WOW Best Tool for Cleaning Clamps

happyandbob

happyandbob

Legend
My wife works in a lab and the other day at dinner I was lamenting about how I thought there needs to be a better tool to clean the friction inserts in a clamp. I said what I need is a precise stiff bristle brush that could easily get into all the little nooks in the diamond surface. She said I have a tool exactly like that at work so she brought me one.

OMG this little stiff brush melts residue off the clamp surface. It only takes like 4-5 passes and the clamp is pristine.

It’s designed to scrape impurities off a metal testing surface without damaging the metal. I should not be this excited about finding this brush :laughing:

thermalsupport.com

DSC Cleaning Brush Tool with Refill

DSC Cleaning Brush with refill included. Compare to TA Instruments P/N: 910824.001
thermalsupport.com thermalsupport.com

IMG-6936.jpg
IMG-6935.jpg
 
afeller

afeller

New User
Here in Germany we have "Läufer 1021" pens (are the same). They are made out of small glass fibers.
I dip the front into a bottle of Isopropanol and clean the clamp surface with it.
But be careful with it. The glass fibers breaks very easily and hurts in the skin of the hands. Use gloves when you use it and do it over/in a dustbin.
Also don't apply too much pressure, the glass fibers are very hard and also can damage the coating of the clamp.
But yes, is the best tool to remove persistent abrasion from strings

They are also used to clean circuit board for removing residues from soldering.
 
happyandbob

happyandbob

Legend
afeller said:
Here in Germany we have "Läufer 1021" pens (are the same). They are made out of small glass fibers.
I dip the front into a bottle of Isopropanol and clean the clamp surface with it.
But be careful with it. The glass fibers breaks very easily and hurts in the skin of the hands. Use gloves when you use it and do it over/in a dustbin.
Also don't apply too much pressure, the glass fibers are very hard and also can damage the coating of the clamp.
But yes, is the best tool to remove persistent abrasion from strings

They are also used to clean circuit board for removing residues from soldering.
Click to expand...
the bristles of this brush appear to be made of a very stiff composite. Each bristle is very thin and they grind down as the residue is removed so the bristles get shorter. You twist the pen to extend more of the brush.
 
afeller

afeller

New User
happyandbob said:
the bristles of this brush appear to be made of a very stiff composite. Each bristle is very thin and they grind down as the residue is removed so the bristles get shorter. You twist the pen to extend more of the brush.
Click to expand...
The brush is made of a lot of glass fibers. Also they don't really grind down, rather they break in very short (sometimes also longer) parts. And normally you get replacements for it:
https://www.amazon.de/dp/B000KT7LNU/ (for Germany)

Here is the pen itself:
https://www.amazon.de/dp/B000WKZHOM/ (for Germany)
 
happyandbob

happyandbob

Legend
Humbi_HTX

Humbi_HTX

Semi-Pro
I clean the strings instead, a good wipe with a mild solvent/alcohol and that keeps the clamps clean for much longer.
 
happyandbob

happyandbob

Legend
afeller said:
The brush is made of a lot of glass fibers. Also they don't really grind down, rather they break in very short (sometimes also longer) parts. And normally you get replacements for it:
https://www.amazon.de/dp/B000KT7LNU/ (for Germany)

Here is the pen itself:
https://www.amazon.de/dp/B000WKZHOM/ (for Germany)
Click to expand...

the amazon version came. It looks very similar to the lab brush but the bristles are different. The bristles of the azn brush are lighter in color, smoother, and not as stiff as the lab brush. When you rub your finger across the tip of the bristles, the azn bristles flex and move like brush fibers but the lab brush fibers are much stiffer and hardly move at all. Based on the texture, it looks like the lab brush has composite fibers to me, but I'm no expert. Not sure if the stiffness difference will impact how well azn brushes clean off residue. Too bad all my clamps are already clean! :p Looking forward to testing it out.

IMG-6950.jpg

IMG-6949.jpg
 
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J

jim e

Legend
LOBALOT said:
These look good. My contribution is....

Don't use vice grip pliers to hold open your starting clamp to clean it. Let's just say this comes from personal experience. ;)
Click to expand...
It's easy to clean a starting clamp, as you just need to pop off the springs, as you can then access the surfaces to clean, and you just place springs back to place.
 
LOBALOT

LOBALOT

Hall of Fame
jim e said:
It's easy to clean a starting clamp, as you just need to pop off the springs, as you can then access the surfaces to clean, and you just place springs back to place.
Click to expand...

Thank you! My thumb wishes my brain knew that before it came up with the bright idea!
 
Irvin

Irvin

Talk Tennis Guru
If you’re going to use a scratch brush, or whatever, to clean your starting clamp’s / machine clamp’s surfaces, I would want the best access I can get to the clamp surface. I’m not going in at a slight angle to clean a flat surface. I take my clamps apart when I clean them now. No more running a shoestring soaked with alcohol through the clamp. That’s one of many reasons I prefer my Yonex starting clamp and my China knock off starting clamp. I’ve relegated my spring type clamps to tying knots only.
 
LOBALOT

LOBALOT

Hall of Fame
Irvin said:
If you’re going to use a scratch brush, or whatever, to clean your starting clamp’s / machine clamp’s surfaces, I would want the best access I can get to the clamp surface. I’m not going in at a slight angle to clean a flat surface. I take my clamps apart when I clean them now. No more running a shoestring soaked with alcohol through the clamp. That’s one of many reasons I prefer my Yonex starting clamp and my China knock off starting clamp. I’ve relegated my spring type clamps to tying knots only.
Click to expand...

I string a lot of Head Velocity and with that stuff I think it is critical that your clamps (all of them) are clean. I am not sure I have found anything, even poly, more susceptible to slipping than that string.
 
Irvin

Irvin

Talk Tennis Guru
LOBALOT said:
I string a lot of Head Velocity and with that stuff I think it is critical that your clamps (all of them) are clean. I am not sure I have found anything, even poly, more susceptible to slipping than that string.
Click to expand...
That may be true. I haven’t strung too much of it and haven’t encountered any issues with Velocity, but I clean my clamps often.
 
Rabbit

Rabbit

G.O.A.T.
I clean my clamps when my machine tells me to. I've never had a problem with slippage. I've never had my GSS starting clamp or my Parnell Knot starting clamp slip. Ergo, I've left well enough alone with both. I've had the GSS clamp about 12 years or so.
 
happyandbob

happyandbob

Legend
@Rabbit I offered to clean the clamps for a friend of mine, so was able to record videos of the two brushes in action earlier today. TLDR - the lab brush works the Amazon brush is trash.

Will upload the videos later tonight, heading out to drive my youngest to her UTR match.
 
happyandbob

happyandbob

Legend
video of the dirty clamp insert


video of cleaning with the lab brush (dry no alcohol). I wore gloves after reading the warning above about glass breaking off. You can hear the stiff bristles scraping. just took a few brush strokes.


video cleaning with the Amazon brush. It doesn’t really remove much just kinda rubs the surface. You can see the bristles bending. I switch to the lab brush and it takes everything off. Then I brush it off with alcohol at the end.

 
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S

stringtheory

Rookie
LOBALOT said:
I string a lot of Head Velocity and with that stuff I think it is critical that your clamps (all of them) are clean. I am not sure I have found anything, even poly, more susceptible to slipping than that string.
Click to expand...
I completely agree especially the 17g. We pretty much clean our clamps whenever we have to string velocity 17
 
D

Dags

Hall of Fame
I notice there are a bunch of options on Amazon with varying reviews. I might chuck one of them in my basket next time I'm buying something to see if I have better luck. I would just buy one from the link @happyandbob provided, but international shipping and taxes would make it an expensive way to clean my clamps.

If I do, I'll report back here with the results. Maybe if we all buy one, we can collectively sort the wheat from the chaff!
 
USMC-615

USMC-615

Hall of Fame
Interesting little cleaning brush for this task...I've ran across some gunsmith brushes that were pretty much the same but that's been years ago.
 
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USMC-615

USMC-615

Hall of Fame
happyandbob said:
Amicalola to Indian Grave Gap, heading out to grab my son from college and start the drive down. Weather forecast looks good. (y)
Click to expand...
Good deal, be a good hike no doubt. Beautiful country, scenery, mountains throughout. Enjoy the trip and time with your son.
 
D

Dags

Hall of Fame
I bought the branded Läufer 1021 - good reviews. The bristles bend significantly, even when only a small amount are extended. This is not the brush we're looking for.

I've placed an order with a jeweller and horologist. One part of that are refills of a different brand that I hope will fit. The other is a smaller size because the image suggests the pen might hold the fibres tighter, which could make it stiffer (of course, the lower density might negate this). Both are from the Bergeon brand. If price is an indication I might be on a winner... unless horologists favour a softer brush!

To be updated.
 
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