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After a post here many years ago (Hesh?) I started using a toothbrush and hot water from the glue pot for final cleanup after gluing braces with hot hide. Worked great.

Recently I was doing a lot of fretwork and it dawned on me that it would work for final cleaning after gluing frets with hide glue. It works great and really gets that last bit of glue away from the edge of the fret.

Save your toothbrushes!

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It's not what you don't know that hurts you, it's what you do know that's wrong.

I have several.... They are like zombies, they never die. When the bristles are used up, I use the handle to make other things (even tools).

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"Act your age, not your shoe size" - Prince

Thanks for the tip Terry!

The GUM 471 is a nice brush.

Sent from my SM-T350 using Tapatalk

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Pat

OK. Now I know what to do with the ones I have been keeping without knowing why I was keeping them. Chris, what other things do you do make with them?

The ones with "rubber" inserts are good for hold-downs during tricky glue jobs with super glue. Nothing sticks to them. I've cut them up into pieces for spacers in tools, and under pickguards. They make good bumpers between tools or parts. Of course - they live again when cut down and modded into tool holders for Exacto saws and blades for jobs needing the right angle.

I even saw a YouTube video where a guy made fishing lures from old toothbrush handles, and since I like to fish and have made my own flies since I was a kid.... You see where I'm going. The bass get bored easily, and respond to new colors and patterns. The ones with glitter hold a lot of promise.

I have a jelly jar full of them standing by after their lives next to the sink are over. The whole world is raw material for our use, right? Like an old farmer - luthiers "use it up, wear it out".

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"Act your age, not your shoe size" - Prince

Another useful item from luthier thames video is to use a plastic straw cut at the tip to a 45 deg angle . It is used with hot water to remove fish glue residue around bridges, and frets,which are seated with fish glue

That's a great idea, Ernie. I'll bet a sharp guy like you knows some more clever stuff.

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"Act your age, not your shoe size" - Prince

I have an old electric toothbrush that I use on occasion for cleaning.

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Tony Thatcher
Bozeman, Montana

Speaking of cleaning, I have an old ultrasonic cleaner for Rapidograph pens... Works like a champ for really crusty electric guitar parts with serious crud and corruption on them. A little distilled water and a few drops of Dawn liquid soap, and the filth just erupts off the parts.

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"Act your age, not your shoe size" - Prince

Dear , Chris your right I am a very sharp guy, I keep all my tools extremely sharp.(except gillete razor blades) I gave away an extra set of aldi chisels that I had ground and honed to brightness to our local carpenter. He said the same thing , uber sharp guy ??? obviously another former SAT alumnus aka smartass school of technology