While driving to work last Saturday, I listened to your intruction on how to build a wooden, reuseable paint tray. Unfortunately, I was not able to write anything down. Your instructions included e-mailing you for the complete directions. If we EVER get this house sold and are able to move to Southern Ontario closer to our adult children, we will be buying a "fixer" and will eventually be painting lots. Something better than the plastic paint trays we buy and discard sounds intriguing.
Answer:
I hate using that 9” paint roller tray so I made a narrower and more practical one that is only 5½” wide. Its longer than the normal tray and works very well for the2”, 3” or 5” rollers that I normally use for small projects. A single piece of 1X6 pine or cedar 18” long is all you need for the bed. 2½” is cut off one end at a 30-degree angle. The short piece is now turned 180-degrees and tacked to the angled cut on what ends up being the longer piece. A piece of 1X3 is now glued and nailed to each side of it. The back end is lined up with the tops of the 1X3s and the front end sits flat so you have a nicely sloping bed to the other end. Leave 6” of flat board at the front end and every inch or so tack in a rib-pattern of one eighth-in square wood scrap of any kind. The ribs shouldn’t quite meet in the middle and neither should they touch the sides. You now pull a plastic grocery bag over the whole thing and pour in your paint. When you’re done, dump the grocery bag into the waste container and you don’t even have to a clean up. So what if you happen to perforate the plastic, let the waste paint dry right where it is and the next time you use the tray, the new plastic bag will not be effected.
In the interests of retaining credibility and in fairness to all, I cannot comment on specific products, recommend prices, people nor companies for various projects.
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Remember, even if you don’t do your own work around the house have to hire someone, you put yourself at a great advantage when you can intelligently discuss a project with the various trades people.
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