Pocket Dog Grooming Slicker for Seed Removal

We have in our family two large and very hairy dogs, we all enjoy our daily walks, when we return home anyone would think that the dogs had been on very different walks. Frequently Jintsey, on the left, returns glossy and dry, whilst Monty on the right is wet, bedraggled and covered in "bits".

The worst time of year for us, and our garden, is summer when everything is going to seed, Monty collects seeds! I will list some common attachments.

Wood avens, Cleavers, Enchanters nightshade. We now have all of these plants in our garden.

We always try to brush the seeds off when we get home but by then some of the hitchhikers have hidden themselves away in his fur, I decided I needed a portable deseeding solution and what follows is it.

Slicker brush (will need to be modified)

Craft knife

3D printer

Contact adhesive

2 of M4 x 10mm cap screws

2mm drill in hand chuck

M4 tap

The following probably not be needed, read on to see why!

Saw, either band or hand.

2 off 4mm x 16 wood screws

In 2019 I wrote an instructable about a Carpet rake made from slicker brush heads,

I had used my rake daily since making it until it needed to be "Triggers broomed" (UK readers will get the reference). The rake head had lost many of its bristles and was less efficient. This left me with the old worn out rake that I decided still had some life left in it, I sacrificed it to the cause! I cut out one of the better bits of the head on my band saw to make a piece 42mm wide x 46mm long this will form the basis of a pocket sized slicker.

These slicker brushes are very spikey so a brush with a cover would be ideal for something that will go in a pocket. The obvious way to go was a cover that folds out to be a handle. A bit of tinkering later and I had a printable design, filament printed in PLA+. The Pivot block was tapped either side M4 dia, the brush pivots open using the cap heads of the M4 screws

It works just as intended but the 3D print had very sharp corners so a quick rework was needed, it is the rework I have linked as Mini dog slicker tinkercad file below. The red and grey block is a dummy slicker piece used to check everything fitted ok.

I printed the next one in PETG which feels a little tougher than the PLA but I doubt it makes much difference, they will both stand up to regular use. The rounded off corners certainly help with comfort both in the hand and in the pocket.

Let me set the scene for this piece of cimamatic brilliance.

Two large dogs, Mrs Rog and me holding their leads, film crew....that was also Mrs Rog and me trying to keep dogs in place whilst filming. The seeds this time around were wood avens.

The mini slicker makes short work of removing seeds before they ever reach our garden.

This is a bit of a rewrite due to to me not thinking beyond what I would make for myself!

I had old slickers mounted on plywood that I was able to recycle, you probably don't, you need a design that starts with just a slicker brush, you need to do the following.

Using a large screwdriver pry back the metal edges that hold in the rake.

Take care doing this as you will be in danger of stabbing yourself with the screwdriver if you are too cack handed!

As the pad comes out mark with a sharpie the long edge that pointed toward the handle so that you will get the pad the correct way round later.

Using a craft knife cut out a section of the slicker pad 45mm x 40mm, the picture showing the dimensions shows that you take an edge without hooks to help with closing the handle. The hooks face toward that edge, that edge goes toward the hinge.

The slicker pad is stuck to the hinged piece with contact adhesive.

The mini slicker lives in my jeans pocket, I don't even know it is there. It does the job I designed it for superbly and saves my garden from yet more unwanted guests.