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making brushes

updated wed 21 jun 00

 

David Cowdrill on wed 3 dec 97

I have acquired some deer tail hair and would like to make glaze brushes.
I'd appreciate information or references on this subject. TIA
David Cowdrill in Great Falls, VA (703) 430-2692

LOWELL BAKER on thu 4 dec 97

Grasp an appropriate bunch of hair firmly. Note the shape of the
hair you hold and determine if that would be a good brush form. With
sharp sissors cut the hair at or beyond your fingertips. gob the
ends of the cut hair with silicone glue. While still holding the
hair, wrap the cut end with a fine srting or thread. I normally wrap
about twenty times and bring the wrapping down the brush head about
1/2 inch. Set head aside to dry.

Find suitable handle. I like Bamboo. Measure the interior of the
bamboo to find a diameter slightly smaller than the butt end of the
brush head. split the bamboo about 3/4 of an inch down the stalk (
four cuts). add additional silicone glue to the butt end of the head
and slip it into the split bamboo handle. wrap the split end of the
handle with fine string and allow to set 24 hours. I like to
decorate the brushes with copper and brass wire wrapping, gold leaf
and an occasional bead.

Avoid getting silicone on the working end of the brush head.

It's not really hard. most of the brushes you make will work well,
it is a lot of fun and they last until the mothes eat them away.
Practice, Pratice, prattic

W. Lowell Baker
The University of Alabama

Marcia Selsor on thu 4 dec 97

After wrapping your tail brush to a handle with fishing line or fine wire,
coat it (the wrapped part) with silicon as used for dry flies.
This will extend the life of the brush. Deer tail brushes are really great for
overglaze painting or just painting with oxides.
Marcia in Montana

David Cowdrill wrote:
>
> ----------------------------Original message----------------------------
> I have acquired some deer tail hair and would like to make glaze brushes.
> I'd appreciate information or references on this subject. TIA
> David Cowdrill in Great Falls, VA (703) 430-2692

JODO96 on fri 5 dec 97

I just happen to have taken a class on this topic and will pass on the little
I know:
Pick a part of the deer tail that is soft with thick bristles and cut out a
triangular piece with one edge of the triange being the outside edge of the
the tail. (I'm assuming you have cleaned the tail by now), Then get some green
bamboo and cut it off about 3/4 of and inch above a joint, clean out the
hollow part above the joint - this is where you will place the tail. Then
using a torch, sweat the bamboo so it color nicely. Then simply roll the hide
part of the tail (the triangle piece) so the shortest part of the triangle
piece of hide is in the center of the roll. Then glue this piece into the
bamboo with epoxy. You've got it. These a great for Iron decorations over a
glaze or whatever, and they make great gifts. Enjoy!

LOWELL BAKER on sat 6 dec 97

When I get an extra deer tail I store it in a plastic freezer bag of
Borax.
This drys the flesh and keeps the bugs out as well as keeps the the
deer tail out of the freezer. I won't say there is no aroma but it
is minor. I have stored tails for two years this way.

My freezer is full of jars of dead bugs, but that's a differrent
story.

Lowell

Cwolo on wed 28 jan 98

Hi to everyone,
Have been gone for several weeks and am just catching up with the CLAYART mail
hence htis late response. Have really had to laugh at some of the stories on
gathering "road kill" hair. There is a better and more sanitary way to solve
the hair gathering problem. Take a plastic garbage bag to your local dog and
cat groomer and ask them to save a handfull of hair from every animal they
groom for the next few days or week. Pick up the bag in a day or two and you
will have all the hair you will ever need. Some of it won't be suitable, but
much of it will. Dog hair especially, comes in all grades of coarseness. It
wouldn't hurt to take along a piece of ware as a trade for the favor, and, of
course, explain why you need it.

Diane, bird lady, in central Florida

DCurtis171 on thu 29 jan 98

Hi
Does anyone have information on actually making brushes? Is there a book on
the
subject?

Interested in Leverett, Ma

Thanks
Don

Fred Paget on thu 29 jan 98

A week or so ago we were discussing how to get tails to make brushes by
collecting road kill.
I have found a way to get all the tails you want without danger of
catching rabies or some other disease or getting run over.
The companies (such as Cabella's) that supply fishermen stuff to tie flys
for fishing have a lot of different kinds of tails and hair at a nominal
price. I got a whole deer tail for 3.25 US and a grey squirrel tail for
the same price. You can even get them in different colors if you want since
they offer them either natural or dyed.The tails were skinned out and cured
with salt or something but not tanned.
Finally got around to making a few brushes from my fox tail. There is a
learning curve!
Fred


From Fred Paget, Marin County, California

Greg Skipper on thu 29 jan 98

I was thinking of the same thing but was thinking of picking up human hair from
the guy that cuts my hair. How about human hair? Does it work as well?
Greg

Cwolo wrote:

There is a better and more sanitary way to solve the hair gathering problem. Ta
a plastic garbage bag to your local dog and cat groomer ...

Susan Ross on fri 30 jan 98

What kind of brushes did you want to make?

I recently learned of a process using Yucca plant leaves to make long finely
pointed brushes to apply underglazes or stains to greenware (or bisque).

Cut a length of Yucca 3 to 4 inches in length...determine the width you want
your brush to be and split it lengthwise accordingly...scrap or strip 2/3rds
of the leaf of its "juicy parts" til all you have left are the strong
fibers...use a knife or something with a sharpened edge to strip the leaf
using a motion much like curling ribbon with scissors...soften the remaining
fibers by chewing on them (true, I haven't tasted this yet) or working them
between your fingernails with a little spit or water...your goal is a brush
that is flexible yet precise for fine detail work.

Su
Potting in Piedmont, CA

C Wilyums on wed 11 mar 98

----- Help me if you can, please. I am searching for classes, workshops,
books, etc. on brush making. If anyone has such information, please share it
with me. Thank you. C Williams

Rachel Z on fri 13 mar 98

Making brushes? Funny you should ask about making brushes, I just
finished a two day workshop on brush making. I'm going to give you the
information I have about "Jiansheng Li" the fellow who taught the
workshop I attended.
Jiansheng Li )Jackson); Master of Chinese ceramic artist and brush maker
from, Jingdezhen, the porcelain capital of China.
Jiansheng Li Sanbao Brush Studio
14 courtwright Rd. Etobicoke
ONT Canada M9C 4B4
Tel 416-603-7411
E-mail jacksonlee24@hotmail.com
Hope this proves helpful to you,
Rachel Z.

Maggie & David on sun 15 mar 98

At 12:41 PM 3/11/98 EST, you wrote:
>----------------------------Original message----------------------------
>----- Help me if you can, please. I am searching for classes, workshops,
>books, etc. on brush making. If anyone has such information, please share it
>with me. Thank you. C Williams
>
>

There's a workshop on handbuilding with Lana Wilson at Sierra Nevada
College at Incline Village in Nevada (Lake Tahoe) in July that in the
course description says brushmaking will also be offered. You can get more
information by calling Julie La Croix, the Visiting Artist Summer Workshop
Program Director at (800)332-8666. I have attended their week long
workshops before and they were great.
Maggie Shepard
FireWorks Pottery
Mt. Shasta, Calif.

amber on tue 17 nov 98

Hello clayart-
It has been a while since I've visited, but it is good to see the
information still flowing. I have a great tip for brush making. The
trouble is getting those tiny hairs into whatever it is you plan on
using for a brush handle, but if you can find some electircal shrink
tubing it will be a lot easier. I am not sure of the "technical" name
of the heat shrink tubing but it comes in a tube form and it shrinks
with just a little hot air form a hair dryer. Just cut a small ring and
slide that furry fur right on in. Why not make things easier.
Amber Pelish
AKA "the ray gun girl"


Timothy Dean Malm on sat 21 nov 98

As far asa source for tubing that shrinks with heat,Boeing Surplus in the
Kent valley just south of Seattle seems to always have some available for
purchase.Boeing surplus is my favorite source for strange and unusual
materials and supplies. Tim Malm in Seattle. WA.

Juliet Johnston on tue 20 jun 00


I was given some animal hair and want to make some paint brushes. I have
written in my notes that there is an article by Jack Troy on deer tail
brushes in the January 1973 Ceramics Monthly. That seems like a long time
ago. Do I have the correct date? If you have the article, could I get a
copy? Thanks Juliet

L. P. Skeen on tue 20 jun 00


Juliet,

Pop a note over to Charlie Riggs - he is good at making them.

----- Original Message -----
From: Juliet Johnston
To:
Sent: Tuesday, June 20, 2000 8:50 AM
Subject: making brushes


> I was given some animal hair and want to make some paint brushes. I have
> written in my notes that there is an article by Jack Troy on deer tail
> brushes in the January 1973 Ceramics Monthly. That seems like a long time
> ago. Do I have the correct date? If you have the article, could I get a
> copy? Thanks Juliet
>
>
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