What brand of kind of brushes are best for applying finish? Anybody care to give me some suggestions? I think Sable brushes are recommended by some. Thanks!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/15/2006 10:31AM by Bruce A. Tomaselli.

No need to use a fancy brush for finish. Any brush is as good as another IMHO.
The cheaper hobby brushes can loose bristles so just watch for that and you
will be ok.
A stiffer brush makes it easier to get a thin coat also.

Raymond Adams
Eventually, all things merge, and a river runs through it..

I found that a angled flat stiff brush works great for this. I found mine in an arts and crafts store. They had some rather inexpensive. Having the angle makes it easier to get epoxy in and around the upsweep of the guide off the blank, mostly on the smaller guides. I apply epoxy with a 200 rpm motor so these brushes are what have been the best for me so far.

Bruce,

I only work by hand and no power at all. Now I find that it pays to invest in high quality tools and that includes brushes. I used to work with Winsor and Newton 607 sries of flat brushes in one quarter of an inch and one eigth. They were very good but I have now change to Winsor and Newton "Cotman" Series 666. These too are flat. I only use one eigth and these do for fly rods and even beach caster. I work with Flex coat and Gibb s high build finishes. These brushes have the right resiliance to push around the high build with excellent control. They cost about $5 or $6. They last for at least 10 rods or more.

To clean use cellulose thinnners. Acetone is too weak. I then finish clean with washing up liquid and a prolonged cold water rinse.

Cheap coarse throw away brushes will only give you poor work. Good brushes are a pleasure to work with and will make a huge difference to the final quality of your work.

My 0.02 cents worth.

Mike O.

I went on @#$%& and bought Plaid #6 shader brushes. They work very well for me and I throw them out after use. Did a google search for "Plaid 42715" and came up with this site.

[www.plaidonline.com]

Herb



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 03/15/2006 11:40AM by Herb Knowlton.

When I first started wrapping, I bought good quality sable brushes. they were a pain in the butt to clean. My mentor at the time recommended the cheap yellow and purple flexcoat throwaway brushes that he used. I tried them and could see no difference in the finish after drying.
I've been using the cheapies for over ten years now with Classic Coat and never had a complaint about my finish work.
If you like to clean brushes after every use go fancy. If you like to spend you time doing something other than cleaning up, use throwaways, you'll see no difference in your finish.
Check out the Rodmaker Gaff on the Xmas issue cover a year ago, cheapo yellow brush was used.

I agree with Jim. I also was using the expensive sable brushes, but recently switched to using the cheap yellow Flexcoat brushes. No difference in the finish(ThreadMaster). And if your really cheap like me, you can clean the cheap yellow brushes, and get a few uses out of them.


Sean Endres
North East Rod Builders
New London, CT

I use the Testor's model brushes and throw them away after each use. Walmart sells them for about a buck for three. Randy.

I tried the old spatula trick..... I went to the artist supply house, asked for a spatula, plunked down 19.95, and promtly destroyed the tool at home... turns out it was too thin for rodwork. Back to the time proven disposable brush. Extremely stiff **synthetic** 'bristles', 12 brushes in the pack, for under a CAD dollar...each brush with a different 'bristle' count, for thick or thin apps.
Synthetic bristles remain in the plastic ferrule, with no hairs to tease out of the finish.
I just did a an 80CC application of resin to a 20 inch rope handle, all applied with a little 1/4" brush,
and the entire wrap is level. So, I tend to struggle with data that discounts the use of a brush.
Granted, I'm not doing intricate wraps anywhere, just plain jane, level, bubble free threadwork., or ropework.
Works for me.... your mileage may vary.

Twelve pack of assorted Artists Poly bristle brushes retails for $ 1.49 - wholesale $ 0.89. Apply at 200 and use the brushs like a spatula anyway - hold th brush still and rotate the finish on watching the little ring of finish run ahead of the brush. Use the end of the brush to stir the finish in the mixing cup and chunk it when done - leave the can of acetone open on the bench just for the buzz and not for cleaning anything! These brushes are similar to the Flexcoat brushes but smaller - fine for smaller rods and use the Flexcoat ones for big stuff.

I've tried several from expensive to the cheap. I've settled on the 1/2 inch Royal soft-grip SG700 from Michaels. They cost about $3.00 each and work really well for me. Clean up takes about 2 minutes, first with Acetone that I keep in a pickle jar, then with soap and water. I've had some of these brushes for over a year. That turns out to be fairly cheap in the long run.

Error sorry



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/15/2006 05:15PM by Bill Stevens.

I also use cheap disposable brushes, but with a simple modification. For years I've heard many rodbuilders say it is impossible to get a good, level, bubble free finish with a cheap disposable brush. Ive been using these brushes for as long as I can remember, with exellent results.
I buy both yellow 1/4", and purple 1/8" FlexCoat brushes in the bulk pack. This simple modification to each brush takes only a couple of seconds, but makes a huge improvement, and I would put it toe to toe with the most expensive brush out there.

First I take a standard FlexCoat brush like this:
[www.rodbuilding.org]

Then I crimp the collar with a smoorh jaw pliar like this :
[www.rodbuilding.org]

and I end up with this:
[www.rodbuilding.org]

This is how I consistantly end up with level, bubble free results...with only 2 coats, like this:
[www.rodbuilding.org]





Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/15/2006 06:59PM by Scott Throop.

Cool modifacation Scott!

Raymond Adams
Eventually, all things merge, and a river runs through it..

When I use a brush I use plumber's "acid" brushes - the kind that are used to apply flux to pipes for soldering (black bristles/hollow metal tube). I get them by the gross (144) at a local plumbing supply outlet for $15.00 - or about ten cents / brush. The only thing I do is tug on the bristles before I dip the brush in epoxy in case some of the bristles are loose. At that cost I use them once and toss them.

I like Ken also use the acid brush. I make one simple mod to them before use - I lay the brush on the bench and using a sharp single edge razor blade cut the bristles to a straight 20* angle. Gives me somewhat of a "pointy end" on one corner, but still flat enough to spread finish around quickly.

And they are cheap. Still, I clean them and I get 2-3 uses out of each brush before I throw it away. Sometime I don't even try cleaning them, just toss them after one use.

Lou

The appearance of the finish generally separates the pros from the amateurs. DO NOT USE cheap, disposable brushes unless you want your rods to look like they were made by an amateur. You might as well wrap a rag around a stick. The best fly rod finish brushes in the current crop are the Royal Soft Grip shaders (SG1150), sizes 2 and 4.

Brushes from Craft store. 25 fo $2 (when I use brushes at all) and pitch 'em after one use


Mike (Southgate, MI)
If I don't want to, I don't have to and nobody can make me (except my wife) cuz I'm RETIRED!!

Ed Michura Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The appearance of the finish generally separates
> the pros from the amateurs. DO NOT USE cheap,
> disposable brushes unless you want your rods to
> look like they were made by an amateur. You might
> as well wrap a rag around a stick. The best fly
> rod finish brushes in the current crop are the
> Royal Soft Grip shaders (SG1150), sizes 2 and 4.


Ed,
You must be refering to applying some other type of finish other than the various epoxy
products in use today. I can't speak to those non-epoxy finishes but If you are not refering
to those types, I got to say BOLDERDASH and POPPYCOCK!

Also, I submit that your opinion of the results of those who also have posted above as being
"amature" has no merit. I do not see any photos of your "professional" results posted on this
board yet you feel you can belittle others who have posted some of the finest examples of quality fininsh results that I have ever seen! Many don't even use a brush at all!


Raymond Adams
Eventually, all things merge, and a river runs through it..

Ed wrote;
"The appearance of the finish generally separates the pros from the amateurs."

To a certain extent, I agree, but I would exchange the word "pro's" with "experienced". There are many experienced "hobby" builders that would put many professionals to shame with their finishes.
After 22+ years of rodbuilding, and well over 7000 rods that I have personally built(both factory production and custom), and the fact that I do this for a living, does in fact, by definition, qualify as being a pro.
With that said;

Ed wrote;
DO NOT USE cheap, disposable brushes unless you want your rods to look like they were made by an amateur. You might as well wrap a rag around a stick. The best fly rod finish brushes in the current crop are the Royal Soft Grip shaders (SG1150), sizes 2 and 4.

Here I have to completely didagree. I have as much experience with fly rods as I do with the heavy saltwater stuff I do now. I set up the in house rod production facility for Abel, and personally finished every rod that that was produced for the first four years, using only the purple 1/8" FlexCoat disposables, and the 200RPM FlexCoat Finish Machine, loading all 28 dryers routinely in 10hr shifts, 3 days a week. The finishes on these rods had to be nothing short of perfect, to meet Abels famously strict quality standards. Anyone who has seen a production Abel fly rod up close and personal knows the fit and finish rivals most customs. Typically, small flyrods dont lend themselvs to much fancy threadwork, and imbellishment. Its pretty much function, fit , and finish, in that order, that sells flyrods to most fisherman.
Now, I am no genius by any stretch of the immagination, and if I can produce these finishes with a cheapo brush, that simply proves it is possible. It may not work for everyone, but it is withot a doubt, do-able.