How to make a Hide Glue brush

[Dave Anderson NH]

I'm an acid brush user too. Being somewhat OCD at times I take a hammer and pound the area where the bristles are inserted into the handle to tighten the crimp. I then pull lightly on the end of the bristles to remove an loose ones which might shred. If I want a stiffer brush I take a pair of sharp scissors and shorten the bristles slightly. I too, like Bob Glenn, reuse the brushes by cleaning in hot water from the glue pot and then brushing on a wood or paper scrap to remove excess.

[Michael Ray Smith]

Short, sweet and to the point. What's the traditional method for making a hot hide glue brush?

I know it doesn't answer the question, and it's not traditional, but for hot glue I use pallet knives instead of brushes. I've also used a lab spatula. Both are cheap and readily available on Amazon. Pallet knives probably work a little better because they're generally more flexible than most lab spatulas. Icing spatulas (for spreading icing on cakes) are pretty much the same idea, and they'd probably work, too. My local Woodcraft sells cheap plastic versions of spatulas for applying glue, about six in a package. I think they're overpriced for what they are and IMO don't work as well as a pallet knife or lab spatula, but they're okay, and it's really easy to remove old glue from them by simply bending the blade.

[Richard Hutchings]

I'll have to try that. I love that they can be cleaned by a little flexing. Awesome.
Thanks

I know it doesn't answer the question, and it's not traditional, but for hot glue I use pallet knives instead of brushes. I've also used a lab spatula. Both are cheap and readily available on Amazon. Pallet knives probably work a little better because they're generally more flexible than most lab spatulas. Icing spatulas (for spreading icing on cakes) are pretty much the same idea, and they'd probably work, too. My local Woodcraft sells cheap plastic versions of spatulas for applying glue, about six in a package. I think they're overpriced for what they are and IMO don't work as well as a pallet knife or lab spatula, but they're okay, and it's really easy to remove old glue from them by simply bending the blade.

[Alex Holden]

I've made a couple more small glue brushes in a range of sizes with Adam's method. Tying the bundle together before gluing it to the stick helped a little, though it tended to make the bristles splay out in a way that made the whipping trickier.

I then made an even smaller brush by simply boiling the end of the stick in water for five minutes to soften the fibres (making an interesting pink dye in the process!) then hammering it to split it apart. This worked pretty well.


mashed_brush.JPGmashed_brush_2.JPGbrushes.jpg

In the past I've used a long matchstick sharpened to a point to apply individual droplets of glue, but without any fibres to hold the glue through capillary action, the size of droplet it dispenses varies too much for my purposes.

[george wilson]

I ain't a payin no $4.50 for a glue brush!!

[John Coloccia]

I know it doesn't answer the question, and it's not traditional, but for hot glue I use pallet knives instead of brushes. I've also used a lab spatula. Both are cheap and readily available on Amazon. Pallet knives probably work a little better because they're generally more flexible than most lab spatulas. Icing spatulas (for spreading icing on cakes) are pretty much the same idea, and they'd probably work, too. My local Woodcraft sells cheap plastic versions of spatulas for applying glue, about six in a package. I think they're overpriced for what they are and IMO don't work as well as a pallet knife or lab spatula, but they're okay, and it's really easy to remove old glue from them by simply bending the blade.

Some luthier friends I know simply put it in a squeeze bottle, and stick the bottle in the glue pot with a bit of water in it. I may try that. It's probably the best way to get the glue to the work in the absolute hottest form.

[Alex Holden]

Some luthier friends I know simply put it in a squeeze bottle, and stick the bottle in the glue pot with a bit of water in it. I may try that. It's probably the best way to get the glue to the work in the absolute hottest form.

Good idea, I'll give that a try too.

[Michael Ray Smith]

I ain't a payin no $4.50 for a glue brush!!

George, you can always use your finger. It's free. Or chew on the end of a green sassafras stick, like we used to do as kids to make toothbrushes.

[george wilson]

I'm afraid I'm an acid brush cheap skate!