are done...over...finished. This is some strong stuff so too little is much better than too much.
The handle seems to have a very light lacquer finish on it. Nothing that I felt comfortable trusting on wood that would be soaking in water on occasion. I concur with you on the epoxy! It stinks to high heaven and, if you are a messy Marvin like me, gets everywhere! I overdid it on my Made Rite restore, partially due to receiving a compromised boar knot, but am going to be much more careful and sparing on my olivewood handle. BTW, 5 test lathers and 1 actual lather and shave with the TGN boar. Feels great and not shedding. I have a feeling once the bristle break in, I am going to love this brush
Subscribed. I still need to get my knots but my handles are waiting patiently. I will be sanding them down and plan to go dark with one to really bring out the grain and lighter with the other to let most of the natural color show through. I want to put a 24mm synthetic knot in one and a 24mm Silvertip in the other. I haven't decided on a supplier yet for the knots most likely will go with Whipped Dog but last I checked they were out of stock.
