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DesignISCO 7317

Brush maker

A brush maker is a person who sets materials — horsehair, plant fibres, nylon, pig bristle — into the metal tubes called ferrules, inserts a wooden or aluminium spacer into the bristle to form the brush head, and attaches a handle to the other side of the ferrule. The maker then dips the head in a protective substance to hold its shape, finishes the brush and inspects the completed product.

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Check yourself in a minute: brush maker

Rate 5 of the 11 essential skills of this occupation (European ESCO data). No account needed.

manipulate plastic

manipulate wood

create smooth wood surface

apply a protective layer

sand wood

About brush maker

The bristle is the brush. The maker works from a knowledge of bristle and of brush types, and fixes the bristle into the brushes. Horsehair, plant fibre, nylon and bristle each behave differently when wet and under pressure.

The body of the brush is woodwork and plastics. The maker works the wood for handles, operates the wood sawing equipment and the vertical drilling machine that makes the holes the bristle tufts sit in, and operates the plastics manufacturing machinery where the handle or the ferrule is moulded rather than turned.

Finishing holds the brush together. The maker applies the protective coating that keeps the head in shape until it is first used, and inspects the finished product.

European Skills Framework

Skills and knowledge areas required for this occupation based on European classification.

Essential (11)

types of brushestypes of brushesTools with bristles used for a wide variety of purposes such as cleaning, painting, putting on make up and grooming hair. Materials used for bristles include animal hair, synthetic fibers and plastic....manipulate plasticmanipulate plasticManipulate the properties, shape and size of plastic.manipulate woodmanipulate woodManipulate the properties, shape and size of wood.create smooth wood surfacecreate smooth wood surfaceShave, plane and sand wood manually or automatically to produce a smooth surface.apply a protective layerapply a protective layerApply a layer of protective solutions such as permethrine to protect the product from damage such as corrosion, fire or parasites, using a spray gun or paintbrush.sand woodsand woodUse sanding machines or hand tools to remove paint or other substances from the surface of the wood, or to smoothen and finish the wood.operate drill pressoperate drill pressOperate a semi-automated, semi-manual drill press to drill holes in a work piece, safely and according to regulations.operate plastic machineryoperate plastic machineryOperate machines and equipment used for creating plastic parts and products such as injection, extrusion, compression or blow moulding machines.operate wood sawing equipmentoperate wood sawing equipmentOperate various machinery and equipment to cut wood in different sizes and shapes.insert bristlesinsert bristlesOperate machinery or use handtools to insert and attach the stiff hairs used for brooms and brushes, known as bristles, in the holes of the frame.bristlesbristlesThe stiff hairs or feathers known as bristles, the types of bristles made from the different materials such as animal hairs, plants or synthetics, and their use on brooms or brushes.
Optional (18) — show
types of plastictypes of plasticTypes of plastic materials and their chemical composition, physical properties, possible issues and usage cases.types of sawing bladestypes of sawing bladesTypes of cutting blades used in the sawing process, such as band saw blades, crosscut blades, plytooth blades and others, made from tool steel, carbide, diamond or other materials.types of woodtypes of woodTypes of wood, such as birch, pine, poplar, mahogany, maple and tulipwood.maintain drilling equipmentmaintain drilling equipmentMaintenance and repair of a variety of drilling equipment.finish plastic productsfinish plastic productsFinish the product by sanding, branding and polishing the plastic surface.prepare animal materials for brush bristlesprepare animal materials for brush bristlesAcquire suitable animal materials, such as fur and hair, from slaughterhouses and fur farms to use as bristles in brushes and brooms. Clean the materials to remove blood, fat, and any other body parts...operate welding equipmentoperate welding equipmentUse welding equipment to melt and join together pieces of metal or steel, wearing protective eyewear during the working process.maintain plastic machinerymaintain plastic machineryMaintain machinery and equipment for making plastic goods, to ensure that it is clean and in safe, working order. Perform routine maintenance on equipment and adjust when necessary, using hand and pow...repair plastic machineryrepair plastic machineryRepair broken components or systems of machinery and equipment used for making plastic products or parts, using hand and power tools.stain woodstain woodMix ingredients to create a stain and apply a layer to the furniture to give it a specific colour and finish.replace sawing blade on machinereplace sawing blade on machineReplace the old blade of a sawing machine with a new one by removing the chip brush, taking away the front blade guide, loosening the blade tension and removing the blade. Assemble and install new bla...manufacture staple yarnsmanufacture staple yarnsPerform the operation, monitoring and maintenance of machines and processes to manufacture staple fiber yarns.dye wooddye woodMix the powder dye with water and/or liquid dye and any other necessary ingredients to create the desired colour and apply it to the wood.covert slivers into threadcovert slivers into threadConvert slivers into yarns or threads by combing processes converting drafting card sliver to combed sliver. Form short fibre to yarn using yarn and thread processing technologies, mostly ring spinnin...assemble plastic partsassemble plastic partsAlign and arrange plastic parts in order to assemble complete products, using the appropriate hand tools.manipulate stainless steelmanipulate stainless steelManipulate the shape, size and properties of stainless steel.manufacture texturised filament yarnsmanufacture texturised filament yarnsPerform the operation, monitoring and maintenance of machines and processes to manufacture texturised filament yarns.properties of textile materialsproperties of textile materialsThe characteristics and properties of different textile and fabric materials. These include strength, flexibility, elasticity, softness, durability, heat insulation, low weight, water absorbency/repel...

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Frequently asked questions

What does a brush maker do?

Brush makers insert different types of material such as horsehair, vegetable fiber, nylon, and hog bristle into metal tubes called ferrules. They insert a wooden or aluminium plug into the bristles to form the brush head and attach the handle to the other side of the ferrule. They immerse the brush head in a protective substance to maintain their shape, finish and inspect the final product.

What skills does a brush maker need?

A brush maker needs 11 essential skills, including types of brushes, manipulate plastic, manipulate wood, create smooth wood surface, apply a protective layer.

Will AI replace brush maker jobs?

The AI disruption score for brush maker is 29/100 (low risk). Skills most exposed to automation: types of brushes, manufacture staple yarns, types of plastic. Most resilient: bristles, operate welding equipment, types of wood.

AI Replacement Risk

29/ 100
Low Risk
Low riskHigh risk
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Quick Facts

SectorDesign
ISCO GroupHandicraft and printing workers
Essential Skills11

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