Hey. I was just wondring how many (if any) of you guys make your own brush. tried googlling how to do it (Nothing came up.) Also wana know if anyone else has done it and how they turn out. thanks
For $13.00, I'll buy a Series 10 Mack, from Graphic Commerce in Mississauga. I doubt that most people could make anything better or cheaper.
I thought about that same subject several time's and don't think it would be all that diffecult. I've accually made a few of my own just for detail stuff on models and getting things just right on emblems too. It is possible. I used some small clamps to attach the hair to the wood dowel that I used. I've got a few friends that do hair for a living (nieghbor) and believe it or not from some of the horses too. You can steam the hair to make it straight but do have to use conditioner from time to time to keep it straight. Michael
No brushes yet....I stick to building my own spark plugs, nuts & bolts, etc. You know....the easier stuff. (just bein a Smart A$$)
LOL thanks guys. i have a blue wrap mack 00 and a kafka long liner 0 from graphic commerce, but i just thought about trying it out because I snared a couple squirrels that wouldnt leave my garage and im one who likes to build instead of buy, mabey its cuz im cheap but i like to think its because i like the challenge. Also because i want a doubble liner, but they havent been made since the 60's according to one of my magazines. OH and unibodyguy you got any advice?
I tried making some once from human hair(my own when I had more of it)but the consistency was way off.Squirrel hair comes in many varieties and lengths.As I understand it,most of the stripers are made from the hair at the base of the tail.This is the longest and the correct consistency(not too soft and not too stiff).Supposedly other hair from the squirrel is used for other brushes that don't need to be as long. I am currently making up some custom brush handles to use with Mack striping brushes and they really work well for doing long lines.If I can generate enough interest Mack will consider making them up on a limited basis.
That's cool that you want to try your hand at building brushes,the guys who sell'em for slicing must have started somewhere too! I'd still stick with a nice proven product if you haven't yet mastered the art. I'm from east of you about 100 miles and would love to try out whatever you manage to build! Chris.
At 11 to 13 bucks a piece, you have to be pretty cheap to make your know. To me it is not worth the trouble. When you have perfection, buy it use it and put your talent to better use. A while back I had a chance to take a tour of Mack brush. I watched three ladies take the hair some a pile, size it, trim it and glue it to the handle. Then the next day they handle wrap the handles with the thread. These three ladies work on striping brushes only two hours a day and they make 10,000 Mack striper a year. The pics are the brushes being made.
My buddy Ralph Finley made some from squirrel tails...they didn't pull very well but were kinda cool looking. He gave me some hair so I could try it...but I haven't gotten around to it yet. As for doing it because of being cheap....I don't see it that way at all...it's more of a "can I do it" type project.
100,000 brushes a year at $11-13 a piece? The business GROSSES 1.1 to 1.3 million a year, pays at LEAST 3 employees, has to buy all of the material to make them (which you can't buy off the shelf at Wal-Mart in a pinch), and they're still in business! Sorry, that's the ****ytical-business-owner-daddio211 you just met. I don't know how they do it, because there CAN'T be much NET profit in a business like this. Certainly nobody is getting rich at Mack, but they're certainly filling a need in our hot rodding community! This makes me appreciate my brushes that much more! Maybe I need to dig them out and start practicing again! By the way, thanks for the cool pics oldracer!!!
$11-13 is retail price, the majority of their sales will be wholesale. So your gross estimate is high.
LOL....what they said. Way back in the early eightys I tried to do my own also...Got caught in a pasture, by a guy holding a rifle. Wanted to know what the heck I was doing....long story-short. After explaining, he told me to PLEASE talk to his horse groomer. Back then you couldnt find 1shot, I was buying reminants off of sign painters for 10-20 $ a can, with next to nothing left in 'em. Now...I am married to the man's daughter(20-ish years) and just buy the stuff I need. Sorry, but it brought back memories of easier times, Mark
Also the Mack striping brushes are made from blue squirrel tail hair, not America brown squirrel, and in comes from Russia. That hair is different, I don't know what the difference is, but it makes better brushes. They also buy the handles from another company don't know what they cost, but they cost something. It is 10,000 brushes, NOT 100,000
When I lived in the small town of Mauston WI. years ago, I knew a sign painter there who made his own lettering quils out of his own hair. One of the cleanest block and script painters I have ever seen.
The hair is called Wolinska(sp?)and comes from a squirrel native to Siberia.Supposedly they cannot be successfully raised in captivity(like mink and other rodents)so they have to be trapped.This is another factor in the high cost of basic material. If anyone is near Jonesville Michigan,I would urge them to make a pilgramage to the Mack Brush factory.I would call ahead first though if you would like to see the brushes being made as the ladies' only work part time during the day.It is an amazing process.I watched them one day and the speed and accuracy with which they construct a brush is a sight to see. They have a large package of hair and use a common palette knife to separate the hair into the correct size pile that will be the brush.It is all done by eye and these ladies are dead accurate.When they have them divided,they pick up the hair in their fingers and holding it firmly give it a twist which imparts the shape of the hair.It is then affixed to the handle with a dab of glue and the BACK side(under where the wrap will go)is trimmed with a knife.There is absolutely no cutting of the belly of the brush at all.They are then set aside to dry and then wrapped with the string and sealed with glue. Another treat is the informal Mack Museum.Stripers from all over the world have donated panels and other pinstriped items and Chris proudly displays them all.I've donated four pieces myself.The most famous one of all is the one done by Andrew Mack himself around 1900. To see some of the items on display go their website www.mackbrush.com and click on the Hall of Fame section(it is in two parts).
Good point, and my gross estimate is WAY high as I mistook old racer's quote... see below! Okay, this Chris dude must be seriously p***ionate about his brushes --and the craft-- to keep this business going, as it couldn't possibly support one family. These are the kind of people that keep our hobby/lifestyle alive fellas... BUY MACK BRUSHES PEOPLE!
I'd be more inclined to make my own paint from scratch, than to try and make decent brushes. The formulas are in the Artkinson's Sign Painting book.
Mack Brush has a 32 page catalog of the products they manufacture or distribute. While world-famous for their striping brushes they carry a large selection of sign painting brushes (quills, cutters, fitches, flats, outliners, showcard, gilder's tips, etc), artist brushes, auto-related industrial brushes (wheel & fender, grille, wire wheel, upholstery, etc.), detailing brushes and supplies, airbrush and spray gun cleaning kits, throw-away touch-up brushes, and much, much more. I also toured Mack Brush(along with 1oldracer) at the invitation of the Motor City Auto Art Mavens (the wonderful group that produces the Pin Striper's Charity Auction at the Detroit Autorama to benefit Leader Dogs for the Blind). Mack Brush is an amazing place to visit and to be able to observe three extremely-talented ladies actually making the 00 brushes with which we earn our living was nothing short of a revelation. We all thanked them then and I thank them now.
Yes, that was a great trip to Mack. There building is a historic site, over 100 years old and is the same building were Andrew Mack started Mack brush. When you enter the building you see the walls, from the floor to the ceiling, covered with panels from stripers from all over the world. Even the owners office, order desk area and the room where the ladies are making brushes. After the tour through Mack, we were in for a really treat, a trip to Ray's, safariknut, garage. If you ever get a chance to go see it, don't p*** it up. It is like a sign painter / striper museum. When you meet Ray ask him about his Chicago Brushmaster Birthday party at the World of Wheels Chicago show.
thanks for the input guys. just read through it all and its given me a lot of inspiration. gunna get crackin on them after I finish some overdue work. so within the week there will be pictures. any brush handle ideas? what would you guys like to see differnt with the handels. what would make them more comfortable?
I know in previous posts squirrel hair is said to be used in making these. Mepp's of Antigo WI used to buy the tails from them to use on the famous Mepps and French spinners for fishing so there has to be something to that. They would also buy Fox tails too. Michael
hello, can you expound on the details of what you saw the brush makers doing. I have been making some brushes and having some success. what I dont understand is how they get the sword shape of the brush without t******* it. High quality squirrel hair points naturally and a dagger shape is easy to achieve, but not a sword shape. you mentioned the makers holding the hair and twisting it..I have been trying to think of what exactly this does . also when they orient the hair, obviously there is the root end where the hair was cut from the tail, and the point end at the other side. how are they sorting the fine end from as pile of mixed hair, or is the hair more in small roll bundles. thanks for any info.
the only reason I can think of that the hair would be twisted is if it were pulled while being twisted so some of the hairs shift to create a staggered sword shape. I personally dont understand the whole sword shape concept, a dagger shape can do everything better that a sword shape, so I think its more of a confidence thing, because people visualize that the sword shape puts a sharper line down, which is not true, or folks want there to be a bottom and top to a brush, so there is more a sense of control. The siberian blue squirrel hair is very unique to the squirrel world, and not easily aquired . I can usually only get 2 or 3 tails a couple times a year.
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