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Pulled Ferrule off of handle.

Hand Lettering topics: Sign Making, Design, Fabrication, Letterheads, Sign Books.

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David Le
Posts: 7
Joined: Tue Mar 25, 2014 8:18 pm

Pulled Ferrule off of handle.

Post by David Le »

Like the title says.......


I pulled the ferrule off the handle, is there a chance of redemption?

Thanks in advance.


Brush is a 189L Size 4. It's starting to happen to my #2 as well.
BruceJackson
Posts: 251
Joined: Mon Sep 06, 2004 7:28 am
Location: Melbourne, Australia
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Re: Pulled Ferrule off of handle.

Post by BruceJackson »

yes, just glue it back on.

A lot of old brushes used to come simply as the hairs in the ferrule (or quill) and you would put them on the handle yourself.
pat mackle
Posts: 162
Joined: Sun Feb 05, 2012 5:35 pm

Re: Pulled Ferrule off of handle.

Post by pat mackle »

I sometimes glue loose ferrules back on the handle with 3M automotive weather strip adhesive. Strong, solvent resistant and fast drying.
They never come loose again, but you can cut them off to reuse the handle.
Chris Johne
Posts: 2
Joined: Mon Nov 04, 2013 2:17 pm
Location: BC Canada
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Re: Pulled Ferrule off of handle.

Post by Chris Johne »

JB weld has worked well for me on a couple metal ferrule scroll stripers I've had seperate from the handles, seems solvent resistant to me. Holding up well now for a couple years.
Doug Bernhardt
Posts: 1077
Joined: Fri Apr 09, 2004 9:29 am
Location: Ottawa Canada
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Re: Pulled Ferrule off of handle.

Post by Doug Bernhardt »

Ya...happens to me all the time. French Masters are a great brush but the darn things can't keep from separating. PL is an adhesive I have on goingly open in the shop and just use that. Just make sure you don't get any in the hairs. From "that" there is no redemption. There was also some discussion about the idea of using (what are they called) the little shrink tubes for electrical connections? Those things anywho. They work pretty well too.
Frank Smith
Posts: 18
Joined: Fri Nov 02, 2007 9:03 am
Location: Albany, NY
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Re: Pulled Ferrule off of handle.

Post by Frank Smith »

Glues are great and I've used them for 30+ years, until this year. Now I've found something that's quicker to apply, easier to apply and has no drying time.
It's duct tape— the thin shiny metal kind, not the cloth kind. It's thin enough to not interfere with my grip.
I don't know anyone else who uses it for loose ferrules but it sure works for me; I really should share more.
Lee Littlewood
Posts: 228
Joined: Thu Apr 15, 2004 2:36 pm
Location: Portland, Oregon
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Re: Pulled Ferrule off of handle.

Post by Lee Littlewood »

Ahhh, putting handles on new quills. LeBlanc talks about it in "Gold Leaf Techniques for the Sign Painter" - he goes back to the time when quills were sold loose, and you had to put your own handles on. As he said, if you take a little time with it you can get a nice feeling tool that will stay together till the last hair drops.

When I buy a new brush it often fits sloppy, or has a ferrule that is out-of-round. Oops, this applies to bird quill or plastic ferrules only, I'm not sure what to do with metal (JB Weld sounds good).
Anyhoo, if you have a couple of brushes you can do a production line. Pull the handles off and put them in the corner, with any old handles you've scavenged and a few chopsticks. Now stick the quill into a fresh potato or hold it gently in really hot water - the potato you can do a bunch at once, the water is one at a time but quicker. really small quills you can hold in your mouth. What you're after is getting the quill to soften up a bit, like your fingernails do after a shower. Then you can look at it and see if the quill is too long, or not tapered right. Now try sliding it on a handle; not forcing it on, just checking for fit. A lot of times you'll take off 1/8" from the tip of the handle and things will snug right down. When I'm really feeling anal retentive, I will shave the handle down with a nail file or something, trying to leave a lip that is about as thick as the quill so the wood ends up level with the quill - it's quicker than it sounds. If you have to cut the quill you must be severe - use nail clippers or a sharp knife on a cutting block and do one strong cut - what we don't want is the quill splitting so soften, soften, soften.
When everything seems good then soften it up again and this time push it on tight. As the quill dries it will shrink down and make a good bond. Now it's your brush and it will roll happily in your fingers.
Oh yeah; I always oil the hair before all this, to get oil deep into the ferrule and protect the hair against the steam.

Yes, yes, yes... pardon me, I think I have to go out back and check if my buggy whip is braided right
where am i? Now, when i need me...
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