Brush to clean barbell
Posted: Fri Jun 01, 2018 5:58 pm
What is the best kind of brush to clean chalk from in between knurling of a barbell and where do I buy it?
Nylon is good:
Warner 3410491 Soft Grip Nylon Stripper Brush
Exodus Strength
Leaving false strength conventions behind
https://www.exodus-strength.com/forum/
Brush to clean barbell
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Re: Brush to clean barbell
Posted: Fri Jun 01, 2018 6:08 pm
Re: Brush to clean barbell
Posted: Fri Jun 01, 2018 6:11 pm
I use one of these: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000K ... UTF8&psc=1
I find brass is more effective than a nylon brush. I had some concerns about whether it would wear down the knurling, but I figure brass is much softer than steel, and I only use it once a week. If I owned a gym, and the brush was being used multiple times a day, I'd probably get a nylon one.
Re: Brush to clean barbell
Posted: Fri Jun 01, 2018 6:15 pm
I use a nylon scrub brush. Might have gotten it at CVS. Or Amazon.
Re: Brush to clean barbell
Posted: Fri Jun 01, 2018 6:42 pm
Nylon brush crew checking in. Never had a problem with it getting all the chalk out.
Re: Brush to clean barbell
Posted: Sat Jun 02, 2018 4:53 am
Nylon here, think I got a bunch from harbor freight. Also have a brass brush I'll use very occasionally, more if there's rust forming.
Re: Brush to clean barbell
Posted: Sun Jun 03, 2018 5:41 am
A brass welding brush works fine. Can be found at your local hardware store.
Pro Tip: Brush with the knurl, at 45 degrees. Gently.
Pro Tip: Brush with the knurl, at 45 degrees. Gently.
Re: Brush to clean barbell
Posted: Sun Jun 03, 2018 6:38 am
Brass brush boy checking in
Re: Brush to clean barbell
Posted: Sun Jun 03, 2018 7:24 am
I had a brass brush that was a piece of shit with overly thin bristles that deformed and got smashed down the first time I used it. Then I tried a nylon brush and the knurling on my OPB ate away at the center of the bristles almost instantly (these brushes were in a 3 pack along with a stainless steel brush that I haven't used because I don't want to wear down the knurling). Then I got stiffer nylon brush that worked better but it's also starting to show some wear where the knurling is eating away at the bristles. All of these brushes have the problem of being too damn small and taking forever to clean the knurling after a set of deadlifts. I really want a big ass brass brush that's like 10 inches long and 2 inches wide so I can clean the bar with just a few good swipes.
Re: Brush to clean barbell
Posted: Sun Jun 03, 2018 7:32 am
Wut? Takes like 5-10 seconds with any brush.TimK wrote: ↑Sun Jun 03, 2018 7:24 am I had a brass brush that was a piece of shit with overly thin bristles that deformed and got smashed down the first time I used it. Then I tried a nylon brush and the knurling on my OPB ate away at the center of the bristles almost instantly (these brushes were in a 3 pack along with a stainless steel brush that I haven't used because I don't want to wear down the knurling). Then I got stiffer nylon brush that worked better but it's also starting to show some wear where the knurling is eating away at the bristles. All of these brushes have the problem of being too damn small and taking forever to clean the knurling after a set of deadlifts. I really want a big ass brass brush that's like 10 inches long and 2 inches wide so I can clean the bar with just a few good swipes.
Re: Brush to clean barbell
Posted: Sun Jun 03, 2018 7:35 am
I have to go over it like 20 times to get all the chalk out. Too slow dammit!Manveer wrote: ↑Sun Jun 03, 2018 7:32 amWut? Takes like 5-10 seconds with any brush.TimK wrote: ↑Sun Jun 03, 2018 7:24 am I had a brass brush that was a piece of shit with overly thin bristles that deformed and got smashed down the first time I used it. Then I tried a nylon brush and the knurling on my OPB ate away at the center of the bristles almost instantly (these brushes were in a 3 pack along with a stainless steel brush that I haven't used because I don't want to wear down the knurling). Then I got stiffer nylon brush that worked better but it's also starting to show some wear where the knurling is eating away at the bristles. All of these brushes have the problem of being too damn small and taking forever to clean the knurling after a set of deadlifts. I really want a big ass brass brush that's like 10 inches long and 2 inches wide so I can clean the bar with just a few good swipes.
Takes me like a minute. Maybe I'm trying to get it too clean but I have a bare steel bar and I don't want it to rust.
Re: Brush to clean barbell
Posted: Sun Jun 03, 2018 7:36 am
Just get a scrubbing brush from the grocery store. Super fast, cheap, and won't affect the finishes it knurl.
Re: Brush to clean barbell
Posted: Sun Jun 03, 2018 7:43 am
I was actually thinking a cheap grill brush (nylon) might work really well. I'm with @TimK that the knurking destroys most brushes I've tried and trying to clean the bar out sometimes takes 5 minutes. I don't even use that much chalk.
Re: Brush to clean barbell
Posted: Sun Jun 03, 2018 7:48 am
Dude, just knock the big stuff off then hit the shaft with some WD-40 on a rag (just not inside the sleeve assembly). I really don't clean my bars that often anymore and my bare steel bar stool doesn't even have any patina even here in humid Georgia.
Re: Brush to clean barbell
Posted: Sun Jun 03, 2018 8:12 am
Here’s my process:
With the bar in the rack (horizontal), scrub left to right quickly over a 3-4” area that has chalk. With your other hand, rotate the bar until you scrub all the way around 2-3x. Repeat on other areas. Do this at the end of each workout that you use chalk.
I had a bare steel OPB. It had a “patina”, but no rust.
With the bar in the rack (horizontal), scrub left to right quickly over a 3-4” area that has chalk. With your other hand, rotate the bar until you scrub all the way around 2-3x. Repeat on other areas. Do this at the end of each workout that you use chalk.
I had a bare steel OPB. It had a “patina”, but no rust.
Re: Brush to clean barbell
Posted: Sun Jun 03, 2018 8:50 am
Yeah I do this except it seems I have to go over it many times before it comes clean. Mine already has some rust showing up in a few spots (although not where my deadlift grip is) even though it's in a dry finished basement. Probably because I haven't oiled it since I got it a few months ago. I need to do that. I guess I was hoping I wouldn't have to since it's not in a humid environment but apparently my sweat is made of battery acid or something. I also don't want to make the bar all greasy and shit since I have to handle it and it's going to be touching my clothing. I should have just got the SS version and not had to worry about this stuff.Manveer wrote: ↑Sun Jun 03, 2018 8:12 am Here’s my process:
With the bar in the rack (horizontal), scrub left to right quickly over a 3-4” area that has chalk. With your other hand, rotate the bar until you scrub all the way around 2-3x. Repeat on other areas. Do this at the end of each workout that you use chalk.
I had a bare steel OPB. It had a “patina”, but no rust.
Re: Brush to clean barbell
Posted: Sun Jun 03, 2018 9:46 am
@TimK WD40 >>> oil
Re: Brush to clean barbell
Posted: Sun Jun 03, 2018 10:53 am
Re: Brush to clean barbell
Posted: Sun Jun 03, 2018 6:28 pm
I just bought some 3-in-1 and did my first treatment on the AB Grizzly I mentioned before. The bar was getting some odd dark brown sediment in the knurl, doubt it was chalk because I use fairly little even here in SC. It wasn't UHMW from my J-hooks because of where it was on the bar. Oil soak and a lot of scrubbing really helped get that all out...
Is WD40 better for blasting shit out of the knurl, and not being palpably greasy to the touch, while you'd want oil for the bushings to avoid the rust-inviting properties of WD40 in confined spaces?
Re: Brush to clean barbell
Posted: Mon Jun 04, 2018 3:13 am
Don't spray the bar with it, spray the rag or brush, then run that over the bar. Not being greasy is the reason it's better on the shaft for sure. WD40 doesn't "invite" rust though, not sure where that came from.OrderInChaos wrote: ↑Sun Jun 03, 2018 6:28 pm Is WD40 better for blasting shit out of the knurl, and not being palpably greasy to the touch, while you'd want oil for the bushings to avoid the rust-inviting properties of WD40 in confined spaces?
You want oil in the bushings because it's a lubricant. You don't want oil on the shaft because it's a lubricant. Both will clean the bar and prevent rusting. WD40 does this by removing any sweat and grease from the bar. Oil does this because it is hydrophobic. WD40 isn't a lubricant, it's a solvent. Oil isn't a solvent, it's a lubricant.