Helpful Brush Terminology

Date: 2010-11-19

Fill: bristle material

Tuft: a group of bristles, usually put into a hole in a brush handle.

Trim length: length of the bristles.

Crimped material: wavy synthetic or wire bristles.

Flagged material: split bristle ends for finer working face.

Tapered trim: brush trim angled or ground to a sharp edge.

Brush density: number of tufts or amount of material in each tuft hole (or other mounting).

Spiral brush: a twisted-in-wire cylindrical brush--also commonly known as a “bottle brush."

Applicator: paint or pencil-type brush.

Power brush: wheel, cup, end, side-action (or "paddle brush"), and sometimes spirals.

You may also want to check out the content of our Bristle Brush Material Descriptions.

We here at Gordon Brush hope this information will be helpful to you and knocked off some of the high spots of your curiosity.

Industrial Brush Tips

Date: 2010-11-19

Pressure is the enemy of a brush's action. Most people use a brush like a grit abrasive--push harder to get more action. Don't do it! Higher speeds (don't exceed the maximum safe free speeds of any power brush) and lighter pressure will increase the brush cutting action. Think of the brush bristle as a vertical rod with a squared-off end. Slightly tipping the angle of that rod brings the sharp edge of the squared end in contact with the surface so it can cut, while bending the rod so that the side of the bristle contacts the surface just lets the bristle slide past. Each bristle is a miniature rod with a cutting edge, so don't push too hard, or the bristle will stop cutting!

• To stiffen a brush: Shorten the trim length (bristle length from mounting to end of brush fill) or increase the material's bristle diameter.
• To increase cutting action: stiffen the brush (see above).
• To increase brush life: use the softest fill material appropriate for the job.

To Lengthen Broom Life: Ordinary brooms wear down rapidly when used to sweep up rough cement floors in basements or garages. Organizing your tack room will help to lengthen the life of your broom as you hang them and not to store brooms with weight on your bristles. Store it bristles up and handle down. Your broom bristles will stay upright longer therefore lengthening the broom's life.

When cleaning a surface to decontaminate for proper welding: be aware that if stainless steel is cleaned with a carbon steel brush, an interaction of materials will leave the surface of the stainless steel contaminated. Use a stainless steel brush but do not use that brush to clean a carbon steel part, as it will thereafter contaminate the surface of the next stainless steel material it is used on.

What is the Best Broom

Date: 2010-11-19A broom is one of life's necessities because it's hard to keep things in order without one. The purpose of any broom is to transform a thin layer of debris into an easily disposable pile, or it can simply move dirt and debris out of the way. In doing so, a broom becomes a model of mechanical efficiency and a metaphor for handling life's difficulties...if only every problem could be brushed aside so easily. A broom is a simple thing, and that's part of its beauty. Its basic design of a head and handle can be transformed so that it meets a wide range of requirements and working conditions. Read on, and you may be surprised by how each product is designed to meet the challenges of dealing with dirt. All-Purpose Push Broom Brooms with a Stiff Center and Fine Border These brooms are available in sizes ranging from 14-36 inches and are designed for sweeping medium-textured indoor or outdoor surfaces. The stiff center moves stubborn debris; the fine border sweeps dust and dirt. The qualities of polypropylene make this an excellent choice as an "all-purpose" sweeping tool with a 3" bristle trim. Broom with a Heavy-Duty Polypropylene This broom has bristles made of heavy-duty polypropylene... by far, one of the toughest bristle materials shown here. This design has three advantages: First, it's extremely rugged and the bristles are long wearing. Second, the bristles are very stiff, so the broom can be used to move heavy materials, such as crushed stone or demolition debris. Trim length is 4". Use with any of our Speed Sweep® handles. Garage-Smooth Surface Broom If you want an ideal garage broom, these products are a good choice. They are available in 14-36" lengths. The brushes of Gray-Flagged PVC work best for fine dirt and dust removal while the Fine-Duty Polypropylene push brooms will remove light dust along with light debris. They are both excellent choices for smooth-floor applications. The trim length is 3". Use with any of our Speed Sweep® handles. Medium-Duty Push Broom This broom uses reasonably long (3-1/4-in.), medium- stiff plastic bristles. The Medium-Duty Polypropylene works best on smooth to semi-rough surfaces and has the ability to move moderate to heavy debris. The polypropylene bristles make it the ideal broom for both dry and wet surfaces. Use with any of our Speed Sweep® handles. Street Push Broom This broom is designed to take punishment while sweeping a variety of surfaces indoors and out. Our Extra-Stiff Brown Polypropylene Push Broom is for heavy-duty sweeping. Its polypropylene bristles are stapled into 18" wood blocks. A pair of bidirectional handle holes in the head allows you to mount the handle in opposite directions to evenly distribute bristle wear. Speedy Corn Brooms Sturdy polypropylene "corn" bristles are long wearing, washable and impervious to chemicals. Our Speedy Corn Brooms will not break or shed. Bristles are heat sealed, then riveted into a metal cap. A steel band retains the bristle shape. The extra-stiff brown polypropylene is longer wearing and chemical resistant. Floor Squeegees Heavy-Duty Straight Squeegees are manufactured with heavy gauge zinc-plated steel and a 2" genuine neoprene blade. These chemical and abrasion-resistant squeegees have the ruggedness and durability to get the job done. Our Curved Squeegeeshave the same blade as our Heavy-Duty Straight Squeegees. The curve helps collect water in front of the squeegee. The Flip Flop Squeegees have a socket that allows for forward and backward strokes and have a 1-1/2" blade that is split down the middle for double-scraping surfaces and faster drying. The Flex Squeegytm has a 2-1/4" closed-cell foam material commonly called "moss." The split-moss blade dramatically reduces floor drying time and works well on smooth and textured floors. Utility Brushes These durable brushes are for a wide variety of industrial applications, including Hygienic Brushes, which are designed for use in the food industry. All components are completely hygienic. Our Utility Brushes are designed to perform the toughest cleaning jobs and will not absorb moisture or odors. Speedy Mop Our Speedy Mop is constructed with plated steel components to withstand rigorous use. The sponge head is genuine cellulose. Vinyl wringer rollers squeeze dirt and water out of the sponge head. The wringer is located halfway up steel handle for easy wringing.

Natural Bristle Brushes

Date: 2010-11-19

Gordon Brush manufactures natural bristle brushes from numerous natural fibers. Some of the most common natural bristle materials are:

Natural Bristle Corn Brooms

Corn brooms are built to our quality specifications for professional performance and durability. Constructed of 100% corn fiber.

Tampico Bristle Brushes

Tampico fiber is produced in Mexico from the stalk of the Agave plant. Has a soft to medium texture and is off white in color. It is often dyed and blended to give the desired effects to a brush. It is heat, alkali, and acid resistant. The porous fibers absorb water and work wet or dry. More aggressive than nylon or horsehair. Used for removing surface particles and tool marks, dusting, wet scrubbing, cleaning, and spreading liquids. Excellent for removing light feather burrs and for light edge blending when used with a compound. Heat distortion temperature is 283° F.

Horsehair Bristle Brushes

Horsehair is a medium to high cost material. Tail hair is stiffer than mane hair. Its soft to slightly stiff texture gives a scratch-free dry cleaning and has very good durability. Not resistant to acids or alkalis. Used for buffing, cleaning, dusters, and window brushes, excellent for ESD applications. Heat distortion temperature is 380° F.

Hog Bristle Brushes

Hog bristles are relatively scarce and expensive. This material has characteristics that set it apart as the best natural filling material for a wide variety of brushes. Each strand of bristle has a natural taper from the butt or flesh end to the tip, giving it resilience not found in other hairs. In addition, the tip end of each bristle is naturally split into two or more branches called the flag. Hog bristle has a slightly stiff to very stiff texture and is brown or black in color excellent for ESD applications. It has excellent durability and water resistance.

Goat Hair Brushes

A very fine hair with limited elasticity. It has a natural kink that cannot be straightened. Used for short, soft brushes like cosmetic brushes. Available at Gordon Brush in natural black and white, and dyed in blue, brown gold, green, gray, and purple.

Red Sable Brushes

The hair of the red sable is the most valuable of all soft hairs. It is very fine, has strong, sharp points and great elasticity and carries color well. Red sable hair makes the finest artists' brushes, being particularly suited for use with Japan colors, oil colors and heavy-bodied sign-writing materials, and is best for fine lettering. Pure red sable hair has a perpetual taper, creating the finest point possible.

Read more on our Natural Bristle Brush Material Descriptions.

All About Brooms

Date: 2010-11-19

A broom is a cleaning tool consisting of stiff fibers attached to, and roughly parallel to, a cylindrical handle, the broomstick. Brooms have a very long history.

The old form of broom was the besom, fashioned by tying something on a stick or handle: straw, hay, fine twigs or corn husks. They were relatively inefficient as a cleaning implement and subject to self-destructing after a few uses. It wasn't until 1810 that a Massachusetts farmer named Levi Dickenson invented the foot-treadle broom machine and brought about a broom that didn't fall apart. Around the middle of the 1820's, the United Society of Believers (also know as the Shakers) made the first flat broom, what we call a corn broom today.

Using 21st century technology, the basic design of a head and handle can be transformed so it meets a wide range of requirements and working conditions.

Tip of the month: Regardless of the design, always hang your broom with the bristles pointed up. It not only preserves and extends the life of the broom, supposedly, an upward pointed besom (bristles up), especially over or near a doorway, will help protect the house from evil spirits or negative energies.

Natural bristle brushes are manufactured from genuine bristle and natural materials, friendly to the environment. Our Natural bristle brushes vary in shape and size according to the task chosen. Natural bristle brushes, whether using the long-handle brushes for those hard-to-get-at spots or the smaller brushes for the areas that need more detail, will hold more paint than an artificial brush and are longer wearing.

Auto Detailing Brushes

Date: 2010-11-19

Detail brushes save you time by removing dirt and grime in hard-to-reach places. The most obvious areas to focus on when detailing your auto interior are air vents, and console (including radio buttons, gear shifter, steering wheel and other nooks and crannies). These areas will require a unique detailing brush that will safely and effectively remove grime build-up. Whether you are cleaning your carpets, cloth upholstery, leather or air vents, a professional auto detail brush will save you time.

Tires & Wheels
Our Standard Tire & Wheel Brushes quickly clean tires and polished, painted and clear-coated wheels without scratching. Our Long-Handle Utility Brush for tires and wheels has a 20-inch handle so you won't have to bend over so far to clean your car's tires and wheels. All brushes feature generous 2" flagged-cut bristles set in a sturdy block that is acid and alkaline resistant. The ultra-soft, exploded-tip bristles hold mounds of soapy water to scrub away road grime without harming the wheel's finish.

Click on the Standard Tire & Wheel Brush of your choice:

• 9" Utility Brush - Polypropylene Foam Block
• 20" Utility Brush - White Polypropylene Block
• 9" Utility Brush - Hardwood Block

Interior Upholstery
Our natural horse hair Interior Upholstery Brushes work well on all interior surfaces. They clean cloth upholstery, plastics, and vinyl. The sturdy hairs are safe on any of these surfaces.

• Horse Hair Hand Scrub Block Brush
• Horse Hair / Shaped Plywood Scratch Brush 

Interior Quick Cleanup
The auto mini dustpan and whisk broom can be stored easily in your auto. The whisk broom is ideal for sweeping up dirt and debris from your car's interior carpets, seats and upholstery. 

Our whisk broom and dust pan set is great for quick clean-ups in cars, boats, trucks and around the house. This broom kit can also be used in schools to clean up classrooms and is the ideal size for children. Our Feather Dusters with all natural feathers are the softest, most versatile and are so very easy to clean.

Engine & Detail
Our 3 Brush Set toothbrush-style cleaning brushes and our best detail brush 1010HH should meet your auto detailing needs for getting into small areas. Comfortable grip plastic handle.

Vinyl Car Tops & Interior Carpet
This brush is especially effective on vinyl car tops and upholstery. Our Scrub Brush has a raised molded handle that provides an excellent grip while keeping hands away from cleaning solutions. Highest quality .013 crimped polypropylene bristles are long wearing and resistant to alkalis and most solvents, and heat tolerant to 230º F.

Battery Terminal
Battery corrosion can diminish the life of your car battery. Removing battery corrosion with the Battery Corrosion Brush with its densely packed brass wire bristles scrubs away dirt and grime safely and easily. 

Engine Brush
Our standard parts Cleaning Brush works well for removing grease, oil and solvents from metal parts.   

Lug Nuts 

Our Small Duster Brushes with white bristle material and our Ultra Duster Brush with hog bristle material will easily remove dirt and grime from the lug-nut cavity.

Interior Detail
Our oval sash brushes, economy chip brushes, orange stick brushes and lettering brushes are paintbrush styles detail brushes for vents, radio face, and general clean up. They work well for dusting and removing debris.

Private Labeling for Brushes

Date: 2010-11-19 Private labeling makes cataloged and custom products purchased from Gordon Brush unique for your company. It brings your customer back to you when purchased for resale, as corporate gifts, or for inclusion with your products. Private labeling can take many different forms. It can be as simple as putting your company's logo and bar code on a thermal-print label and attaching it to the product before it ships or as ornate as acid etching your information on the front of an electro polished product and shipping it in individual resale or gift boxes. Gordon Brush is equipped and staffed to accommodate your needs. Some techniques for putting your corporate identification on standard or custom brushes are: Pad Printing With pad printing a clean clear image can be printed even on irregular surfaces like a golf ball.  This technique will allow us to print single color logos and other information on a wide variety of surfaces including most plastics, wood, and metal. Branding Branding is a dry printing method in which a heated die is used to burn part numbers or other information onto wood material. The dies used in this process are relatively expensive. Color Colors can be used very effectively to bring your corporate identification to the product or to simply express your sentiment.  The full spectrum of Pantone® colors are available. Gordon Brush stocks some colored fiber but the chance that we would have stock on the diameter, material, and color that you want is small. Please note that the minimum material purchase for colored fiber ranges from 100 - 1000 lbs depending on the filament. Patterns Distinctive fill patterns are also available at Gordon Brush. Our engineers would be pleased to work with you on a fill pattern that suits your needs as well as your ambitions. Button & Inserts You can choose to have buttons or inserts shipped to Gordon Brush for an epoxy setting to our existing or your custom handles and brush blocks. We would like to work with you to make our product your product. Please give us a call and talk to one of our friendly engineers about your ideas for your products.

Brush Machines

Date: 2010-11-19

Gordon Brush has sophisticated machines that are designed to meet your needs. Our state-of-the-art machines are capable of making a wide variety of brushes. This gives us the ability to use any type of bristle material brushes of unlimited sizes and shapes.

Our in-house machine shop permits us to be very creative with our brush designs. These machines are very accurate and reliable. They allow us to rapidly and precisely replicate the part geometry, thereby minimizing production cost while producing consistent high quality parts. In-house machining allows us to quick turn orders and provide shorter lead times. From turnkey engineering to complete systems integration, Gordon Brush will find a way to make technology work for you.

For the last 5 years we have invested close to 4 million dollars in new CNC machines to expand our capabilities and through-put. Our machines are fully automatic up to 5 axis CNC machine centers from the best manufacturers in the world including Fadal, Haas, ACRA, Miyano, Borghi and Zahoransky. Zahoransky is the largest brush machine maker in the world. We are now capable of making brushes from miniatures up to 10 feet in length in flat, cylinder, disk configurations.

To the right are some of the many special and unique brushes that our machines have produced.

We would like to work with you to make our product your product. Please give us a call and talk to one of our friendly engineers about your ideas for your custom brush products.

You may also want to check out more of our custom brushes and special brushes.

Medical & Dental Brushes

Date: 2010-11-19

Gordon Brush would like to share with you some of the  medical and dental brushes that we manufacture including miniature brushes, applicator brushes, disposable brushes, tube brushes, twisted-in-wire brushes, spiral brushes to clean bottles, holes, pipes & tubes and autoclavable for cleanroom or sterile applications. We make various shapes of brushes using synthetic, natural, wire, and other materials to fit your application. We can manufacture to standard or custom configurations & manufacture with FDA and/or USDA approved materials.

This is a dental bur cleaning brush, it's autoclavable and contains Teflon® and stainless steel bristles.
This complex brush was designed to fit a machine for a customer in the pharmaceutical industry.

We would like to work with you to make our product your product. Please give us a call and talk to one of our friendly engineers about your ideas for your products.

You may also want to check out more of our custom and special brushes.