Some of you will recognize these brushes immediately – they’re Otis cleaning brushes. They’re primarily made for cleaning firearm parts, but can be used on all kinds of other things.
The bristle coloring is important, because it indicates the stiffness of the bristles.
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White: The white nylon brush is the softest.
Blue: The blue brush is a little more aggressive, while still being made from nylon.
Brass: The brass-bristled brush is stiffest and more aggressive.
Each brush has a large head for cleaning and scrubbing wider areas, and a smaller head for cleaning smaller parts or reaching in tight spaces.
Otis says the brushes can be used for all kinds of applications:
These versatile brushes have many uses from automobile detailing, boats, golf equipment, battery terminals, camping, grout, jewelry, wood working and more.
I bought my first set a while ago (my Amazon order history says 2013), and they have come in very handy for precision cleaning tasks.
I’ll bring them out for all kinds of random cleaning tasks, but I mainly use my brushes to clean circuit boards and components that will be soldered, small parts that are being glued or painted, and for cleaning chips from threaded parts.
They’re made in the USA.
Price: $10-12 for the 3-pack, less if you buy bulk quantities
Buy Now(3pc assortment via Amazon)
Buy Now(white nylon 10-pack via Amazon)
Buy Now(9pc assortment)
Robert says
I’m sometimes at war with my wife because of my need to buy “the best tool”, however I don’t think I could justify these personally. Harbor Freight has really cheap brushes (x6 for $2) – and I keep a retired toothbrush in my box for more sensitive tasks (or if my breath isn’t feeling so fresh).
I would probably be in at $5 a set – see first line of my comment.
Gordon says
The HF ones are free with a coupon. And you know what they say “if it doesn’t cost anything, then its worthless” Almost every one breaks at the bend in the handle before the bristles show signs of wear.
But to be fair, the HF and Otis brushes aren’t even the same size so they’re not meant for the same task.
Kyle says
Hence why I am glad I am divorced, I couldn’t stand being told how I was allowed to spend MY money. For more than 10 years, this was non stop nagging, constant arguments and how I should spend my hard earned money. My expenses earned me money, jewelry, makeup and other junk don’t. Two years since I’ve had freedom and this wonderful.
AC says
These look handy and just bought some. The link below is for (3) of each of the 3 styles for $15, so 9 brushes in total. Might want to add that link too.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B009OX8IXA/
Jim Felt says
AC! Great link find. Thanks.
And “thanks” Stuart for adding yet another new to me thingies on my almost perpetual Amazon daily orders.
Grrr. Okay. Not really…
And HNY.
JoeM says
You’re noticing that from Stuart too, Jim?
I was starting to feel crazy! It’s like he’s tuned into our wishlists or some thing lately!
Reminders of things we forgot we needed, tools we never knew we needed… Our lists just keep growing! Makes a guy wonder what side he’s on, doesn’t it? :p
Stuart says
Mwahahahaha.
Stuart says
Thanks, added it in!
Personally, I rarely use the brass, but I guess a few extra can’t hurt.
MT_Noob says
Another tool I didn’t know was out there. Thanks for the great find. Definitely a step up from tooth brushes. I heard that denture brushes can also be used for some tasks as a step up from tooth brushes. However the ones listed above look like they might be much better than the dollar store parts cleaning brushes which don’t seem to last even 5 minutes.
Kevin Franklin says
These are great! I discovered them 8/10 years ago and have used them extensively since then.
FishStick says
Also coming from the firearms sector, bore brushes are very handy. Made for each caliber you can clean a variety of tubing easily. You can even get flexible cleaning “rods” so they can snake through a variety of items.
https://www.amazon.com/Otis-Technologies-FG-645-Cleaning-Professional/dp/B000LIKL5K/
Although for shop use, there are a variety of brands to fit a cheaper use. Bore mops or snakes are also good to finish the cleaning too since the brush will dislodge the crud but not grab it all on the way out.
https://www.amazon.com/Hoppes-Boresnake-Airgun-Brush-colors/dp/B0002IKGPO/
Randy says
I use those too. Very handy.
Joe framer says
Thanks for the heads up….love American made products…I’m in .
John says
Does anyone make a small brush with the stiffness of a toothbrush, but shaped like a paintbrush? Bristles in line with handle, rather than perpendicular to the handle. Flux brushes are too soft, paintbrushes are too soft and too large.
Stuart says
This is the closest that I know of – https://www.mouser.com/Search/Refine.aspx?Keyword=590-857 .
John Fleisher says
Check craft stores. I purchased some artists paint brushes in a set and some of the larger (1/2″) ones are thick nylon bristles, very stiff. Perfect for scrubbing.
MT_Noob says
I’m reminded of the old typewriter erasers that had a brush on one end and an eraser on the pointy end. I think the ones made for typewriters had a stiffer brush on the end than the ones made for pencil erasing. It looks like they are pretty hard to find now.
https://www.amazon.com/Faber-Castell-Faber-Castell-Perfection-Eraser/dp/B00TUFV3XY/
I remembered I liked keeping one in my toolbox since you could use the eraser part to clean up battery terminals in toys and such and the tiny brush did come in handy every once in a while. However I can’t remember how long it has been since I have seen one of these. You can google typing eraser to see examples (of a bygone era).
Evadman says
What about a solvent brush like the lisle 14000? They have stiff bristles and are in-line. They must make other sizes.
John says
Thanks. I probably saw that when I was googling and thought it had soft bristles. Reviews say it is very stiff. It is bigger than I was looking for, but will surely be useful. Looks like harbor freight has a similar one:
https://www.harborfreight.com/2-piece-brush-set-42595.html
I’ll try the HF one first. I googled lisle parts brush to see if they make a smaller one, but I only saw that one.
evil_bryan says
What you need is a stencil brush. They come in varying stiffness, so I normally use the shorter bristled ones since they are usually much stiffer.
Check out: https://www.amazon.com/Shiva-Paintstiks-Stencil-Artists-4-Inch/dp/B004ALZDAW
David says
Lots of good suggestions already, but if they don’t meet your needs and you have a “sideways” brush that would work if not for its sidewaysness, you could always remove the handle and epoxy it (or another) handle onto the backside of the bristles. I’m imagining a broom handle in my mind, I guess.
fred says
Just before Christmas my wife got a catalog from a company that specializes in selling brushes of all sorts. The catalog covered brushes for cleaning and polishing, grooming, cosmetics and makeup, food prep etc. Amazing how many pricey brushes there are for sale.
It is interesting how we can adapt tools used in one trade or hobby for other uses.
In Stuart’s example here – using tools for firearms and gunsmithing for other applications.
My son-in-law is a musician – and I see him using snake-like cleaning swabs designed for brass or maybe woodwind instruments on other chores.
I like to finish furniture with shellac and a technique called French Polishing. I have some brushes made by Liberon designed for the purpose – but also use some 60 year old Empire shoe brushes
MT_Noob says
It might be interesting to see a “tools of the trade” series. There are probably a lot of tools that are “specialty” tools in one trade but might also have good uses in other scenarios. I.E. some of the tools that watch makers or jewelers use might be handy handy for for the home user or DIY user or electronics tinkerer.
MT_Noob says
I think another interesting example is to use a guitar pick as a spudger. Although in this case it is using a non-tool as a tool.
fred says
There are specialist tools for nearly every trade and hobby. Its probably a credit to man’s inventiveness. Sometimes it may also be a reflection of manufacturers trying to keep DIY’ers from getting into the internals or trying to repair their products. This sort of thing starts with tamper-resistant fasteners and moves onto specialist tools and instrumentation. I grew up at a time when the TV repairman was a common visitor to your house. The more professional ones may have had a shop equipped with an oscilloscope and other test instrumentation. I also grew up at a time when repairing cars – was perhaps easier (no electronics) – but was needed more often (no electronics?).
Maybe this is a topic we can start up over on Stuart’s Community Forum site – perhaps folks who know something can post about specialized tools for trades like:
aircraft maintenance,
appliance repair,
archery
arts & crafts like(art, basketry, candle making, caning, clay & pottery, engraving, gilding, painting, picture framing, plastics, printing, stone carving)
auto maintenance and repair
bicycle repair
boating and boat maintenace
cabinetry
camera repair
camping
carpentry
computers
drafting
drywall and plastering
electrical
electronics
eyeglass repair
fencing
fishing
flooring
garden, landscaping and yard work
glazing
gunsmithing
HVAC (AC, refrigeration, heating and insulation)
Jewelry making and repair
lawnmower and small engine repair
leatherwork
locksmithing
machining
masonry and brick work
metalworking
modeling
model railroad
motorcycle & ATV repair
musical instruments
needlecrafts (crewel, crocheting, embroidery, knitting, lace making, paracord, quilting, rug making, sewing. tapestry, weaving)
office work
painting and decorating (decorative and house painting, faux finishing)
paperhanging
papercrafts, quilling and scrapbooking
plumbing (including gas and steamfitting)
pool and spa maintenance
roofing and siding
shoemaking and repair
snow removal
soldering
sports
stained glass
tile, marble and stone work
tinsmithing and ductwork
upholstery and canvas work
wood carving
wood pyrography
woodworking (including furniture making and finishing)
watch repair
welding & brazing
MT_Noob says
Yep I think you hit the nail on the head. Imagine how fun it would be to take a day (or a week) to just leaf through tool catalogs for each of those specialties and seeing if anything jumps out. Of course I’m sure they are all on line now and catalogs are going the way of the dinosaur.
I wouldn’t be surprised if each one of those categories had one or two or several tools that could have a much broader reach if only people knew about them.
I remember back in my college days while interning at the radio station we had a small flexible file (contact burnishing cleaner) that we used to clean up the carbon on relay contacts. Every so often I run into a situation where I say to myself, “man I wish I had that burnishing tool on hand right now, that would do just the trick in this situation”. Even if that situation was not cleaning contact on a relay.
I also remember the first time I came across the tool for removing molex pins from a molex connector. I thought, wow they make a tool for that? It was a bit of a fore head slap.
Most recently I saw some videos about paintless dent repair tool sets that use hot glue and special tips and a slid hammer for doing automotive body work. I wonder if that would also work on dented refrigerators and appliances.
TonyT says
The CPC style Molex pin removers are great, and also work on TE Mate N Lok connectors
OTOH Molex Mini_Fit Jr and Micro-Fit pins are a pain to remove; the removers start at $15, look like tweezers, and are easy to break
Dsub crimp pins are at least as bad to removers, and while the removers are even more fragile at least they’re only $5 or so
Stuart says
I LOVE browsing through catalogs. =)
It’s a good way to broaden one’s familiarity with different product categories, even if it’s a digital catalog, and that doesn’t just apply to tools.
fred says
Maybe we can persuade SBD to bring back the Craftsman catalogs.
Stuart says
That sounds like it could be a good idea, but would it be created, printed, and distributed by SBD or Lowes? I don’t know if either would be up to the task.
TonyT says
They could create a PDF catalog
David says
Can we vote for Stuart to accept “nominations” for specialty catalogs for, say, a month, and then publish a compendium?
I’d be willing to help if he forwards the nominations to me.
David
Stuart says
Unfortunately, a lot of retailers moved towards digital-only catalogs. Some that still have printed catalogs will only send them out to their biggest customers.
TonyT says
Here’s one: flutists use tobacco paper (for rolling your own cigarettes) to remove moisture from the pads
JoeM says
…Wow… There aren’t a lot of those on the list that haven’t had at least a few tools come into my possession over my lifetime… I doubt very highly that I use ANY of the proper tools for the proper jobs there… Aside from Screwdrivers, Sockets, and Saws… I don’t think there’s a single brush, file, pick, or cloth that I use exclusively for what it’s made for.
Chamois for polishing cars? Nope, don’t own a car. More often it’s used to clean tarnish off jewellery that has been sitting in the open air too long. Ultrasonic jewellery cleaner? Glasses Cleaner. Unless it explicitly says “Don’t do that, stupid!” I’m repurposing things all the time. I even DID make toothbrushes into forward brushes… Old used, but cleaned, toothbrushes. Cut off the head, drill a tiny hole in the neck, and through the bristle head face, crazy glue or equivalent adhesive to hold a finishing nail through both parts. Let it set, it becomes a very effective cleaning brush for cleaning CPAP components, in the corners you can’t quite reach. For the same reason you can’t reach all your teeth with your fingers to clean them properly, a toothbrush can reach into corners you can’t reach with your hand and a cloth to clean it.
As I’ve said… I’m a Tinkerer… I am often inventing the solution to a problem, AND the tools required to accomplish it.
Mark Petrofsky says
I always look on ebay and found a set, FG-316-3, with soft, bronze, and stainless steel brushes.
Harry says
Beware of Chinese knockoffs!!
The white bristle brush has been a staple of US military small arms cleaning kits back to Vietnam. However, you can find inferior versions at any gun show & online. Ensure the ones you buy are the real deal. Great brushes!!!
Dee says
If you’re doing a restoration project and need to actually use brushes, even a small bike or engine will need so many of these that the price isn’t worth it. For something like an airhead engine, you can go through a hundred bucks of Scotchbrite pads and brass brushes before you even start to see the original finish.
High quality for sure, but not practical.
garrett says
It would also be interesting to see what small, improvised tools people use. I’ve never used the brushes that Stuart mentioned, but I’ve bought plenty of the cheap knock-offs found at gun shows, and I’ve used old toothbrushes, when nothing else was available. I once made the mistake of putting a toothbrush in my mouth that tasted of a combination of Crest and Hoppe’s #9 solvent!
The guitar pick spudger idea is brilliant – I also use Popsicle saved sticks from my kids (after washing, ofc).
fred says
Orange wood cuticle sticks work too – for lots of unintended tasks:
https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dbeauty&field-keywords=B077GR3Y8H
MT_Noob says
Nice find. Just added those to my wish list. I always have bamboo skewers on hand from the grocery store. However whenever I try to cut them on the bias to get that diagonal edge, it just splinters like crazy. Those sticks would be perfect instead.
Another surprising useful item in the healthcare/beauty area is the 4 sided nail polishing blocks. You can find them dirt cheap by the dozen or more on ebay. Although here is an amazon listing. https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B075DD96L3/ref=sspa_dk_detail_0?psc=1
They are pretty darn handy for sanding / buffing the occasional small part.
garrett says
Big win on the 4-sided nail polishing blocks! My son used these to polish the axles of his pinewood derby car after chucking them up in my drill press!
Nathan says
Stuart something that you might not have mentioned – the Otis brushes are more solvent resistant. again most are made like their other firearms products. So they stand up to many common solvent and chemicals. Caustic stuff as well.
So if you don’t want to pick bristles out of something because your HF brush melted when you hit it with carb cleaner. get these. Or as someone mentioned other versions Lisle sells some too – I don’t know who makes them but they are good too.
Anyway – thanks again.