"Bee Hive" question....

I am putting the finish on a "Honey Pot" style brush (not quite as bulbous as a bee hive) and will be working on a "Bee Hive" Resin (White Pearl/Bronze/Carbon Black) Handle today or tomorrow. Before I drill it and start turning the new one, I wanted to see what the demand was for them and the popular dimensions. First question is:
1. What would be the most popular knot size for it?
2. What is the popular height for them. (base of handle to top of handle only)
3. I am currently drilling around 15.75mm. Is that a decent depth?
4. The full cast piece is approx. 44.5mm wide and 82.5mm tall. That gives me plenty of material for shaping. What would be a comfortable outside diameter at center? The base will be determined by the knot size.

As I have stated, I want to glean as much information as possible from more experienced people than myself. I know that personal preference is varied, but need some basic info to build a nice handle. Build quality and acceptable design, and the demand will speak for itself.
Thank all of you that provide information to my questions. Thats the only way to get better.
"Knothead" Tim

I fully admit, I'm a larger knot size fan with the 28mm being my current favorite. So, please take these comments with a grain of salt

1. I believe most would prefer a 24mm with the 26mm being the 2nd most popular
2. From what I"ve seen, the beehives tend to be shorter...maybe in the 50 to 55mm heights (personally, i'd prefer the handle height to be taller but that's due to large hands)
3. Good question...i look forward to seeing others opine on this
4. Again, just from what I've seen, the diameter is thicker for bee hives

For badger, I prefer 26mm knots set to a 52mm loft. 28mm knots are good too.

I am putting the finish on a "Honey Pot" style brush (not quite as bulbous as a bee hive) and will be working on a "Bee Hive" Resin (White Pearl/Bronze/Carbon Black) Handle today or tomorrow. Before I drill it and start turning the new one, I wanted to see what the demand was for them and the popular dimensions. First question is:
1. What would be the most popular knot size for it? <Brad>we've found 28mm the most popular with 26mm close behind.
2. What is the popular height for them. (base of handle to top of handle only) <Brad>It depends on knot size.  48-50mm seems to work best for a 26mm knot with 50-52mm for a 28.
3. I am currently drilling around 15.75mm. Is that a decent depth?<Brad>Socket depth really depends on the knot being used.  A (very) rough rule is to subtract the desired loft in mm from the total knot height, then add 1-2mm.  (You'll need the extra depth for "wiggle room" so you can be sure the knot is straight without causing the epoxy to overflow/get into the hair/fibers.)
4. The full cast piece is approx. 44.5mm wide and 82.5mm tall. That gives me plenty of material for shaping. What would be a comfortable outside diameter at center? The base will be determined by the knot size.<Brad>While we've sold a number of 50mm (max.) diameter Beehives, most seem to prefer 44-45mm finished diameter.  We start with 48-50mm diameter rod stock to allow room for shaping.  You might be get away with smaller rods (depending on your design), but you won't have much room to correct for/true-up runout/out of round blanks.  (FYI, when I cast, I use 2" pvc cut to 6" lengths glued to a flat surface (a board, cookie sheet or.whatever you have handy).  

As I have stated, I want to glean as much information as possible from more experienced people than myself. I know that personal preference is varied, but need some basic info to build a nice handle. Build quality and acceptable design, and the demand will speak for itself.
Thank all of you that provide information to my questions. Thats the only way to get better.
"Knothead" Tim

A few quick thoughts inserted above. (Caveat:  these are my thoughts only.  Others will no doubt vary.) Good luck.  Feel free to PM me if you want to talk.

ESBrushmaker (Brad)
Can't thank you enough for all that information. It is very unusual for someone that shares their expertise with another person making the same things. I'm not a threat to a production maker and just enjoy the art of making quality, functional items. I have been casting in the "Large" pill bottle (1.75"), which gives me some room, but I'll definitely pick up some 2" PVC for larger projects. Maggard shows what approximate depth for their knots, but if I can obtain that actual height from base to tip dimension, would more likely be a little more accurate. Thanks again for your help. It will certainly not be wasted.

ESBrushmaker (Brad)
Can't thank you enough for all that information. It is very unusual for someone that shares their expertise with another person making the same things. I'm not a threat to a production maker and just enjoy the art of making quality, functional items. I have been casting in the "Large" pill bottle (1.75"), which gives me some room, but I'll definitely pick up some 2" PVC for larger projects. Maggard shows what approximate depth for their knots, but if I can obtain that actual height from base to tip dimension, would more likely be a little more accurate. Thanks again for your help. It will certainly not be wasted.

You're quite welcome.  You come across as a man who sincerely wants to do good work; so I'm happy to help.  (Everyone starts somewhere.   ) BTW, the 60 dram ("large") pill bottle works quite well for most handles up to ~42-43mm (a little less waste and all that)..