, 1885-07-08
BRUSH MAKING.
THE BRIsTLE SUPPLY BECOMING
COSTLY AND SCARCE.
The Vegetable Kingdom Largely Drawn
lyon for Materiai-Hors Hair. Tam
pIeo Grass and steel Wiz.
An Old Brush.


istisntnc Americana e
There Is not II household convenience
or n personal implement that is of more
importance Than the brush, and its name
is many Il catalogue of different brushes
would I'LL a column in this paper. Yet
few know how n brush Is made and of
what II is composed. II has been sup
posed by some that split w~halcbone-
which Is only another form Of hair or
horn was used as a cheap substitute for
bristles. and readers Of 40 or 50 years old
remember that black bristled brushes
were avoided. and only white ones were
salablc. In fact. however, whalebone Is
much more costly than bristles. and Is
only used for special brushes.
And even the bristle supply is becom.
ing C silly aud scarce. Hereaway we raise
no more bristled hogs: most of them have
N coating Of soft hairs sparsely distrib.
utcd. and some OF the finer sorts have II
curly wool. Even the southern hogs.
which self.fared in the nutty woods, are
dying out. and a higher type OF the class
sus is taking their place Nearly all the
bristles that are used in this country come
from Russia, and they cost the brush
maker from 81. % TO SO n pound. They
come tied up In neat rolls, and assorted as
to lengths aud stiffness.
Horse hair Is largely used for brushes
there is no material thai will so finely
polish sewing machine needles, us they
come from the last machine process. as
horse hair brushes. Horse hair makes
the soft brushes for plush. velvet. and for
the silk hat makers.
The vegetable kingdom Is largely drawn
upon for brush material. To say nothing
Of brooms. there is a grass called Tam.
pico. from the place Of its expectation,
that is used in the making Of hand scrub
bling brushes 1t Is a round fiber Of light
straw color, quito tough and elastic, and
possessing the unusual quality Of retain
ing its rigidity and elasticity however
much soaked 1t may be in water.
Flattened steel wire. with The temper
in. is used for fiue cleaning brushes and
for street and stable use. These are so
coarse and rigid hat they would be better
designated as scrapers
But there is a wire brush that Is the very
opposite Of these. II Is made of steel or
brass wire hat is so very fine that it goes
quite beyond the finest gauge made In this
country. Ii goes TO what is known to the
trade as forty-four lnglish gauge. brushes
made from this are employed in the pro-
ductipn of "A peculiar finish on silver.
When silver is used In plate. whether
il is solid or an external deposit, 1t
is not often compressed. or hard
ened. by any mechanical means. ex-
cept when it is FURNISHED to make a
polish. The satin finish" Of plate and
silver ornaments. so much admired of
late years is produced by these brushes
Of fine steel and brass wire. The brushes
are rotary, and are run at n high velocity.
The effect Of their notion ON the soft sur
face Of silver is TO raise the particles so
that they will not reflect the light as a
polished surface will. but give a soft.
NalyafN rafruaffya Hfrhf IN tha arfa Tlta
elegant effect is produced by the soft wire
brushes that feel under the hand almost
like cylinders of down.
The common way of fastening bristles
and hairs and Tampico grass in brushes
is with common pitch. which is kept hot
a. a convenient bench. and is kept fluid
by the admiviure of a little tallow. The
workman grasps from a bunch or pile Of
bristles n few in his fingers. doubles them
over at the middle. winds n bit of fine
wine about the butt or lend. dips that
end in the hot pitch. and presses the
bunch In a hole in the wooden back Of the
brush to be.
Put n letter process is wiring or twin.
ing in either case the Topped brush being
held by n wire or Irvine that passes
through u small hole ia the back OF the
larger hole that receives the bristles. But.
AS all these wires or strings are seen on
the bach OF the brush. they must be CON
eealed b. "A false back for nice work.
The writer has a specimen with a solid
back that was made more thar fifteen
years ago In this the bristles. doubled
were led by n wire staple into the holes.
aud the ends OF the staple being crossed
10y n die, the wire was forced into the
wood by a plunger, and really locked in
the solid material. The brush has been in
constant use during these years. and is
@as good rs new.