Abrasive Brushes

Remove burrs and finish metals with our selection of abrasive brushes. We supply a wide choice of both nylon and wire brushes in a range of gauges and lengths to suit your needs. From crimped wire decarbonising brushes, to nylon radial brushes, we have just the tool to suit your job.

Here at Cromwell we work hard to provide an outstanding range of products from market-leading suppliers, with great pricing and excellent technical support to help you find just what you need.

Browse our range of high-quality products from well-known brands likes 3M™, Dremel® and our own brands, Kennedy® and York®.

What are abrasive brushes?

Designed to fit onto drills and bench grinders, abrasive brushes feature hard bristles which help to clean, smooth and prepare a workpiece for finishing. Manufactured in different shapes for different surfaces and abrasion techniques, they're available as individual brushes or as a full set.

Abrasive brush types

Supplied in a range of shapes to treat different shaped surfaces, abrasive brushes are fairly standard when it comes to the materials used for the bristles. While nylon bristles receive no extra treatment, wire bristles can be crimped, twisted or straight to provide the finish required.

• Wire brushes   -   Featuring wire bristles, wire brushes are designed to cut on the tips of each bristle and are made from a range of materials including steel, brass and stainless steel

• Nylon brushes   -   This type of abrasive brush features abrasive grain filaments down each bristle shaft to provide two-fold abrasion

• Sisal filament brush   -   Mainly used in woodworking application to polish and buff a finished piece, sisal is sometimes replaced with pig or horsehair

Considerations when choosing an abrasive brush

• Bristle type - while nylon and brass brushes can be used on most workpieces, carbon steel bristles should only be used on other carbon steel, wooden or iron workpieces.

• Bristle gauge - choose finer bristles for finishing work and thicker bristles for heavy-duty applications.

• Filament type - when choosing a wire brush, crimped bristles are ideal for finishing irregular shaped surfaces, and twisted bristles form a cable-like bristle for more aggressive, heavy-duty stock removal.

• Bristle length - Finer tasks allow for longer bristles, which is ideal for irregularly shaped surfaces, while heavy-duty applications benefit from shorter bristles for a stronger performance.

FAQs

Can you attach a wire brush to a drill?

In short, yes. As long as the shank of the brush is compatible with the drill, the two together can achieve excellent finishing results.

Can you sand with a wire brush?

A wire brush is intended for cleaning away rust and corrosion from metal and removing burrs. For sanding applications, a sanding brush will give the results you want.