Swissvax style brushes and leather brush

[anson89]

Are there any cheaper/better alternatives to the Swissvax detailing brushes? Also looking for a good leather brush for scrubbing instead of using toothbrushes.



Thanks

[JohnKleven]

The Swissvax brushes are not very expensive, and they last a long time. You just have to be a little dilligent with the leather brush.





John

[David Fermani]

Hmmmmm, using atoothbrush on leather is a great idea! :bow



Look into the DUO sponge by HD Car Care and/or a vegetable scrub brush. I also have a few various Boars Hair brushes that are very gentle and work great too.

[GoCubsGo]

Warning: Cheesy solution to follow:





Here`s what I did (yep a little too much time on my hands).



http://i688.photobucket.com/albums/vv248/trudnick/CIMG1992.jpg



Materials:

Vent Brush from Pep Boys $1.09

Old wooden spoon from kitchen drawer (had on hand)

Wood glue (had on hand)

Electrical tape (had on hand)



Time:

20 minutes



Used the Dremel to cut the spoon down

Drilled (3/8ths bit) through the center of the vent brush about 1.75" deep

Used the Dremel to fine tune the spoon handle diameter to match vent brush bore

Applied some wood glue

Insert spoon handle into vent brush and let set

Apply electrical tape for "looks"



The only down side is the bristles are housed in metal versus plastic, but I mainly use this for engine detailing and you just have to be a little careful. It`s totally cheesey (and I know it :dance), but its really sturdy, works great and was a fun little project.

[anson89]

hahaha that`s awesome!

where can I get boar`s brushes? I keep seeing people mentioning em

[RustyBumper]

I went to Michael`s and bought some brushes to use for wheels. So far no problems with them and they only cost a little less than $5 a brush.

[pingable]

I don`t like the SV leather brush for the $$



HOWEVER, the wheel brush is worth every penny.



What makes it`s so great is the density of the hairs in the brush in relation to length of it. It has enough give(firm but not too firm) yet is still gentle for those $$$ wheels.

[NotZeroSix]

I love my Swissvax Wheel brush as well. It provides tough agitation on surfaces without scratches or marring. And at $12, its priced for its performance and durability. Definitely worth every penny. Thats why I bought two. =D

[NotZeroSix]

I don`t like the SV leather brush for the $$



HOWEVER, the wheel brush is worth every penny.



What makes it`s so great is the density of the boars hair brush in relation to length of it. It has enough give(firm but not too firm) yet is still gentle for those $$$ wheels.



I thought the swissvax wheel brush was Horse Hair? Correct me if im wrong.



O BTW, during use dont smell it. Its disgusting.

[judyb]

We tend to find that boars head brushes are too soft for leather cleaning as the idea is to get your foam cleaner into the grain pattern to do its work - the bristles on this type tend to bend at the ends and so do not work in the way required.

Try using a simple dish washing brush with plastic bristles - remember you are not trying to scrub the dirt out (this is too aggressive and may damage the finish on the leather) you are merely using the brush to get the product into all the nooks and crannies so that it can soften the dirt and lift it. This is a good reason for using a foam rather than a liquid cleaner as it stays put and gives the product time to do its job. In leather cleaning it should always be the product that does the work not agression or elbow grease.

[tenorplayer23]

I also bought a couple at Michael`s artist paint brushes for the aforementioned ~$5 ea. And, they nominally have a coupon once a week to buy one item for %50 off (therefore, a~$2.50 price). Can`t seem to find the URL on the Michael`s site. However, the brush looks a lot like a Swissvax brush and is with all the paint/brush supplies in the store.



See ya. :wavey




I went to Michael`s and bought some brushes to use for wheels. So far no problems with them and they only cost a little less than $5 a brush.

[dheath]

Are the swissvax wheel brush bristles kind of firm or are they really soft like a regular paintbrush? Those pictured in GoCubsGo`s post look super soft...

[NotZeroSix]

Are the swissvax wheel brush bristles kind of firm or are they really soft like a regular paintbrush? Those pictured in GoCubsGo`s post look super soft...



They are really soft in my opinion. Delicate enough to use it as a make-up brush. I dont know about GoCubsGo`s brushes...never had any experience with time but you cant go wrong with Swissvax.

[pingable]

The ones pictured in GoCubs look too soft....but YMMV.



The Swissvax ones are SOFT in material but DENSE so it`s soft enough but has because it`s so ~dense~ it has enough give to work wheels.

[pingable]

judyb -



I find plastic bristles a bit too hard for my taste --- or so the ones I have seen ...

However, I have a boars hair brush that is shaped in a rectangle and personally I find it`s great in my experiance.



When I 1st started detailing, I though a wipe with a cloth was fine.



However, after using product and scrubbing with a boar hair brush, you can definitely see how much cleaner it gets since the hairs agitate the dirt in between the grains.



Would love to hear some more leather blurbs from you...