Changed my mind on wire brushes after that job on Oak Street last month

I always used the cheap wire brushes from the hardware store, but after a routine clean on a 1920s clay flue liner, the bristles started shedding bad and I found three pieces stuck in the creosote. A older sweep I ran into at the supply house said he only uses stainless steel crimped brushes now, and after trying one this week I can see why they cost more. Has anyone else had a wire brush fall apart on them during a job?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_wren1mo ago

Oh man, that happened to me on a job last spring! Had bristles all through the flue and spent an extra hour fishing them out with a magnet.

spencerm461mo ago

Yeah I gotta disagree with you there @the_wren, I've pulled brush heads out of flues before and the magnet trick usually works fine if you're careful... Bristles getting stuck everywhere mostly happens when you yank too hard instead of working it back slow. I'd say it's more about technique than bad luck.