BRM Official Blog

Did you know that standard Flex-Hone® tools come in 8 different abrasive types and 11 grit sizes? Two specialty abrasives (CBN and ceramic) are available upon request, and are designed for harder materials.

From aluminum oxide (AO) abrasive to levigated alumina (LA) abrasive, flexible honing tools provide plenty of choices. Which abrasive type and grit size is right for your surface finishing or deburring application? 

Are the bores of your shotguns hiding something? They may look bright and shiny, but appearances can be deceiving. When you visually inspect shotgun bores, the brightness that you see could just be the glare from reflected light. Small pits and tiny scratches can be difficult to detect, but these surface finish irregularities can cause moisture to collect, which can lead to rusting.  

Shotgun bores with rougher areas can also accumulate fouling from carbon, lead, or plastic. If this fouling becomes severe enough, higher pressures and even patterning problems may result. New shotguns need a clean, smooth surface finish, too. If the bores of your long guns have tooling or machining marks, plastic from the shot cup could scrape off and build up with each successive shot.

When restoration expert Rich Pekelney wanted to improve the surface finish of a World War II wet-mount gun, he tried hand-scraping and sanding. Pekelney then tried spring-loaded honing tools, but these rigid hones wore out quickly and affected the bore geometry. That’s when a master diesel mechanic offered some expert advice. “He pulled out a Flex-Hone and told me not to fool with anything else,” Pekelney explained.

The Remington Model 870 is the world’s best-selling shotgun. Since 1951, over ten million of these pump-action firearms have been made. For M870 owners, the shotgun that matters most is the one that’s held in their hands.

A firearm’s look and feel matter, of course, but sleek lines and collectability won’t compensate for jamming and failures-to-eject (FTEs). In the woods, at the range, or in the line of duty, it's accuracy and reliability that count. That’s why gunsmiths, gun owners, and firearms manufacturers use Flex-Hone® for Firearms tools.

Ready to start the New Year with a bang? Then head to SHOT Show 2016 later this month. From January 19 to 23, 2016, members of the shooting, hunting, and outdoor trade (SHOT) industries will gather at the Sands Expo Center in Las Vegas for this trade-only event. Buyers and sellers of military, law enforcement, and tactical gear are also invited to attend this exclusive conference and tradeshow.

Sponsored by the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF), SHOT Show spans 630,000 net square feet and features 1,600 exhibitors. With more than 62,000 industry professionals on-hand, you'll want to make the most of your time on the tradeshow floor. Don’t lose sight of the target. Start planning now. Request a meeting with BRM in Booth #1617 and find Flex-Hone® for Firearms tools for gun maintenance.   

The Brush Research Manufacturing (BRM) Blog is ending the year by looking back at how we’ve helped readers find solutions to surface finishing challenges. 

As a full-line manufacturer of flexible honing tools and industrial brushes, we’ve covered plenty of topics in 2015. Here are our Top 5 Blog Posts for the year. We hope you’ll enjoy this look back, and we look forward to sharing more great content with you in 2016.  

The 1959 Cadillac is prized for its sharp tailfins, distinctive roofline, and decorative front grille. Under the hood, a massive V8 engine came standard in models like the Cadillac Eldorado and the Cadillac Deville.

Today, classic car buyers are restoring auto bodies and engine blocks on these personal luxury cars. For engine restoration specialists, the Flex-Hone® from Brush Research Manufacturing (BRM) is the ideal tool for finishing the engine cylinders. The story that follows explains. 

Have you downloaded your copy of the Nampower Resource Guide yet? Even if you have, you may have missed something important. In the section called “Typical NamPower Applications”, this free technical book from Brush Research Manufacturing (BRM) describes the many uses of NamPower nylon abrasive brushing tools. Still, that’s not all that manufacturers need to know about base materials. 

High-performance brake rotors don’t just support braking at high speeds. They dissipate the heat that’s generated at the interface between the brake pad and the brake rotor. Often, members of the performance racing industry choose drilled or slotted brake rotors made of high-quality gray iron or cast iron. Both brake rotor designs have their advantages, but even high-performance brake pads will wear. If friction pad material is transferred unevenly to the surface of the brake disc, noise and vibration can occur.

For race industry mechanics, brake jobs can mean more than replacing the pads. Brake rotors need to be replaced or re-surfaced (turned). Fortunately, there’s a surface finishing solution that’s ideal for both new and turned rotors. The Flex-Hone® for Rotors tool from Brush Research Manufacturing (BRM) smooths jagged edges and removes unwanted surface material. BRM’s rotor hone also imparts a unidirectional or “basket weave” that’s perfect for bedding-in new brake pads.

Piston rings do more than seal the gap between the piston and the cylinder wall. By preventing exhaust gases from entering the crankcase, these engine components prevent power loss. This is especially important in high-performance engines such as the powerplants used in motorsports. Without a proper fit between the piston ring and the cylinder bore, compression blow-by and oil leakage can sideline the kinds of car used in NASCAR, IRL, and World of Outlaws events.

In the racing industry, providing consistent contact between piston rings and cylinder walls usually means resurfacing the cylinder bores. Engine wear is a problem, but it’s not the only one. Today’s high-performance engine blocks are made of much harder materials. Meanwhile, today’s high-performance piston rings are significantly softer and have less tension. For engine mechanics then, it’s impractical to wait for new piston rings to wear into the cylinder walls. That’s why they race engine builders choose Flex-Hone® tools.