▪ I. scratch-brush, n.
(ˈskrætʃbrʌʃ)
[f. scratch n. or v.]
A brush of fine wire used in gilding, electroplating, etc. to polish or clean articles of metal.
| 1797 Encycl. Brit. (ed. 3) VII. 740/1 First, the gilded piece of metal is rubbed with a scratch brush (which is a brush composed of brass wire) till its surface is made smooth. 1839 F. A. Griffiths Artil. Man. 3 The [gun] barrel..is to be well rubbed over with a steel scratch card or scratch brush, until the rust is..removed. 1873 Spon Workshop Rec. Ser. i. 174/2 For delicate objects, scratch-brushes are made of spun glass. 1877 G. E. Gee Silversmith's Handbk. x. 162 The beautiful frosted surfaces to be seen upon silver lockets..are all produced by means of the scratch-brush. |
b. attrib. scratch-brush lathe, a lathe with a circular revolving scratch-brush.
| 1856 G. Gore in Orr's Circ. Sci., Pract. Chem. 48 ‘Scratch brush’ lathes..for scouring and preparing the surfaces of metal articles to receive a deposit. 1877 G. E. Gee Silversmith's Handbk., Fig. 40 Scratch-brush Lathe. |
▪ II. scratch-brush, v.
(ˈskrætʃbrʌʃ)
[f. prec. n.]
trans. To polish by means of a scratch-brush.
| 1799 G. Smith Laboratory I. 87 Take it out and scratch-brush it in clean water. 1884 F. J. Britten Watch & Clockm. 135 The articles must be..rinsed in water and scoured with sand, or scratch-brushed. |
Hence ˈscratch-brusher, a workman who operates a scratch-brush; ˈscratch-brushing vbl. n., the process in which a scratch-brush is used.
| 1839 F. A. Griffiths Artil. Man. 3 The barrel will [then] be sufficiently corroded for the operation of scratch-brushing. 1885 Brit. Alm. Comp. 94 (Occupations) Scratch brusher. |