Power Brushes

Wheel brushes are wheel-shaped brush tools that feature filaments made of brass, carbon steel, stainless steel, nylon, abrasive nylon, or Tampico. Product specifications vary by wheel type, but typically include diameter and filament size. Adapters for wheel brushes are usually made of metal. Encapsulated wheels provide aggressive cutting action.

There are two main types of wire wheel brushes: knotted wire and crimped wire. Knotted wire wheels have tufts that reduce wire fatigue by absorbing vibrations. These power brushes also have standard or cable twists, or are stringer bead brushes. Crimped wire wheels are available for standard, super-duty, and heavy-duty applications. Smaller wire wheels for mini-grinders are also available.

Nylon abrasive wheels offer a safe, non-reactive alternative to wire brushes. Their nylon filaments are impregnated with aluminum oxide or silicon carbide abrasive in a range of grit sizes. Abrasive nylon wheels are designed for more demanding applications than nylon wheels, which can be used dry or with a lubricant. Tampico wheel brushes are also designed for wet or dry applications, but use natural fibers. Tampico wheels are used to polish chrome and offer good oil and heat resistance.

Mandrel mounted wheel brushes have integral shafts or shanks that eliminate the need for a separate adaptor. They have steel or nylon abrasive filaments, and feature either a flared or standard-style face. Typically, flared brushes are used for finishing shoulders, corners, and other hard-to-reach areas.

End brushes clean, blend, polish, deburr, and prepare surfaces in small, tight, or hard-to-reach spaces. These power brushes have solid wire or knotted wire filaments, and are also available with a circular, flared design. For fast, positive cutting action that’s especially effective on flat surfaces, encapsulated solid end brushes are a good choice.

Solid wire end brushes and knotted wire end brushes come in standard and special designs. Standard end brushes have metal, cup-style bodies and steel or nylon abrasive filaments. Brush tools with banded ends add aggressiveness while reducing brush flare and increasing filament control. Power brushes with coated cup protectors prevent marring and scratching of adjoining surfaces in deep-well applications.

Cup brushes come in a variety of diameters and use either metal wire or abrasive nylon filaments. Wire cups with steel filaments are best-suited for preparing and deburring large metal surfaces. Nylon abrasive cup brushes are recommended for light deburring, edge blending, and general surface finishing.  BRM also supplies smaller cup brushes for mini grinders.

Wire cup brushes include small-diameter tools, crimped cups for light-duty work, and knot-type cups in single row, double row, and cable twist configurations. All knot cup brushes have an arbor hole for easy attachment to grinding tools. Double row cup brushes provide extra-fast cutting and cleaning. Wire cups with cable twists remove burrs, weld scale, paint, and rust.

Pilot bonding brushes clean paint, dirt, rust, and varnish around bolt and rivet holes. The tip of the brush features a metal pin that’s placed in the hole to contain the cleaning action, and that assures a positive electrical contact to eliminate the buildup of static electricity. Pilot bonding brushes have stainless steel wire and are available in various diameters.

Flare brushes remove deposits and contaminants from the inside of pipes and ports. They are also used for rust, scale, and weld slag removal. Available for light-duty and heavy-duty applications, flare brushes have a cobalt hard-facing that is flame-coated to the ends of stainless steel aircraft cables.  These power brushes differ in terms of number and lengths of prongs.