Small Paint Brushes w Metal ferrule.

[WidowMaker]

I did a online search but didn't have any luck...maybe I didn't enter my search info correctly.

Im trying to locate some of the smaller plastic handle paint brushes with the metal ferrules. W-Mart used to have them but hasn't carried them for several years now. The reason I would rather use the metal ferruled ones is that the bristles are much finer than the ones on the brushes where the bristles are molded directly into the plastic handle. You can also use a pair of needle nose pliers to crimp and flatten the metal ferrule to fan out the bristles for easier spreading of epoxy and other clear coats. The finer bristles of the metal ferruled brush seem to do a better job in spreading out the epoxy clear coat. I mix my epoxy off the bottom of a aluminum can and when I add denatured alcohol for thinning purposes I can use the flattened bristle to pull the epoxy up off the bottom of the can for a better thinning mixture. 

You can crimp and flatten the plastic handle ones if you pay attention to the fold of the bristles and how they are inserted into the brush handle. If you don't crimp it in alignment with the fold of the bristle the bristles have a tendency to separate from and come out of the handle. But still the finer bristles of the metal ferrule brushes work better.

Does anybody k now where to find them?

Edited January 22, 2019 by WidowMaker

[21xdc]

You might consider these.... And use a coupon …...

 

https://www.harborfreight.com/36-pc-12-in-horsehair-bristle-acid-shop-brushes-61880.html

 

[cadman]

Amazon, has a boatload of these brushes  as well. Look up acid brushes on Amazon.

[clemmy]

I use acid brushes as well. However for the plastic metal ferruled  brushes I found many examples by doing a “bulk craft brush” search on Google. It looks like Dollar Tree carries some, Amazon, etc.  I would search that, then click images, so perhaps you can visually match the brand you like.

 

clemmy

[WidowMaker]

I actually had purchased some of the acid brushes from Harbor Freight but never used them for epoxy coatings
Im needing something smaller and with a finer bristle.
I will check you guys sources.

[21xdc]

They work great for epoxy and you can cut the bristles any length or width you want.  

[Kasilofchrisn]

I find the metal ferruled brushes shed waaaay to much for me. Especially with thick epoxies.

It got way to frustrating picking  out shed bristles while trying to get some jigs done before the epoxy cured.

I used to buy them by the hundred count on eBay for a fair price I believe of 12 dollars per hundred shipped.

But now I buy the all plastic ones from Walmart. They rarely shed and only cost me 5 cents each in packs of 20 or 30.

They work much better for me and cost a lot less. Plus they are always available no shipping.

[21xdc]

I always crimp the metal on my brush's and pull any loose hairs out., Or you will get some shedding. 

[Kasilofchrisn]

With the all plastic ones I rarely get shedding.

That's one of the great benefits of that style.  And I can use them right out of the  package no crimping or loose hairs to remove. Plus they are much cheaper.

Most of us have a Walmart nearby to buy these at.

Why pay more for an inferior product I have to fix to make work properly?

I have also tried the acid brushes and they shed as well.

This is all just my opinion but it's what works for me with epoxies and such.

For mixing my epoxy I use cheap wood craft sticks from the craft store that cost me 1 or 2 cents each and plastic pill holding cups from the drug store that cost me 3 cents each by the bag of 100.

So overall I'm still cheaper that just the metal ferruled brushes this way for the whole set-up.

I sometimes let the craft sticks dry and reuse them. Sometimes I even squeeze the cured epoxy out of the plastic cups and reuse them as well.

But for 10 cents I usually just toss everything in the trash.

[mark poulson]

I think the bristles in plastic brushes are glued in, so they don't shed nearly as much.

 

[21xdc]

7 hours ago, Kasilofchrisn said:

With the all plastic ones I rarely get shedding.

That's one of the great benefits of that style.  And I can use them right out of the  package no crimping or loose hairs to remove. Plus they are much cheaper.

Most of us have a Walmart nearby to buy these at.

Why pay more for an inferior product I have to fix to make work properly?

I have also tried the acid brushes and they shed as well.

This is all just my opinion but it's what works for me with epoxies and such.

For mixing my epoxy I use cheap wood craft sticks from the craft store that cost me 1 or 2 cents each and plastic pill holding cups from the drug store that cost me 3 cents each by the bag of 100.

So overall I'm still cheaper that just the metal ferruled brushes this way for the whole set-up.

I sometimes let the craft sticks dry and reuse them. Sometimes I even squeeze the cured epoxy out of the plastic cups and reuse them as well.

But for 10 cents I usually just toss everything in the trash.

 

Because I can finish twice as many baits per mix with the wider brush...  If 10 cents per brush is too much for you, I understand.  But I save time and money on epoxy using the acid brush's.  

[Kasilofchrisn]

4 hours ago, 21xdc said:

 

Because I can finish twice as many baits per mix with the wider brush...  If 10 cents per brush is too much for you, I understand.  But I save time and money on epoxy using the acid brush's.  

No  the extra 5 cents isn't the issue but a penny saved is a penny earned.

Like I said I was paying 12 cents for the metal ferruled brushes.

I just lost time, ergo wasted epoxy, always having to stop and remove shed bristles when using the acid brushes or metal ferruled ones.

Even crimping them tighter I still had some sheds particularly with thicker epoxies like D2T.

I suppose I could have played around and found a better crimping technique that gave me less sheds but the Walmart brushes work well enough I haven't bothered to try.

I'm usually just coating eyes on saltwater jigs from 2oz-48oz with 4oz-24oz being quite common and the eyes are up to 9/16 diameter.

If doing an entire jig I suppose a wider brush might be better.

But my system works well for me as yours does for you.

Picking out sheds is just a pet peeve of mine I guess.

 

 

[BuckeyeFishing]

On 1/24/2019 at 8:57 AM, Kasilofchrisn said:

With the all plastic ones I rarely get shedding.

That's one of the great benefits of that style.  And I can use them right out of the  package no crimping or loose hairs to remove. Plus they are much cheaper.

Most of us have a Walmart nearby to buy these at.

Why pay more for an inferior product I have to fix to make work properly?

I have also tried the acid brushes and they shed as well.

This is all just my opinion but it's what works for me with epoxies and such.

For mixing my epoxy I use cheap wood craft sticks from the craft store that cost me 1 or 2 cents each and plastic pill holding cups from the drug store that cost me 3 cents each by the bag of 100.

So overall I'm still cheaper that just the metal ferruled brushes this way for the whole set-up.

I sometimes let the craft sticks dry and reuse them. Sometimes I even squeeze the cured epoxy out of the plastic cups and reuse them as well.

But for 10 cents I usually just toss everything in the trash.

 This is pretty much what I do for epoxies I use for rod making.  I get the cheap plastic craft brushes from  Wal-Mart or a big box craft store (Michael's, Hobby Lobby, Pat Catan's), get like 30 for a $1. Often, I will clip off the brush end after using it and use the handle end as a stir stick later on. I buy popsicle stick and sucker sticks for stir sticks usually, a $1 or $2 a pack.  I use "to-go" ramekins (like what you get salad dressing or condiments in for delivery orders) to mix my epoxy in.  There is a restaurant supply store about 10 minutes away where I can get a sleeve of 250 for dirt cheap. I also use them to put rubbing alcohol in for clean up. This is all disposable stuff so I want to get it as cheap as possible but still do what I need it to do.