Drill Brush

Description

Drill Brush Uses

Cleaning rust and removing paint on surfaces can be a bit tricky and require some elbow grease. That’s where a drill brush comes in. A drill brush takes the hard work out of things like

– removing scale, rust, and paint,

– getting rid of rubber residue and slag

– weld deburring and

– polishing and surface preparation.

To get the job done, we need the right tools, and such work is done using wire drill brushes. A wire brush for your drill commonly comes in a number of types:

1. A wire wheel with shank

2. An end brush

3. A wire dish brush or cup brush

Drill brushes are made with a hex shank for mounting on your drill. These are called stem mounted or spindle mounted wire drill brushes.

Which Drill Brush do I choose?

There are a few important things you need to consider when choosing the best drill brush for your job:

1. RPM of your grinder and the RPM of the power brush

2. The characteristic of the job- are you removing debris or polishing?

3. The surface size you need to cover, and

4. What is your surface made from?

Drill Brushes for sale

Note: Product code is identifier in the drop down box. See picture for End Brush shapes

Shape	Bristle Type	Product Code	Steel Type	Diameter	Thickness	RPM (Max)	Shank
End Brush	Crimped Wire	CEP-15 1771542	High Carbon Steel	40mm	0.3mm	20000	RD / SK DB
	Crimped Wire	SE-04 1710442	Brass Coated Carbon Steel	12mm	0.3mm	20000	RD / SK DB
	Flat End – Crimped Wire	SE-06 1710642	Brass Coated Carbon Steel	20mm	0.3mm	20000	RD / SK DB
	Flat End – Crimped Wire	SE-10 1711012	High Carbon Steel	25mm	0.3mm	20001	RD / SK DB
	Pointed End – Crimped wire	PEP-06 1760642	Brass Coated Carbon Steel	20mm	0.3mm	20000	RD / SK DB
	Twist Knot	KE-06 4716312	High Carbon Steel	20mm	0.3mm	20000	RD/SK DB
Cup Brush	Crimped Wire	QCA-20 6154452	Brass Coated Carbon Steel	50mm	0.3mm	4500	Hex / SK DB
	Crimped Wire	QCA-25 6155452	Brass Coated Carbon Steel	65mm	0.3mm	4500	Hex / SK DB
	Crimped Wire	QCA-30 6156452	Brass Coated Carbon Steel	75mm	0.3mm	4500	Hex / SK DB
	Twist Knot	KSV-40 4637332	High Carbon Steel	100mm	0.4mm	6000	RD/SK DB
Dish Brush	Twist Knot	KSW-30 4416332	High Carbon Steel	75mm	0.4mm	12500	RD/SK DB
Wire Wheel Brush	Twist Knot	KSW-40 4417332	High Carbon Steel	100mm	0.4mm	12500	RD/SK DB
	Crimped Wire	SWA-20 1424212	High Carbon Steel	50mm x 12w	0.3	15000	RD/SK DB
	Crimped Wire	SWA-25 1425212	High Carbon Steel	65mm x 12w	0.3	15000	RD/SK DB
	Crimped Wire	SWA-30 1426212	High Carbon Steel	75mm x 13w	0.3	12000	RD/SK DB
	Crimped Wire	QWA-30 6146453	Brass Coated Carbon Steel	75mm	0.3mm	15000	HEX/SK DB

Do the RPMs on the drill brush matter?

Yes it is important to look at your drill and determine its safe operating speed. While your wire drill brush is likely to fit your drill, you the RPM of the cup brush could be higher than what your drill can achieve. This means you need a higher powered drill to get the result you are looking for.

Remember to never exceed the RPM safety ratings on your drill.

What finish am I trying to achieve with my drill brushes

What does your project look like? Are you cleaning up some glue or residue, or are you paring down a weld? Maybe you are preparing a surface for electrical welds…. What you are trying to achieve makes a big difference in the drill brush that you choose.

Well, there are two major styles namely a crimp style and a twisted / knotted style.

A crimped wire drill brush is more gentle and will bring out the luster and polish in a surface. Whereas stiff wire brushes like twist or knot brushes remove heavy debris. JUST REMEMBER, wire brushes are not for removing metal- they are for cleaning and polishing. To remove metal you need a strong abrasive disc.

For general purpose applications you are best with a crimped drill brush. These crimped-wire brushes provide flexibility for light- to medium-duty brushing action. If you are unsure what power brush to use, always start with a softer brush.

More aggressive brushing is done with a twist drill brush. These are less flexible and are the best type of wire brush for heavy duty debris removal.

Wire Drill Brush and different surface sizes

A key point to consider is how much space you need to cover. And end brush is perfect for cleaning fillet welds, corners, bevels, channels, and slots. You will be able to clean a larger area faster with a cup brush or dish brush.

If you have a larger area to cover, cup brushes and dish brushes are good as they flare only slightly at the right RPM and as they have a larger footprint, can areas in a single pass. A drill wire wheel is for spot jobs like removing welding burs.

What is your surface made from?

Did you that if you don’t use the right wire brush you can harm your metal surface?  So it is important to work out what the best wire brush for your job is.

The anti-rust properties of stainless steel are undermined by using a non-stainless steel brush. For stainless steel jobs, use a stainless steel wire brush. A brass wire brush is perfect for aluminium and other soft surfaces if you don’t want to damage them- it is also non-sparking so much safer in flammable areas. A carbon steel wire brush is good for carbon steel / tempered steel.

Take your time and don’t press too hard

In most circumstances, using the highest speed with the lightest possible pressure will make your job go faster and help you get the longest life from your drill brush. A  crimped drill wire brush spinning at a high speed can achieve the same result as a coarse-wire brush rotating at a slow speed.

The main difference is that the fine-wire power brush will usually lasts longer. That’s why we recommend that you always start with a softer brush!

If you have a low power drill, and you can’t reach the RPM specified on your drill brushes then you can run into problems. If the wire brush for your drill gets insufficient power, frustrated users usually press harder to compensate. But, this increase in pressure does not save you time.

It just causes overbending of the filaments so they don’t connect properly with your surface, as well as heat buildup, wire breakage and dulling.

All drill wire brushes should be continuously moved across the work surface. It is important not to dwell in one spot as it will lead to pitting, gouging, increased heat, and reduced surface finish

A wire brush for drill – to sum up

To sum up the best way to work out the right drill brush for your needs is to consider what you are trying to remove. Always read the safety slip that comes with the product to get the most our of your wire drill bit and stay safe. Doing so can help you finish  jobs faster, saving time and money for a better bottom line.

And remember, before you start your next project. Check your drill brush for any signs of damage and replace where required.

If you need some help choosing from our drill brushes for sale, just give us a call on 02 6242 8996 

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