QotW: Have you ever experimented with making you own brushes?

[Pres]

Hi folks, sorry things are late for this weeks QotW, but I have been self quarantined for much of the Christmas holiday, things are negative now.

I know that some of you out there make your own tools, and some feel it is time consuming using the time saved with purchased items to make more pots. However, there are some of you that make your own tools, whether it be ribs, throwing sticks, dies or other things. I do wonder though how many of you make your own brushes? In the past (college days) I had access to deer hair, and some other animal hairs as I hunted and knew folks that trapped and had some other types of hair. I began experimenting with rolling the ends in paraffin, and wiring to a stick. Simple brushes, but interesting how course hair and fine hair would give me different effects, They were fun for in-glaze brush work with accents of dark stains or glazes. Their biggest attraction was the uncontrollability as compared to a commercial brush. Yet after a while, it seemed there was little time to make new, and they did not hold up well especially when dealing with some course glazes or stains. 

QotW: Have you ever experimented with making you own brushes? Please elaborate on how you did it.

 

best,

Pres 

[Mark C.]

Yes I have made my own over 30 +years-I have deer  hair (and have some elk to try) but most are made from skunk tails. These are cut off road kills and aired out for a year outside hanging. Then I use bamboo from our property-which is cut and dried in the right lengths. I wrap the hairs tight with a string around them and the end is covered in waterproof epoxy and the string is put thru the center and forms a loop on top to hang brush. I have also just expoxeyed the hairs in without the thru string and still use a string loop in small hole glued in tio for hanging as they dry best hanging. I have shown thse in photos before here. These brushes have lasted many decades of heavy use. The skunk hair is course and very durable. Deer hair is finer. I use them on glaze days -at least 6 of them for underglazing.

Edited December 29, 2023 by Mark C.

[Denice]

When I was part of the Anazazi Research Group we were suppose to make brushes out of Yucca type plants.   You  had to chew on it to get the fine strings you needed.  The first yucca they decided to try was aloe vera,   I am allergic to aloe vera so I was excused from making a brush.   I tried using one that someone else had made,   Didn't go well,  I think something like a Century plant would work better.   Denice

[GEP]

I rely heavily on a deer tail brush as part of my glazing process. They last a long time, but I taught myself how to make them just to make sure I would always have one. I made a video for anyone who wants to learn how, it’s free on youtube.

 

[Mark C.]

Mea's details are spot on

I use JB weld epoxy and  a  fine nylon line for hair wraps and heavier line to make my hang loops but its really just minor details-I also drill a hole thru center of bamboo to pull  string with the hairs up and make a loop to hang brush then glue the holes shut.

I have about 4-5 kinds of bamboo (I tend to harvet black bamboo for handles) The timber bamboo in photo gets 30+ high and gets water from sink clay  settling tubs then on to bamboo.

Here's a bunch hanging next to sink waiting for glaze day-I do tend to make them larger than hers -larger handles and more skunk hairs

My glazing is lots of loose brush work under glazes like rutile so these brushes get a workout nearly every week or two.

Thanks Mea for posting the you tube. I never had  a mentor on making these just winged it but that process is the same. I really got into it in the  late 80s and 90s. These where made then.

 

Edited December 30, 2023 by Mark C.

[JohnnyK]

Here are my squirrel tail brushes. Lots of roadkill in my area, so source material is easy to get, and I have a pretty good stand of bamboo for the handles...