Decorator's paint-brushes are commonly seen in demining tool kits. They are
used to brush away the soil sticking to the side of an exposed
mine or explosive hazard. Conventional paint brushes are
far too short for safety,
and the bristles are usually too soft to do the job well.
The
AVS demining brush costs little and is a more effective and safer alternative
to a paint-brush. It is made using a 40cm section of malleable
stainless steel pipe with bristles set into it at both ends using epoxy resin. The resin is locked in place by rolling depressions into the pipe using a pipe-cutting tool with a broad, blunt wheel.
A simple reversible tool, one end has stiff 'yard-broom'
bristles and the other softer 'hand-brush' bristles. The
demining brush is light and easy to use from a far greater distance than
its conventional alternatives.
In
tests, the bristles of the brush were placed on top of a mine.
The bristles were burnt off in the blast but the stainless steel
handle remained in one piece.
The picture shows a soldier exposing an AP mine with the brush in Peru.
