CUSTOM BRUSHMAKING
Custom Brushmaking
THE HEART OF THE BRUSH
We work with metals, plastics and timbers and have the in-house manufacturing facilities to make simple or detailed brush cores.
DETAIL IN TUFTS
Resin set, stapled, soldered or swaged – we do it all. Fill patterns, tuft sizes, materials, colour and texture are all considerations for the brush application.
SHAPING & PROFILING
From hand trimming on jigs and fixtures to our automated trimming machines, we can manage complex trims of plastic and metal fills.
Custom Brushmaking
THE HEART OF THE BRUSH
We work with metals, plastics and timbers and have the in-house manufacturing facilities to make simple or detailsed brush cores.
DETAIL IN TUFTS
Resin set, stapled, soldered or swaged – we do it all. Fill patterns, tuft sizes, materials, colour and texture are all considerations for the brush application.
SHAPING & PROFILING
From hand trimming on jigs and fixtures to our automated trimming machines, we can manage complex trims of plastic and metal fills.
AN ARTISAN TRADE, FIRST ESTABLISHED IN 1858
Hand turned wooden brush stocks (better known as brush cores nowadays) filled with Natural bristle, and held in place by dipping and setting in tar- that’s how it all started here at Cottam!
Times change, and so have we. The demand for integrated brush solutions, more complex part design, and greater, more advanced material availability goes hand-in-hand with the modern automated machinery which now dominates our production runs, allowing for greater speed, accuracy, and precise repetition.
SEE IT FOR YOURSELF
Yes, that’s right! Why not contact us and arrange a visit to Cottam HQ where you can discover how brushes are made, learn more about us, and teach us about you and your custom brush project.
01 | THE CORE
THE HEART OF THE BRUSH
From very simple timber blocks to highly sophisticated, CNC-manufactured steel plates, the core of the brush design acts as a structure to hold the brush fill in a predefined arrangement. It can also be used as a medium to attach the brush to another component if required.
We work with various timbers; plywood and beech are popular due to the structural integrity provided by these materials.
Plastics such as Nylon and Polypropylene make good stable brush cores as the material properties allow/are ideal for brushmaking and application.
Metal brush cores offer another range of properties, opening up further possibilities over and above what timber and plastics can offer. Structure, accuracy, manufacturing, and conductivity are some of the key benefits.
02 | THE FILL
DETAIL IN THE TUFTS
Natural fibers, synthetic plastics, and wire each have unique performance properties – the choice is driven by the task, application, and core material. Here at Cottam we specialise in resin-set, punch-filled (stapled), handsewn, bonded, soldered, and swaged filling techniques.
For natural and synthetic fibers, the technique of resin-setting, punch filling and hand sewing are typically used. On the other hand, metal wire fills work best when bonded, soldered (wire needs to be tinned) and swaged.
RESIN-SET
The fill is stacked, mounted, and supported by a jig within the brush core or a separate ferrule. From the rear side, liquid resin is poured and allowed to set. The resin self-levels with the void, seeps into the fill, and cures to hold the fill in place.
PUNCH FILLED (STAPLED)
By machine, the stock is drilled to create the cavity for an individual tuft of fill, before the fill is folded and stapled in place.
HANDSEWN
By hand with needle and fine gauge wire. The core is pre-drilled beforehand. The chosen fill is then folded, inserted into the hole, and stitched into position.
BONDED
When bonding, the fill is created in individual tufts before being assembled into the brush core. The fill is stacked, mounted, and supported by a jig within the brush core or a separate ferrule. Liquid bonding agent (3M) is applied from the rear side and allowed to set, holding the fill in place.
SOLDERED
When soldering the fill is created in individual tufts before being assembled into the brush core. The fill is stacked and mounted into a pre-soldered ferrule. Heat is applied and the solder melts and sets, holding the fill in place.
SWAGED
When swaging the fill is created in individual tufts before being assembled into the brush core. The fill is stacked and mounted into a ferrule. The ferrule is then swaged (crimped) holding the fill in place.
03 | THE TRIM
SHAPING & PROFILING
Metal, synthetic, and natural fills can be trimmed and profiled to a custom design profile. Depending on the complexity of the design this is done by hand on jigs (synthetic and natural) or on one of our automated machines which can process metal fills, including crimped wire.
A favourite of ours is the ‘indicator tuft’. A specific tuft (normally a different color to stand out) is trimmed to a predetermined length, shorter than that of the main fill of the brush. This is great for brushes in production that wear and need replacing – it makes it easy for the maintenance teams!
