My badger hair brush is such a great brush, but I can’t seem to find another one. I looked at the brush that’s on Tools for Working Wood, ox hair, bit it’s a little over $100 which is a little too rich for me. The badger brush lays down a really nice level coat with no streaks. Can you suggest another brush that you use that works just as well. If there is really nothing out there and this is the only option, then maybe that second job at McDonalds is still available. Thanks for the help.
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Replies
Google is your friend (hard to believe I'm typing this phrase in 2024/25):
https://www.google.com/search?q=badger+hair+brush+for+varnish&oq=badger+hair+brush+for+varnish&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUyBggAEEUYOTINCAEQABiGAxiABBiKBTINCAIQABiGAxiABBiKBTINCAMQABiGAxiABBiKBTIKCAQQABiiBBiJBTIKCAUQABiABBiiBDIKCAYQABiABBiiBNIBCDcwNDlqMGo3qAIAsAIA&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8
I agree google is good resource but this forum is better in so many ways and Dr. Google in todays world is not your friend - no disrespect meant, I understand what you were relaying, but I wouldn’t click on 80% of the links it returns for almost any search even with DuckDuckGo and private tab, the bad guys are real.
Is badger the absolute best for shellac? Is it that much better than hog bristle from Lee Valley at 1/5 price that it’s worth it? I’ve never brushed shellac - I use a rag. It’s on my list to get my sprayer up and running. Does brushing speed things up and allow fewer coats than an old t-shirt wrapped cheese cloth applicator or is this like asking pins vs. tails?
If using a brush is good enough for cabinetmaker David Lamb it’s good enough for me.
I posted the link because you can't buy a brush on Fine Woodworking.
You mentioned that you wanted a badger hair brush and that you were having a hard time finding them. You stated: "My badger hair brush is such a great brush, but I can’t seem to find another one."
I assumed that you needed another badger hair brush.
The Google link shows them available from a variety of reputable vendors and at different price points and configurations.
I can't help you if you're afraid of the internet. You're here, so, who knew?
Type "buy badger hair brush" into whichever search engine gets your rocks off. You'll get the same links as the Google search. Insert "varnish" or "paint" somewhere in the search string and you might avoid links for badger hair shaving brushes.
Except the person who made the original post is not the person "afraid" of the internet, they're 2 different people. The original poster didn't say a word about not using the internet.
Charlie pointed out the badger hair brushes that I use for varnishing oil based varnishes, they are awesome and almost eternal. Yes, they are that much better, unfortunately, they are also extinct. The Redtree so called badger brushes are made of hog bristle according to their site and every other badger hair manufacturer also ads badger-like or badger-style bristle to their description. I still have two old true Redtree real badger brushes and use them for final coats of thick Spar varnishes on boat parts. https://www.redtreeind.com/brushes/fine-finish-natural-bristle-paint-brushes/badger
Don Williams has written on his WebSite about using artist 1” mop brushes for applying shellac. Think of it like a cambered blade on a hand plane to help prevent shellac tracks. I went to Michael’s and got one that felt soft in 1” size. It works wonderfully and my shellac finishes are better because of it. I own the Tools For Working Wood shellac brushes and prefer the mop style artist brush and I think I paid under $20 for mine and I’ve been using it for three or four years.
I would check at marine supply stores. Varnishing on yachts is a never ending task, and for a $20 million dollar boat, they are not using throw-away brushes.
Purdy, Redtree, Corona all make decent brushes in the $30 - $40 dollar range. I don't think you can get a real badger brush anymore, but I'm not sure your results would be any better if you had one.
Having said that, I also apply shellac with a rag. Perhaps you are using a heavier cut than I do. I prefer a thin cut that flashes dry quickly - I've never seen any application marks from shellac, like you would with varnish.
Apparently a firm named Da Vinci supplies the genuine article and they are, on their face, 'expensive.' I have no real definition for "expensive" in the context of woodworking. It's a damned expensive hobby in the first place. I have seen guys with a minimum mid-five figure investment in power and hand tools willing to risk a live project by squeezing the last day out of an expiring $15 bottle of liquid hide glue. There are some weird people in this world.
Otherwise, Da Vinci pops up in the general search, but more specifically when the term "genuine" is added to the search string.
Lol. Often I have 100 to 300 hours invested in a project by the time I am ready to glue it up. I toss out my bottles when they are a year old precisely because of this. For $15 I don't want to take any chances during glue up.
I remember a video somebody posted a while back on some forum that has some presumably well-meaning fellow standing in front of a Felder 12" sliding table saw doing the 'sticky finger' test to see if a bottle of hide glue was still good. Commercial Felder. One of the big boys in their line.
"I spent $15,000+ on this saw, but I'm getting every damn drop of glue out of this bottle, by God."
Please.
Maybe that's why he can afford a $15,000 table saw...
Could be. Would be a lovely bloke to be around I'm sure.
I've always used a taklon brush when brushing shellac - which isn't that often. Only when putting shellac on larger surfaces. This type of brush has super fine bristles that leave a smooth surface. You can find these bushes at artist supply stores.
Interesting timing. Speaking of Tools for Working Wood, Joel has a new blog entry about exactly this topic, and the availability of Badger, Fitch and Oxhair brushes (and a new supply of the latter they just got in.
https://toolsforworkingwood.com/store/blog/joel