Quick Answer
A brush is named by four things: the fill that does the work, the backing or core that holds it, the retention method that anchors one to the other, and the interface that joins the brush to a hand or a machine. Every dimension on a drawing is measured against one of those four. Get the words right and a specification stops describing what the brush looks like and starts stating what it has to do.
1. The Parts
| Term | What it names | Why it decides something |
|---|---|---|
| Fill | The filament, wire or fibre that touches the work. Also called bristle or fill material. | It sets what the brush removes and what it damages, so it is chosen before any dimension. |
| Tuft | One bundle of fill held in one hole or one clamp. | Density is counted per tuft and per unit area, so tuft layout is what makes one head stiffer than another at the same trim length. |
| Backing / Core | The block, channel, disc, tube core or wheel centre the fill is anchored into. | It carries the load and sets the assembly’s chemical and temperature limit, often lower than the fill’s own. |
| Trim length | The exposed fill, measured from the holding face to the tip. | Stiffness falls steeply as trim grows. It is the easiest number to change and the easiest to get wrong. |
| Ferrule | The collar that joins a head to a handle or stem. | On an anti-static brush it is part of the ground path; in solvent duty it is an adhesive joint, not a sleeve. |
| Interface | Arbor hole, threaded stem, shaft, flange, clinch ring, channel or plain handle. | This decides whether a brush physically fits the machine you already own. |
2. The Dimensions Published Here
Every product page here carries these where they apply, so two brushes compare without converting anyone’s house vocabulary.
| Dimension | Measured how |
|---|---|
| Head diameter | Across the working face, tip to tip. |
| Head length and width | Along and across the filled area, for rollers, strips and plates. |
| Trim length | Holding face to filament tip, free length only. |
| Filament diameter | Of a single filament or wire, not of the tuft. |
| Handle length and grip diameter | Of the handle alone, where one exists. |
| Overall length | End to end, including handle and stem. |
3. How the Fill Is Held
Retention is a separate decision from the fill, and it fails on its own terms: a brush can lose its fill while every filament is still serviceable.
- Staple-set: tufts folded over a metal staple into a drilled hole. The common construction for blocks, discs and plates.
- Twisted-in-wire: fill trapped between two wire strands twisted together, which then becomes the stem. Standard for bore and tube brushes.
- Channel or strip: fill clamped into a rolled metal or plastic channel, then cut, coiled or mounted to length.
- Resin-set: fill bedded in cured resin, used where a staple hole or wire stem is unacceptable. Hygienic contact surfaces are the usual reason.
- Crimped or knotted: two fill forms for wire wheels and cups. Crimped is softer and finishes; knotted is aggressive and removes.
4. Words That Mean Something Specific Here
Several terms name more than one object, and a specification written with the wrong one arrives as the wrong brush.
- Filter brush here is a brush that is the filter medium: an open radial fill sitting in flowing water to hold solids and carry bacteria. A brush used to clean a filter screen is a handheld detail brush.
- Wheel brush is a powered wire wheel on a spindle. A long-handled brush for washing a car wheel is a handheld brush, whatever a catalogue calls it.
- Cup brush describes the shape of the brush body, not a drinking cup.
- Gutter, on a road sweeper, is the channel at the kerb, not a roof gutter.
Technical References
Which bristle material fits this job — PA612 Nylon, AISI 304 Stainless Steel Wire or Horsehair?
| Material | Continuous temperature (°C) | Peak temperature (°C) | Water absorption | Hardness |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PA612 Nylon | 90–110 | 130–150 | 0.3–0.7% | Shore D 70–80 |
| AISI 304 Stainless Steel Wire | 400 | 500 | 0% | Rockwell B 70–95 depending on temper and cold work |
| Horsehair | 60–80 | 100–120 | 8–15% | — |
Figures as published by Brushtec / DuPont; Alleima. Confirm the exact grade against the supplier datasheet before ordering.
When are Tube & Pipe Bore Brushes the wrong choice?
- Tube & Pipe Bore Brushes — Use pigs, flushing, ultrasonic, chemical descaling, blasting, or a flexible cable system for long, sharply curved, or heavily scaled passages.
- Roller and Conveyor Brushes — Use a stationary strip brush for a fixed linear seal or wipe, or another process when rotating line contact interferes with the product or cannot discharge the residue safely.
- Strip Seal Brushes — Use rubber lips, foam, labyrinth seals, air curtains, or rigid scrapers when pressure sealing or liquid containment is required.
- Wheel Brushes — Use a cup brush for broad open surfaces, an end brush for confined recesses, or a non-brush process when the target finish or surface cannot tolerate rotating filament contact.
What should replace Tube & Pipe Bore Brushes when they stop working?
- Tube & Pipe Bore Brushes — Tube and bore brushes work by radial contact inside a confined diameter; wire wheels and cups work mainly on external edges, profiles, welds, and broad surfaces.
- Roller and Conveyor Brushes — Roller and conveyor brushes hold cylindrical line contact across a working width, including helix-wound builds where the filament path is set to move loosened material toward one side; a strip brush holds the same line without rotating, so it seals or wipes but cannot carry residue along the width.
- Strip Seal Brushes — Strip brushes create a linear barrier or guide; machine-table brush plates distribute load and support products over a broad area. Closest alternative: Machine Table Brush Plates.
- Wheel Brushes — Wheel brushes give narrow edge contact; cup brushes cover a broader open face, while end brushes concentrate contact at the end of a small stem for recesses.