Rotary brass brushes

I'm sure that a lot of members here use the little rotary brass bristled brushes in a Dremel or similar rotary device. I use them from time to time for cleaning up steam fittings that need to look clean but not polished to a mirror finish. The problem that I have with them is that they shed the bristles at an alarming rate and I get fed up with picking the pieces out of my hair and clothing, I do wear full face protection because of this. Really just wondered if anyone has found a better quality brush that maybe doesn't shed so rapidly or perhaps a better way of cleaning the brass.

Phil

Try the stainless ones. They seem to last longer and are less eager to throw bits of wire into your face.

Rgds Simon

I haven't used these do can't comment but would an abrasive wheel be better than a brush?

If you google " hilda rotary brushes " you will get an idea of the range. Dremel do them also but I could only find in the USA.

The nylon ones are more pleasant to use and might suffice for soft metals, or use a polishing mop + compound.

I think it may be worth checking the max rpm for the particular wire brushes, some are rated at max 10,000rpm which is one of the slower settings on a Dremel. I find that my 4 1/2" angle grinder is too fast for cup brushes and I am soon wearing most of the wires.

Mike

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Forgive me for scare-mongering and/or stating the obvious; but I must mention that some [most?] of these have Aluminium Oxide abrasive particles embedded in their mesh.

Please do wear adequate eye protection.

MichaelG.

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Tech. stuff here: 

http://solutions.3m.co.uk/wps/portal/3M/en_GB/AbrasiveSystems/-/Landing/Scotch-Brite/

and images here:

https://www.researchgate.net/figure/SEM-photographs-of-polyurethane-foam-PUF-Scotch-Brite-SB-stainless-steel-SS-and_fig1_226881529

Edited By Michael Gilligan on 17/04/2018 09:34:30

Thanks everybody all the suggestions and ideas, I have already tried the stainless brushes and I've found them a bit too aggressive for what I trying go do. However I've not tried the scotch brite variety so I think a bit of experimenting is called for. I will be nosing around my local dealer tomorrow (10% day @ B&Q) so I'll have a look.

Phil

Each of the products mentioned has a specific situation for which it is the best choice so you really need as many as possible different ones. Be careful to check that a 'brass' brush is not a plated steel one. (Always take a magnet when buying. And don't say it might be plated stainless so non magnetic as the extra cost of the stainless would defeat the objective of passing off cheap steel as brass.)

If you want to work on soft metal, beware of some of the "brass" brushes from DIY outlets, both rotary and conventional, which are really brass-plated steel. What was supposed to be a brushed finish on an aluminium item I made finished up with which might be described as a "gouged" finish.

Besides the Scotchbrite mops there is another very efficient tool for putting a sheen on metal as opposed to polishing it, namely radial discs:

http://www.cooksongold.com/Jewellery-Tools/3m-Radial-Abrasive-Disc-Yell-------Pack-of-6-prcode-997-5104

They come in many grades from 80 grit to several thou. They do not spit bristles and are very popular with the jewellery manufacturing trade. The coarser grades' ability to remove oxidation and general griminess is remarkable.

Just for the record, I don't have any vested interest in the product.

ETA: Maybe these are what Neil meant by "nylon ones".

Edited By Bill Phinn on 17/04/2018 16:26:48

Thanks for the link Bill, looks like this maybe exactly what I am looking for. However I am somewhat puzzled by the product information on the Cookson website that states that the product is fitted with a British 3 pin plug ! Need to think about that.

Phil

**LINK**

https://www.3m.co.uk/3M/en_GB/company-uk/3m-products/~/Scotch-Brite-Radial-Bristle-Disc-RD-ZB/?N=5002385+3293241199&rt=rud

MichaelG.

I bought a 220 grit version earlier today with a 'click-lock' fitting which is a convenient but not necessary means of attaching to the mandrel. To say I'm impressed would be an understatement, it is obviously coarser than the brass bristled brush that I have been using and consequently removes crud a lot faster but more importantly for me is the total lack of bristle shedding. Also being a larger diameter I can get in to more difficult places than with the brass version. Thanks again to Bill Phinn for bringing these to my attention, I will be buying more of these with different grades in the near future but not I hasten to add from any diy shed, their prices are no match from the source in Bill's link.

Phil

I have found some of the Cookson website product descriptions to be the work of fiction, or at least very misleading.

Ian P

Philip, I'm glad to hear they've given good results. Cookson aren't always the cheapest place to buy products, but the price of the 3M radial discs is reasonably competitive, I think. You can get a bit of a discount (I think it's 15%) on tools from Cookson for being a member of the Guild of Jewellery Designers, membership of which is open to anyone.

Ian, yes, there are certainly a few errors in the descriptions on the Cookson site, and I've done my bit over the years to correct some of them. On a positive note, whenever I've had a problem with a defective item from them or any problem with my order, their customer service has always been exceptionally good. In a former life Cookson were known by a name that is probably quite familiar to many of this forum's older members: Johnson Matthey.

This what I meant:

"Use for light deburring, cleaning and polishing of silverware, jewelry and other precious metals. Can be used with polishing compound.

• Ideal for general cleaning and polishing-especially in hard-to-reach places, such as slotted surfaces
• Long-wearing nylon bristles
• Can also be used for cleaning hard plastic or aluminum such as graphite golf clubs or aluminum wheels
• Can be used with polishing compound"

www.dremel.com/en_US/products/-/show-product/tools/403-nylon-bristle-brush