My first re-knot. I picked up the brush a year or two ago while in Maine. Looks like someone trimmed it because the top was a bit uneven and very prickly. I love the rich burgundy color, but when I steamed it to get the knot out (pulled out pretty easy, by the way) it left the brush with a mottled white color that didn't buff out. Right now the handle is in the basement drying after being sprayed with Testors Blue Sapphire Metallic! And check this out, on Friday morning I ordered a 22mm silvertip from TGN and it was in the mailbox TODAY!:mail: You can bet I'll have some pics for ya when I get it finished.
Looks a good potential..can't wait to see the finished product..Maybe Gary has a way to fix what the steaming did..
I had to do that with a brush that I steamed too long. Ended up painting it and really like it. Once you get past the fact that it's not going to be the original color, the sky's the limit. I bet it looks GREAT. I look forward to seeing it.
That's a shame that steam ruined if but,who knows, it may look even better painted blue. And TGN is super fast with their delivery. Can't wait to see the final results!
So here we go! The Testors Sapphire Blue Metallic turned out as good as I had hoped. hmmm.... maybe a satin black ring around it? I'm thinking about hitting it with a coat of Turtle Wax to protect the finish a bit. I also have to epoxy the knot (22mm silvertip from TGN) in - I'm nervous about getting too much and having it ooze out all over the place! Any tips?
WOW! I'm going to have to hunt down that color. Keep a few Q-tips and some nail polish remover handy and you should be fine. What I've been taught was to put a little epoxy on the base of the knot and a small amount in the base, so that they can make contact. Depending on what brand you use, you'll have between 1-20 minutes to situate your knot to your liking. That stuff is very strong, so generally a little goes a long way. That brush is really beautiful (and a flat black ring might just set it off even more!)
Oh man, that's awesome! Did the spray paint fill in the lettering? I don't use epoxy, I've found that clear RTV silicone adhesive works great and if you do get some on the handle or knot it's very easy to clean up because it doesn't dry quickly like epoxy. I've been using DAP brand lately.
Yeah, the paint filled the lettering most of the way, not completely. I thought about that afterwards (the things you learn doing things the first time ). If/when I do another, I may see about filling in the letters with some putty or something. The epoxy I have on hand already is Loctite Marine, 2 hour setting time. Anybody have any pros or cons with this stuff?
I've used Loctite Marine. It works well. That's a long time window. Give it a final check before the 2 hr window to make sure the knot is in there exactly the way you want it. You have up to then to reposition as you see fit. Honestly, as I look at it again I like the blue better than the original red.
And away we go! A finished Dirigo Blue And after the maiden lathering on a puck of Tabac. I was initially concerned with using too much epoxy. After setting the knot, I was worried I might not have used enough. Seems to be holding well. As for the paint, I honestly don't know how well it's going to hold up. It's already lost a bit of its sheen. Time will tell. I was very pleased with the lather this thing whipped up and how it felt on my face. And since you don't lather with the handle, even if it does loose a little paint, I'm still quite happy with my first Dirigo Blue brush!