Wire brush

Round wire brushes

A wire brush is a tool, consisting of a handle, usually wood or plastic, occasionally bone, and a brush. The brush is usually made from a large number of steel wire bristles. The steel used is generally a high carbon variety and very hard. Other wire brushes feature bristles made from brass or stainless steel, depending on application. Wires in a wire brush can be held together by epoxy, staples, or in some cases one continuous wire. Some types of wire brushes can also be used on an angle grinder or electric drill.

Uses

8 in (200 mm) wire brush mounted to a bench grinder

The wire brush is primarily an abrasive implement, used for cleaning rust and removing paint. It is also used to clean surfaces and to create a better conductive area for attaching electrical connections, such as those between car battery posts and their connectors, should they accumulate a build-up of grime and dirt. When cleaning stainless steel, it is advisable to use a stainless steel bristle wire brush, as a plain carbon steel brush can contaminate the stainless steel and cause rust spots to appear. Brass bristle brushes are used on softer surfaces or in potentially flammable environments where non-sparking tools are required. Wire brushes are also used to clean the teeth of large animals, such as crocodiles and pigs. They are also used widely in surface engineering to clean the castings to paint the castings.

Powered wire brushes are commonly used to create brushed metal and to deburr edges.

History

The origins of the wire brush are unknown, although it is believed that the Romans used similar tools in the manufacture of roof tiles. As the Roman Empire fell, the tool fell out of use.

Safety

In rare cases, cleaning barbecue grills can cause bristles to break off the brush which then become deposited in food cooked on the grill. Ingestion of these bristles can cause gastrointestinal perforation.^[1]^[2]

Cutting and abrasive tools

abrasive saw axe blade bandsaw bolt cutter broach ceramic tile cutter chainsaw circular saw chisel coping saw countersink cutting tool diagonal pliers diamond blade diamond tool drawknife drill bit emery cloth file fretsaw froe glass cutter grater grinding wheel hacksaw hand saw hole saw incisor knife laser lawn mower machete meat slicer mezzaluna milling cutter miter saw nail clipper nibbler pipecutter pizza cutter plasma cutter plane pocket knife rasp razor reamer sandpaper saw scalpel scissors snips steel wool surform switchblade tool bit utility knife water jet cutter wire brush wire stripper

Types of tools Cleaning Cutting and abrasive Forestry Garden Hand Machine and metalworking Measuring and alignment Power

References

↑ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) (2012). "Injuries from ingestion of wire bristles from grill-cleaning brushes - Providence, Rhode Island, March 2011-June 2012.". MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 61 (26): 490–2. PMID 22763887.
↑ Baugh TP, Hadley JB, Chang CW (2016). "Epidemiology of Wire-Bristle Grill Brush Injury in the United States, 2002-2014.". Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 154 (4): 645–9. doi:10.1177/0194599815627794. PMID 26932965.

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Friday, April 08, 2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.