I have now used the new 2" ox-hair finishing brush from Gramercy Tools,
Tools for working Wood's branded name. This is a terrific brush. If
you can't spray, this is the next best thing.
This brush is beautifully shaped, with very soft bristles. Its primary
plus is that it holds a good deal of finish, more than I have otherwise
seen in a 2" brush, and applies it evenly. By dipping this brush into a
2 pound cut of shellac by about 3/4" or a little less, I was able to
pull a fully wet stroke for over 3 feet. This means that finishing is
faster, and better. For a second coat of shellac, which of course
dissolves the first coat since shellac is a solvent based evaporative
finish, one does not want to be brushing out the finish like one would
do with varnish, but rather simply applying a coat without working it at
all. With this brush, the number of airplane landings is sharply reduced.
I expected the brush to leave the typical puddles in inside corners, but
it did not. By dipping the brush perhaps 1/4" into the finish pot, and
then applying the brush to the surface with some care, there was no
corner puddling. This was true even though I was shellacing already
assembled drawer boxes, which are usually a pain.
Since I will use this brush only with shellac, I lightly cleaned the
brush, and wrapped it in paper to dry with some shellac still in the
brush so that it would dry in its proper and natural shape. This brush
is my new finishing friend.
As with most things, you generally get what you pay for. It has a
stainless steel ferrule, and a comfortable wood handle. Since this
brush is new to us, I cannot comment on its longevity, but I would be
quite surprised if it does not stand the test of time. If you finish
with a brush, this looks like a good investment.
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