Small Brass or Steel Brushes for Dremel or Similar

[KeithAug]

The internet is festooned with small wire brushes for Dremel type drills. My experience is that most of them are rubbish. They either  disintegrate or wrap themselves into a tight ball. Can anyone recommend a source of high quality small rotary wire brushes? By small I mean up to 1" diameter.

[tlevine]

https://www.riogrande.com/product/stoddard-crimped-wire-brass-brush-mounted/338407

[mtaylor]

Do they have to be brass?   I have some that are nylon or some other plastic for the bristles.

[KeithAug]

On 2/3/2022 at 1:49 AM, mtaylor said:

Do they have to be brass?   I have some that are nylon or some other plastic for the bristles.

 Mark -, preferably steel or brass - for removing  excess solder.

[Dr PR]

Kieth,

 

I have used the Dremel brand steel wire brushes and they are pretty durable. But as you noted after extensive use the disk type brush wires do bend, reducing the diameter of the brush circle a bit. The axial brush wire also twist somewhat helical but I haven't had one "ball up." I suspect something like this will happen with any wire brushs.

 

For removing soft (tin/lead) solder a light touch is all that is needed. I don't have much experience with the harder silver solders.

[KeithAug]

11 hours ago, Dr PR said:

I have used the Dremel brand steel wire brushes

 

Phil - Thanks - I had thought that I might take Dremel brushes and soak the subs in CA glue to see if this would reduce bristle loss. 

 

Toni - thanks - if the above doesn't work I will give them a try.

[tlevine]

For removing soft solder, I would recommend files or wet/dry sandpaper to prevent damage to the rest of the part.

[halbaby7]

On 2/2/2022 at 1:53 PM, KeithAug said:

The internet is festooned with small wire brushes for Dremel type drills. My experience is that most of them are rubbish. They either  disintegrate or wrap themselves into a tight ball. Can anyone recommend a source of high quality small rotary wire brushes? By small I mean up to 1" diameter.

Keith, as a retired master goldsmith/jeweler I have used the ones you can get at any Jewelers Supply such as Rio Grand or Stuller both of which are in the US so there must be a similar outlet in the EU if not the UK. Hal

[KeithAug]

23 hours ago, halbaby7 said:

Rio Grand or Stuller both of which are in the US so there must be a similar outlet

 

Thank you - very helpful - i will follow up.

[Roger Pellett]

Keith,

 

Not exactly answering your question but miniature flapper wheels clean up solder quickly.

[Altduck]

You might try the suppliers to the clock & watch repair trade there in the UK, like Cousins or Meadows & Passmore or the like.

 

 

[allanyed]

https://www.mcmaster.com/wire-brushes-rotary/       Scroll down a page or two and there are a number of choices

Allan

 

Edited February 23, 2022 by allanyed

[wefalck]

I buy them off jewellers' supply houses and depending how much you push them down, sooner or later they get distorted. For steel ones it takes longer, of course. The wires are essentially clamped between to metal discs, perhaps they are also fused into some plastic in the middle, but essentially it is just friction that keeps them in place, so 'hair-loss' is normal.

 

And yes, I would use gravers/scrapers first on the solder and then finish off with the wire-wheel ...