Retro rant: I swore rotary brushes were a gimmick until a job in a 1920s house changed my mind

Was cleaning out a flue from an old coal-to-gas conversion last month, and the soot was so caked on I couldn't get a good seal with my standard wire brush. Client mentioned her dad used to use a rotary head on his rods. Thought it was old-timer nonsense, but I borrowed one from a guy at the supply house. Three passes and that crusty liner was clean as new. Still feels like cheating, honestly. Anyone else have a tool they avoided for years that ended up being a lifesaver?

3 comments

3 Comments

abby_black13d ago

Nah, wire brushes work fine if you know what you're doing.

felix82413d ago

My buddy tried using a wire brush on his cast iron skillet once (he's not the sharpest tool in the shed). Took him three days and a whole lot of elbow grease to fix that mess.

valw362d ago

Light touch with a fine brush and no rust left behind, just gotta take your time.