Wire Brushes for Angle Grinders and Drills NovoTools

When a hand brush isn't enough and a grinding wheel is too aggressive, the power tool wire brush is the perfect solution. Mounted on an angle grinder or drill, these brushes deliver the speed and power needed for fast, efficient cleaning, stripping, and surface preparation on metal.

This guide will explain the different types of Novoabrasive wire brushes, how to choose the right one for your job, and the essential safety practices for using them like a pro.

What are Power Tool Wire Brushes?

These are heavy-duty brushes designed to withstand the high rotational speeds of power tools. They consist of a central hub fitted with dense packs of strong steel wire bristles. When spun at thousands of RPM, these bristles act like tiny, high-speed hammers, chipping away rust, scale, and coatings without aggressively removing the base metal.

Choosing the Right Brush: Shape and Wire Type are Key

Selecting the correct brush is crucial for both performance and safety. The two main factors are the brush's shape and the type of wire.

Cup Brushes (for Angle Grinders):

• Appearance: Shaped like a cup, with bristles flaring out from a central hub.
• Best For: Large, flat surfaces. The wide, flat face provides maximum contact, making them incredibly efficient for stripping paint, rust, and scale from large panels, sheet metal, and structural steel.

Wheel Brushes (for Angle Grinders & Bench Grinders):

• Appearance: Shaped like a wheel, with bristles radiating out from the center.
• Best For: Edges, corners, and irregular surfaces. Their narrower profile allows them to get into tight spaces, clean weld beads, and deburr the edges of cut metal.

End Brushes (for Drills & Die Grinders):

• Appearance: Small, with bristles facing forward from the end of a shank.
• Best For: Internal cleaning and hard-to-reach areas. Perfect for cleaning inside pipes, holes, and tight, detailed corners where other brushes can't fit.

This is the most important decision and dictates the brush's aggressiveness.

Crimped Wire Brushes:

• Appearance: The wires are bent or "crimped," giving them more flexibility.
• Action: Less aggressive, providing a cleaning and polishing action. The flexible bristles can conform to irregular surfaces.
• Best For: Light rust and paint removal, surface cleaning, and creating a uniform brushed finish. Ideal for jobs where you want to avoid damaging the underlying metal.

Knotted (Twisted) Wire Brushes:

• Appearance: The wires are twisted together into tight bundles or knots.
• Action: Extremely aggressive. The twisted knots deliver a high-impact, chiseling action that is powerful enough to remove heavy scale, stubborn rust, and tough weld spatter.
• Best For: Heavy-duty cleaning and stripping. This is your go-to for the toughest jobs where speed and power are required.

Applications: The Right Brush for the Job

• Heavy Rust & Scale Removal: Knotted Cup or Wheel Brush
• Weld Cleaning & Spatter Removal: Knotted Wheel Brush
• Paint & Epoxy Stripping: Knotted or Crimped Cup Brush
• Surface Cleaning & Light Deburring: Crimped Cup or Wheel Brush
• Cleaning Inside Pipes or Holes: End Brush
• Creating a Satin/Brushed Finish: Crimped Wheel Brush

Safety: The Unbreakable Rules of Using Wire Brushes
Wire brushes are among the most dangerous power tool accessories if used improperly. They can shed bristles at bullet-like speeds. Safety is not optional.

1. Mandatory PPE:

• Full-Face Shield: This is not a suggestion. A full-face shield is required to protect your face and eyes from flying wire bristles. Standard safety glasses are not enough.
• Heavy-Duty Gloves & Thick Clothing: Protect your skin from punctures.
• Respirator: Prevents inhalation of dust and metal particles.

1. Check the RPM: The RPM rating on the brush MUST be higher than or equal to the maximum RPM of your power tool. Using a low-RPM brush on a high-speed grinder will cause it to fly apart.
2. Use the Tool's Safety Guard: The guard on your angle grinder is there for a reason. Always use it.
3. Apply Light Pressure: Let the tips of the wire do the work. Pressing too hard will cause the wires to bend, making them less effective and increasing the risk of wire breakage and fatigue.
4. Angle the Brush Correctly: For wheel brushes, only make contact with the tips of the wire. For cup brushes, keep the brush relatively flat to the surface.

By selecting the right Novoabrasive brush for your application and adhering strictly to these safety rules, you can harness the incredible power of these tools to clean and prepare metal surfaces faster and more effectively than ever before.