Learning More About Scratch Brushes

One of the most common types of brushes that many people are likely to have, either for personal or industrial use, is called a scratch brush. Scratch brushes are lightweight, ergonomic, handheld brushes that come in a wide range of shapes, styles, fill materials, bristle lengths, and sizes. These scratch brushes are also available with wood or plastic handles.
 Gordon Brush® has a full line of hand held scratch brushes to meet all of your applications. When selecting your scratch brush, you can choose from a number of ergonomic handle styles. From curved wooden handles to wide, block-style handles, the right option can make any job more comfortable.
 Wire scratch brushes are a favorite tool for many occupations. These scratch brushes are ideal for plating processes and fine metal finishing work and can help ease tough jobs like removing rust, paint, and grease, as well as cleaning threads and files. When you are working with old, corroded, or dirty surfaces, scratch brushes can make the job easier. The heavy-duty bristles help you remove years of damage on wood or metal. Steel wire brushes are a common and essential tool in any metal fabrication shop. These brushes can be used for a variety of applications, including weld cleaning, deburring, rust and oxide removal, surface preparation, and surface finishing.
 Natural hair scratch brushes are essential in the electronic industry. Gordon Brush® manufactures many different types of ESD scratch brushes that can safely clean PCBs (printed circuit boards) and other electrical components prone to damage from ESD (electrostatic discharge). ESD safe scratch brushes are designed to dust PCBs and other static-sensitive items from which particles must be safely removed. These specially developed brushes are ideal for cleaning delicate components, integrated circuits and workstation surfaces. They can also be used for cleaning computer backplanes and motherboards or brushing down workstations and anti-static mats.

Made in the United States, Gordon Brush's line of standard/stock scratch brushes are crafted with exacting specifications. If you cannot find the exact brush for your need, Gordon Brush® can customize a scratch brush to suit your application. If a brush exists, we have it…If it doesn't, we'll make it!

The Madness Behind Miniature Brushes

There is nothing small about Gordon Brush's wide array of miniature brushes. Gordon Brush®, a leading American manufacturer of stock and custom industrial brushes, is proud to offer miniature brushes for a multitude of uses and applications. In general, miniature brushes are used for ultra-fine finishing, deburring, reaming, polishing and internal cleaning applications, in hard to reach areas, or where fine detailing is desired. We also offer a range of highest quality artist’s brushes used for painting fine art to painting miniatures.

The best for painting Miniature brushes can be broken down into the following categories:

Micro Spiral Brushes: are often used for thread cleaning, deburring, edge blending and more. They are extremely effective when cleaning small tubes and areas that are unreachable with standard spiral brushes. Gordon Brush® offers three types of micro brushes: Abrasive Micro Spiral Brushes; Micro Spiral Miniature Brushes; and Thread Cleaning Brushes. These miniature brushes are available with multiple types of brush diameters and fill material.

Mini Applicator Brushes: are for applying glues or solvents. These brushes are available with horsehair, brass, stainless steel, nylon, and other fill materials. Stainless steel applicator brushes have excellent chemical resistance and effectively stand up to the toughest jobs.

Miniature Artist Brushes: are used to create fine precise details that match your artistic standards. Our selection includes miniature artist brushes that are the best for painting miniatures, blending watercolors, stenciling and painting on silk. These brushes are available in a broad range of sizes and lengths.

Mini Flow Thru Brushes: are the optimal solution for a controlled application of glues, paints, dyes, solvents and other liquids. Gordon Brush® stocks mini flow thru brushes in several distinctive styles with high-quality fill materials such as nylon, camel, and red sable.

Miniature Instrument Cleaning Brushes: are ideal for cleaning instruments that involve tight spaces. Gordon Brush's mini instrument cleaning brushes are offered with static dissipative, (safe to use with electronics), nylon, horsehair, or hog bristle fill material.

Miniature Paddle Brushes: are designed to clean and polish blind threaded holes, tubes and cylinders. The bristles on these versatile mini brushes are made with stainless or carbon steel and are designed to minimize flexing. As an added benefit, the brush holders help extend the length of the brush, so you can clean hard-to-reach spaces.

Miniature Vacuum Brushes: can be used to clean the crevices on a keyboard or removing dust from data ports requiring a mini brush that’s small enough for the job. Miniature vacuum brushes clean in areas that larger vacuum brushes simply can’t fit into. Gordon Brush's miniature vacuum brushes feature ¼” trim length and ¼” inlet diameter.

Miniature Metal Free Brushes are perfect for sterilizing, cleaning and disinfecting plastics. They also provide an ideal solution for cleaning the inside of straight and curved plastic pipes and tubes. Gordon Brush® can customize a miniature metal free brush to be used to clean valves and fittings, or any application where aggressive scrubbing is required, and where surface scratching must be avoided.

Even though they might be miniature brushes, Gordon Brush® has Bigger, Better, Brush Ideas™. Contact us today to get the best for painting utensils by ordering a stock or custom miniature brush right here. Shop our website or call us on 800-950-7950 for more information.
If a brush exists, we have it…if it doesn't, we'll make it!

A Sweeping Success Story

CITY OF INDUSTRY, CA -- by By Graeme Golucki of ISSA.com In 2018, Gordon Brush Mfg. Co., Inc. was named the recipient of the MADE: In America Award™. Gordon Brush® was one of only four winners of the annual award, which recognizes outstanding achievements by an American manufacturing company. The award was bestowed on the heels of the company receiving a Certificate of Congressional Recognition as part of the U.S. House of Representatives’ Make It In America initiative. The House established the program in 2010 to encourage private sector job creation nationwide. Not only did Gordon Brush receive national recognition for its participation in the program, U.S. Representative Grace Napolitano (D-CA) and House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD) visited its 183,000-square-foot manufacturing complex in the City of Industry, CA, to personally bestow the honor upon the company for actively promoting the American manufacturing industry.

These two honors are the culmination of Gordon Brush’s decades of developing and producing premium quality American made brushes and brooms. Though the company was established in the 1950s, its product portfolio includes brands whose history dates as far back as the 1800s.  Ken Rakusin, President & CEO of Gordon Brush, holding a Congressional Recognition Certificate.

Gordon Brush was founded by Don Gordon (hence the name) and experienced moderate success manufacturing specialty brushes during the next few decades. In 1973, aerospace engineer William Loitz purchased the company from Gordon. Loitz maintained the company’s steady growth for the next 15 years or so. Faced with a bit of a rough patch, Loitz brought in Ken Rakusin to help right the ship. Rakusin previously had a successful career with Xerox; he immediately began turning the company around and eventually purchasing the company in 1998.

Gordon Brush began making a series of acquisitions that set the company on a pathway to prosperity.

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (green tie), flanked by Rakusin and Congresswoman Grace Napolitano, meets with the Gordon Brush staff.

Historic acquisitions

Under Rakusin’s leadership, Gordon Brush began making a series of acquisitions that set the company on a pathway to prosperity, starting with the purchase of the Marx Brush line of artist and cosmetic brushes in 1999. Six years later, Gordon Brush purchased Milwaukee Dustless Brush, a janitorial and sanitation brush manufacturer that had been in business since the 1890s. “Milwaukee Dustless Brush was established in 1897 as the name implies, in Milwaukee, WI,” said Alan Schechter, vice president of marketing for Gordon Brush. “Milwaukee Dustless was one of the earliest, if not the first, manufacturers of commercial cleaning tools. It made a name for itself with a steel-backed brush head that featured an external socket with nearly infinite positions, something that to this day remains unique in the industry. While today it is now a part of Gordon Brush, we kept the brand name, because anyone in the industry who hasn’t been under a rock—or a brush— knows the Milwaukee Dustless name.”

Confronting challenges

Gordon Brush did not slow down after its acquisition of Milwaukee Dustless. The company continued to expand its product offerings through numerous acquisitions of specialty brush manufacturers. Earlier this year, the company purchased Spectrum Paint Applicator Corp., an American manufacturer of consumer paint brushes, paint rollers, and artist brushes, that wasfounded in 1945. And while the quantity of Gordon Brush’s equipment portfolio continued to grow through the years, one thing that did not shrink was the company’s commitment to quality.  “While other manufacturers may have consolidated, Gordon Brush has been able to thrive by delivering a premium line of durable products,” Schechter said. “On a daily basis, it feels as if we’re in a battle against low-cost, knockoff, and counterfeit manufacturers. This is one of the biggest challenges facing not just Gordon Brush, but the entire industry. We will never apologize for producing high-quality products or having premium pricing. We’re proud of the fact that at the end of the day, our customers receive a product they can be proud of and that can do the job for which it is intended for a long, long time.” According to Rakusin, not only is Gordon Brush committed to producing quality products, the company is also loyal to the people manufacturing these products. That employee loyalty is reciprocal and another crucial factor to the company’s continued success. “One of the reasons we’re so committed to remaining a U.S.-based manufacturer is our people,” Rakusin said. “There are employees both on our factory floor and in our administrative offices that have been here for more than four decades. Today, we’re the home-awayfrom-home for more than 150 workers. Some of these employees even have [now adult] children who have come to work for us. We joke that eventually we’re going to start employing workers’ grandchildren when they’re old enough. We endeavor ourselves to be extremely family oriented and that sense of communion has developed a great sense of pride in the products we manufacturer.”

Showing up at the show

In addition to quality products and a commitment to its employees, Schechter also credits Gordon Brush’s relationship with ISSA throughout the years as another rung on the company’s ladder of success. Gordon Brush is currently celebrating its 60th year as an ISSA member.  “It’s very simple; ISSA is the major trade organization of the industry,” Schechter said. “It’s a fantastic source of knowledge for everything impacting the janitorial industry, a great source for keeping up on current trends. We absolutely love the annual show (ISSA Show North America). Our employees relish the opportunity to attend and see old friends, our customers, and even our competitors. Even though we’ve been around for six decades, it is still important for Gordon Brush to have a presence at the show and be seen by the industry.” Schechter also is quick to point out that the ISSA Show is more than the show floor itself. “As exciting as working the booth can be, I have to say the keynote speakers have been phenomenal lately,” he said. “Howie Mandel was so funny a few years ago in [Las Vegas], I couldn’t stop laughing. And last year in Dallas, I was completely in awe of President George W. Bush. It was almost unbelievable to be not just in the same room as him, but at arm’s length from a former president as he delivered a phenomenal fireside chat. And there’s others through the years—boxer Sugar Ray Leonard, Kevin O’Leary from Shark Tank, the list goes on. ISSA goes above and beyond to make it a week to experience.”

Looking ahead

Although Gordon Brush has had a series of successes recently, Schechter is empathetic to many of the issues facing the cleaning industry today. “I do find it disturbing that many of the mom-and-pop type smaller manufacturers and distributors are going by the wayside, either being bought up or shutting their doors,” he said. “Consolidation has made it so the jansan world in some ways is no longer a cottage industry. Plus, the challenges of cheaper, lesser quality products have made it tougher to be competitive. But as long as we continue to be committed to employing quality people and manufacturing superior products, I have no doubt Gordon Brush will continue to thrive. Consumers will find that the bitterness of poor quality remains long after the sweetness of low prices has been forgotten.”  Complete article available at: http://issatoday.issa.com/?issueID=51&pageID=28

Manufacturing Medical Brushes

Gordon Brush® manufactures a broad range of American made brushes for medical, dental, laboratory, medical cleanroom, and contract manufacturing applications.  Our vast array of stock brushes is used in neurological, orthopedic, spinal fixation, soft tissue fixation, bone fixation, implant prototyping, implant production and micro/minimally invasive device applications. In addition, surgical instrument cleaning brushes are used to clean endoscopes, as well as other instruments used in medical, dental and surgical procedures in hospitals, medical centers and veterinary clinics.

Gordon Brush's medical brushes are made with stainless steel stem wire and machined for optimum performance. Choose from a range of wire, natural and synthetic filaments for the abrasiveness and/or stiffness required by your critical cleaning applications. Gordon Brush® also offers a line of Metal Free brushes made with FDA compatible polypropylene. These Metal Free brushes are great to clean glassware or for other uses where a metal filament will damage the apparatus being cleaned.

Manual cleaning is recommended for delicate instruments and devices, such as microsurgical instruments, lensed instruments, power equipment and other instruments that can’t tolerate an automated cleaning process. If debris still remains on the instrument, then use a stainless-steel brush.

Stainless steel brushes are designed to remove debris, stains and stubborn bioburden that the nylon brush can’t remove. Stainless steel is intended to be used on bone files, needle holders, burrs, hemostats, reamers, scissors, serrated vascular instruments and orthopedic instruments.

For many orthopedic implants that are made from Titanium, it is imperative to use a Titanium brush to deburr the implant.  When a titanium part is brushed with a stainless-steel brush, small amounts of the stainless steel are abraded from the brush fiber and embedded in the surface of the titanium. The two dissimilar metals are physically bound. When moisture is added, the result is the creation of a battery and the start of galvanic corrosion.

Gordon Brush® also manufactures custom medical brushes. The Company customized a brush for a spinal surgery company to clear the disc space in preparation for a spinal fusion. Gordon Brush's line of Metal Free brushes can also be customized for your specific application.

Contact us today to order a stock or custom medical brush. Send us an email or call us at 800-950-7950. If a brush exists, we have it…if it doesn't, we'll make it!

The Differences Between Anti-Static, Static Dissipative, Conductive, and Insulative

Static Electricity

As the name implies, static electricity is electricity at rest. An electrical charge occurs due to a transfer of electrons when there is sliding, rubbing, or separating of a material. These act on materials such as: plastics, fiberglass, rubber, textiles, etc., generate electrostatic voltages. Under the right conditions, this induced charge can reach 30,000 to 40,000 volts.

When this happens to an insulating material, like plastic, the charge tends to remain in the localized area of contact. This electrostatic voltage may then discharge via an arc or spark when the plastic material comes in contact with a body at a sufficiently different potential, such as a person or microcircuit.

If Electrostatic Discharge (ESD) occurs to a person, the results may range anywhere from a mild to a painful shock. Extreme cases of ESD, or Arc Flash, can even result in loss of life. These types of sparks are especially dangerous in environments that may contain flammable liquids, solids or gasses, such as in a hospital operating room or explosive device assembly.

Some micro-electronic parts can be destroyed or damaged by ESD as low as 20 volts. Since people are prime causes of ESD, they often cause damage to sensitive electronic parts, especially during manufacturing and assembly. The consequences of discharge through an electrical component sensitive to ESD can range from erroneous readings to permanent damage resulting in excessive equipment downtime and costly repair or total part replacement.

Electrostatic Discharge (ESD)

The sudden flow of electricity between two electrically charged objects caused by contact, an electrical short, or dielectric breakdown. A buildup of static electricity can be caused by turbocharging or by electrostatic induction.

Anti-Static

Preventing the buildup of static electricity. Reducing static electric charges, as on textiles, waxes, polishes, etc., by retaining enough moisture to provide electrical conduction.

Dissipative

The charges flow to ground more slowly and in a somewhat more controlled manner than with conductive materials. Dissipative materials have a surface resistivity equal to or greater than 1 x 10⁵ Ω/sq but less than 1 x 10¹² Ω/sq or a volume resistivity equal to or greater than 1 x 10⁴ Ω-cm but less than 1 x 10¹¹ Ω-cm.

Conductive

With a low electrical resistance, electrons flow easily across the surface or through the bulk of these materials. Charges go to ground or to another conductive object that the material contacts or comes close to. Conductive materials have a surface resistivity less than 1 x 10⁵ Ω/sq or a volume resistivity less than 1 x 10⁴ Ω-cm.

Insulative

Insulative materials prevent or limit the flow of electrons across their surface or through their volume. Insulative materials have a high electrical resistance and are difficult to ground. Static charges remain in place on these materials for a very long time. Insulative materials are defined as those having a surface resistivity of at least 1 x 10¹² Ω/sq or a volume resistivity of at least 1 x 10¹¹ Ω-cm.

Low charging (anti-static) materials used to make these natural fill brushes include Wood, Hog Bristle, Horse Hair and Goat Hair. These materials can be used in ESD sensitive areas as long as the brush remains in a liquid environment. In a dry environment, only conductive or dissipative materials should be used in ESD safe areas.

Gordon Brush® manufacturers a wide variety of standard Anti-Static, Dissipative, Conductive, and Insulative brushes. We can even customize any of these various types of brushes for you too! Call us today for a free quote. If a brush exists, we have it…If it doesn't, we'll make it!!!

CEO Ken Rakusin is guiding the award winning California manufacturer to growth through acquisitions and the capability to make any and all brushes.

Producing more than 17,000 different brushes for every industry imaginable, Gordon Brush is the leading brush manufacturer in the nation. Its catalog typically grows by 15 to 20 styles every single week.

"If a brush exists, we have it," says Rakusin. "If it doesn't, we'll make it. What most people don't realize is that almost every single type of industry needs brushes for one reason or another. For us, there are two general types of brush categories. One is the stock or standard type of brush and the other 50 percent are custom brushes." Custom clients run the gamut from cookie bakeries looking to clean conveyor lines to NASA for telescope lens upkeep.

The company, established in 1951 by founder Don Gordon, now has a dozen brands, of which two date back to the 19th century and one has been around since 1855. Through acquisitions over the decades, Gordon Brush has grown into numerous markets, expanding its reach into such industries as aerospace, medical, military, pharmaceutical, and electronics.

Ken Rakusin with House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer and Congresswoman Grace Napolitano. Photos Ashley Horne.

"We generally make two acquisitions a year," says Rakusin. "We acquire companies whose ownership is ready to retire and that fits well with our product line. Over time, this has expanded the depth and breadth of our product line and has helped us acquire new customers."

Within the company's 183,000-square-foot facility, manufacturing and assembly capabilities allow for fast turnaround times. "We can offer same-day shipping on over 3,500 standard types of brushes and can sometimes deliver specialty and custom brushes in one business day or less," says Rakusin. "Our facility combines both modern automated and semi-automated equipment that can help us produce 50,000 to 100,000 pieces a day. Yet, there are some brushes which need to be done by hand and requires an artisan aspect to some of our specialty products. Brush manufacturing is an art, so we often train employees with the skills needed to operate machinery as well as learning the skills to create products that need to be made by hand."

Read the complete article at https://companyweek.com/company-profile/gordon-brush

The Costly Battle Against Chinese Knockoffs – Here’s a Real Life Example

Thousands of U.S. brands have found almost identical copies of their products being sold by Chinese companies online. From cars to clothes, the Chinese knock-off industry has grown rapidly in recent years along with the internet. With low manufacturing costs and massive demand, it doesn’t look like it’s going away any time soon.

The American made Footmate® System, a brand owned by Gordon Brush® is currently dealing with the issue. Their trademarked product is a brush that goes in the shower or bath to clean, massage, and scrub feet. The product features over 11,000 bristles and suction cups on the bottom for easy use. Gordon Brush® has been producing the Footmate® System since 2012, but has been hard hit by Chinese knock-offs. The latest infringer of their established product is Allstar Products Group, a consumer products company, which released the Fresh Feet Scrubber in February.

The product is an exact replica of the Footmate® brush, from the color scheme, to its description on their website, and an almost exact copy of their video.

Read the complete article and watch the video at https://madeinamerica.com/costly-battle-against-chinese-knockoffs/

Gordon Brush, Made in America Interview

Gordon Brush® is one of the largest manufacturers of custom brushes in the world. They design brushes for a wide range of applications, from surgical procedures to cleaning equipment for the U.S. Military. Even under competitive threats, Gordon Brush stays committed to manufacturing in the U.S.

In this interview, Alan Schechter, Vice President, discusses Gordon Brush’s growing brand and marketing strategies.

Why You Should Buy American Made Products
by Alan Schechter

There are many reasons to buy American made products: click the link below to read the complete interview and the reasons to buy American made products.

https://madeinamerica.com/gordon-brush/