Pan brushes...

[crowbarforge]

How do you folks secure the boar or horse hair bristles into a horn or antler tip pan brush?

I could use a dab of epoxy, but that would not be period or historic correct. Maybe I should ask  how was it done in the 18th century?

I have a pile of antler/horn tips just waiting to be made into brush/pick/measure sets. Also have a real nice boar hide with the hair awaitin" for a good use.

[Horner75]

Do like almost everybody else does and use epoxy.  Hide glue works also!

Who is going to do a chemical breakdown of what you use for securing the hairs?

Rick

[Dave Marsh]

I certainly agree with Rick.

Dave

[michaelB.]

I agree with Rick too.  I use a dab of epoxy in the hole of the material,no matter if it's horn, wood or tubing.  I also wrap one end of the bristle with thread which stiffens the end going into the hole and makes it easier to get it in.  I also use horse hair which is cheaper and probably easier to find than boar's bristle.  Horse hair is good to practice on to get the procedure right.  Good Luck on your project.  I enjoy making the pan brushes.

[hammer]

Certainly pitch was used to set cutlery tangs in knife handles ( and to fill thin walled silver handles of all types).   Sets rock hard.   Either pitch or something similar was used for old shaving brushes.  Perhaps that is the answer?

[Hungry Horse]

 Hammer has it right. Pitch was used to secure the handles on cutlery clear up into the 1940's and'50's. I'm not sure that it isn't used overseas today. I don't know about antique shaving brushes, but a modern shaving brush cut into quarters end to end will make four good pan brushes. Cheap one made out of boar bristle work best. A real good shaving brush is made of badger and are quite expensive.

   Hungry Horse

[crowbarforge]

Thanks gets...I have some pitch, will try that. ...and if it doesn't hold well, I have some 21st century pitch.

[David R. Pennington]

I made up a bunch of them in this manner: I rolled a small brass tube for a ferrule. I made a little hardwood die and formed the caps sort of like a miniature bottle cap. I soldered these up and drilled a hole in center of the cap to accept a piece of brass wire. I formed a loop on one end of the wire that would fit easily into the brass tube. I fitted a hank of horse tail hair through the eye and inserted the strait wire shank in the hole in the tube cap. When i pulled the loop up tight inside the ferrule the hair fills up the space real tight. Now form a tight loop in the protruding straight section of wire to hook the chain or lanyard to and it can't come out. The bristles are permanantly locked in without any glue. Trim the bristles up with a good pair of shears.

[crowbarforge]

David R....took me a couple readings but I like your method!

[Hillbilly Delux]

Pine sap and crushed egg shells makes an early epoxy.

[Collector]

I made up a bunch of them in this manner: I rolled a small brass tube for a ferrule. I made a little hardwood die and formed the caps sort of like a miniature bottle cap. I soldered these up and drilled a hole in center of the cap to accept a piece of brass wire. I formed a loop on one end of the wire that would fit easily into the brass tube. I fitted a hank of horse tail hair through the eye and inserted the strait wire shank in the hole in the tube cap. When i pulled the loop up tight inside the ferrule the hair fills up the space real tight. Now form a tight loop in the protruding straight section of wire to hook the chain or lanyard to and it can't come out. The bristles are permanantly locked in without any glue. Trim the bristles up with a good pair of shears.

And, that's how they did it.  I've got an original AWI Continental Army pick and wisk set, the wisk being of stiff hog/boar bristles and that exactly how the wisk was made.

[smylee grouch]

Hillbilly Delux, that sounds like a good method, can you tell me if there is any documentation of that glue?