: Does anyone have a good method for making brushes to apply apoxy?

I've seen videos on brushmaking. It seems easier to buy them.

: Chip brushes are relatively cheap, but I've spent hundreds of
: dollars on them over the years and sometimes run out. I've tried
: bits of minicel foam, but am looking for something better.

Use a squeegee more and a brush less. Hardened resin pops off of the flexible squeegees and they go back to work.

Are you cleaning your brushes? Before the resin kicks it is soluble in acetone and other solvents. Try using a brush for 10 or 20 minutes and then let it soak in some solvent. At day's end wash the solvent out of the brushes and let them dry. They can be reused. Cheap brushes might not last more than 5 washings.

: Right now my thinking is to bundle together 'something' to use as
: bristles and dip the bundled end in a bit of glue. What's your
: thinking?

Hairs from the tails of squirrels are used for 'camel hair' brushes. The name is corruption of the French word for squirrel--chemel. Squirrels can be hunted in most states, I believe. Boar bristle comes from boars. If you go that route, please post a few pix of your attempts to gather these. I've never seen anyone shave a pig. I imagine they might like getting lathered up, but the first time they get nicked may cause some excitement for both of you. :)

I believe these are commercially produced in China from the hides of slaughtered Chinese pigs.

Biggest problem in brush making is getting the bristle lengths even. Once you get that problem licked you can bind them to the end of a dowel with a few loops of string and then glue dowel, string, and bristles into one unit with (what else) a little epoxy. For flat brushes you can cut handles from scraps, or reuse the handles from some of the chip brushes.

PGJ