Some recent brushes...

N

neocaligatio

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As some of you know, I've been making a few brushes for some of the chaps. I'm about half way through my current orders and here's a few of the finished articles:

Note: All the brushes still have the spindle at the bottom from the lathe - this won't be present on the final brush!

Stitch306's Brush:
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Arrowhead's Brush:
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This one was made from box and some of the bark is still visible - the brush is truly unique!

Audiolab's Brush:
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Fatboy1971's Brush:
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Hope they all enjoy using them as much as I enjoyed making them :mrgreen:

Chris

P.S. Along with the orders for custom brushes I've also got a few of my own designs coming along, so watch out for those ;)
 
Very nice neo some great craftsmanship there.What are the wood types used on these?
Hopefully the lads will get a review up once they receive them.
 
Good point Boab!

Stitch and Audiolab's are different varieties of olive, Arrowhead's is box and Fatboy's is ebony. All the brushes are 24mm Best Badger, with differing loft heights.

And hopefully they'll provide me and the rest of TSR with (hopefully) good feedback ;)

Chris
 
Thanks for the comments :D

Fozz- given enough time I can get most woods, although some are restrictive, e.g. the ebony for Fatboy's brush above is only (at a reasonable price) available in thin sections due to export laws etc. Knots I can get most sizes and grades, but prices vary of course!

Here's another that I've just got round to photographing:
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Still not polished up, but the stain is still drying. It's taken from a branch (oak I think) which means it has really distinct late/early growth patterns to it. The knot is a 24mm Best Badger, but as this knot is already allocated to an ordered brush this handle use any 24mm knot.

Chris
 
The brushes above were all around £40-£45 posted, and I'm just finishing off a brush for exile with a 28mm :shock: silvertip knot that came out just shy of £50 posted.

Although each brush is costed out based on wood, finish, knot and how good a mood I happen to be in at the time! In all seriousness my other half does the number crunching on a far-too-complex spreadsheet to work it out. The biggest cost factor is whether I have to order materials in bulk or singly, as some of the wood and all of the knots come from overseas.

Chris
 
Also it's worth pointing out that occasionally I will just turn a few handles for my own amusement and when I put in an order for knots I'll pick up up suitable knots. As these ones are really just for my own enjoyment they'll be a bit cheaper. The one above for example, with a 24mm best would probably work out about £38 I think.
 
neocaligatio said:
the ebony for Fatboy's brush above is only (at a reasonable price) available in thin sections due to export laws etc.
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You sure this is ebony? Looks more like rosewood (Dalbergia nigra) to me, or even African blackwood, with the dark reddish tones. Ebony (Diospyros) usually has no red/brown whatsoever. Nice shape BTW

Still not polished up, but the stain is still drying. It's taken from a branch (oak I think) which means it has really distinct late/early growth patterns to it.
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Looks like Laburnum to me. Beautiful wood...

Henk
 
In regards to the ebony - I can only comment on what I've been told by the supplier of the wood! Hopefully I haven't been mis-sold, but the photo actually gives it a sheen that doesn't show in person, the wood is black enough to just show a slight grain and to reflect colours next to it.

African Blackwood seems more readily available than ebony - the dark handles brushes really do look nice....
 
I have African blackwood available, although it can be hard to find a piece without cracks or other defects these days. It is quite expensive, and not available in large sizes (due to limited tree size) but not an endangered species. The best pieces do indeed go directly to the musical instrument industry (clarinets, oboes, recorders). There's quite a few wood species that sink in water, such as snakewood (a bear on the lathe if ever there was one, not so much that it is difficult to turn, but it can't stand the heat. get it a little too hot while either turning or sanding, and it will crack right under your hands...), and lignum vitae. Both prohibitively expensive. I made one brush out of lignum vitae, just for myself. It has a density of ca 1.5. I also made a priest (you know, to clobber trout) out of a piece of lignum vitae -- didn't need to put extra weight (lead) in the head too.

I also have some Brazilian rosewood still, although that will run out eventually, since there is effectively a CITES ban on exporting any Dalbergia nigra.

Another interesting choice for dark-to-black handles with some figure in them is Wenge.

Laburnum is readily available, but not commercially -- you need to locate 'domestic trees' that are destined to be taken down.

As far as the ebony is concerned, true (Gaboon) ebony is greyish black with no colour. Some Indian ebonies, like Macassar ebony (also Diospyros species) do have colour, but are usually mottled. Did it smell when turning it, and did it turn well, or just 'splinter'? Rosewoods turn much better than ebonies, although Brazilian rosewood and African blackwood can be quite unforgiving towards dull tools; cocobolo is more forgiving, but can initiate allergic reactions.

You know what they say about woodturners: there are only two types, those who are allergic to cocobolo, and those who will be...

Henk
 
Pig Cat said:
I wouldn't mind a brush with an African Blackwood handle. It is a wood that clarinets are made from and, I am told, one of the few that are so dense they sink in water. :eek:
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PC are you playing with your shaving brushes in the bath again? is sinking a desirable quality because you are playing at depth charges?

I have a cocobolo brush and it is a very nice looking piece, having just read about it on the web I didn't know it could induce reactions like that when cut. I learn something every day.
 
Audiolab said:
I have a cocobolo brush and it is a very nice looking piece, having just read about it on the web I didn't know it could induce reactions like that when cut. I learn something every day.
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Cocobolo is notorious, but really only 'dangerous' when being worked. It's the dust that is the carrier. The actual allergen is in the wood's oils (like any Dalbergia, or actually any dense wood, it is quite oily), but the exposure to those oils from intact pieces of wood is negligible. Plus, a brush handle should be surface-treated anyway, so no exposure to the wood's oils would be possible. For practical purposes, brush handles should be varnished, although they look better when treated with oils and buffed -- unfortunately, it is almost impossible to make a wooden handle impervious to water without resorting to varnishes. Well you could try Japanese lacquer techniques but that would probably bump the cost of the brush with a factor of 10.

Henk
 
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