Painting and Decorating tools, tips, chat and how to videos.

Old paint brushes versus new brushes for cutting in with paints

2016-09-25T04:41:00.000-07:00

My hand trimmed brushes compared with old worn brushes

If you are a pro decorator you may be lucky to have some worn down brushes for use with cutting in tasks

They can take forever to wear down and once they have become the right shape the stock and handle of the brushes are pretty tired, the bristles are often clogged and crusty.


Bad example!


My version


Spot the difference


looks a bit tired!

My version

Our own brand of brushes are now available from Ebay where i usually sell modified hamilton perfection brushes.

Or alternatively we now supply brushes called the edge paint brush to the decorating warehouse Edge brushes from the decorating warehouse

If you have ever wondered how the professional decorator gets those neat straight lines and edges when painting the secret is they sometimes use a worn down paint brush or "cutting in" brush specifically for this task
The Edge paint brush range has been created exclusively for us to provide our customers with a brand new paint brush capable of getting that all important professional finished look
these clever painting tools can make this task a cinch
edge brushes can be used for painting against glass on Georgian or sash windows, the edges of woodwork on door frames or skirting boards also you can get those all important neat tidy lines with emulsion paints and coloured varnishes!
each brush is carefully crafted and modified by hand by a professional decorator so be assured these tools are not mass produced, our supplier is based locally to us and is in fact the creator of this method of modifying brushes

Hand trimmed, worn brushes on ebay

2016-07-18T05:13:00.001-07:00

A selection of my very own brushes for sale on ebay uk
please take some time to read my feedback from satisfied customers

How to do shabby chic furniture painting

2016-04-14T07:12:00.003-07:00

my own video shows you how

I'ts so easy to create your own style just choose a suitable piece of furniture

get some good quality paint and brushes and youre halfway there!

If you need any further advice you can contact me via youtube comments section i'm always happy to help.

How to wallpaper around a socket or light switch

2016-04-14T06:41:00.000-07:00

My own video shows my simple step by step technique for this task

I am using a paste the wall wall covering in this easy to follow short video

How to wallpaper around a window reveal

2016-04-14T06:37:00.001-07:00

My own video shows my technique for doing this

This video shows the process in step by step order, i am using lining paper you would of course match the paper if it has a pattern

This job presented an oppertunity for me to film against strong contrasting wall colour so i set up the camera i think its usefull to make a visual reperesentation of the task which some might otherwise struggle with

Which paint brushes do i recommend?

2016-04-14T06:26:00.001-07:00

A question i often get asked via you tube

"Hi which is the best brush to use"?

"Hi which roller sleeves do you recommend"?

Well it can be a difficult question to answer because i am a professional decorator i will pay a premium price for my tools simply because i want them to last and be robust enough for daily use.

For use in oil based painting tasks i need a firm bristle brush, i would therefore buy a Hamilton perfection pure bristle brush.

For a synthetic filament brush a Purdy monarch elite would be my weapon of choice

How much will i pay? i tend to buy box sets rather than single brushes as this offers good value its just common sense a five brush box set of Hamilton perfection brushes will cost around £26.00 a set like that would contain 1x 1" 2x 1.5" and 2x 2" brushes the combination of sizes can vary it a no brainer .Why try to buy cheap brushes that may look the part but will simply fall apart in use!

Brushes are expensive because of the components used IE stainless steel stocks do not rust and rot after a few months, wooden handles are suitable for vapour box storage and are comfortable they expand and contract keeping the connection between stock and handle tight.

good quality bristles (black china) are an expensive natural product and are hard to source according to a brush manufacturer raising hogs is an expensive business for Chinese farmers and bristles are a by product of the slaughter process of these valuable animals.

Quality products cost a little more but its worth the extra investment why be disappointed after spending your hard earned cash?

Even if you only intend to use brushes a few times a year buying a good product, storing and cleaning your tools properly will give you years of use.

Personal choice is an important factor to mention as no two decorators would say the same or make the choices i might.

Gimmicks gizmo's and gadgets and trends to make painting easier I'm no Luddite i will try and enjoy trying new products i recently asked a brush manufacturer why they sell synthetic filament brushes in different colours and what is the difference between them? there is no difference he said! its just branding and marketing so don't be fooled.

list of the best places to buy painting and decorating tools wholesale in the UK

2015-09-21T05:30:00.000-07:00

My list of some smaller independant suppliers where you can buy both trade and retail painting and decorating tools, paints wallpapers at wholesale prices.

Each entry will have a brief overview of the kind of products you can buy as some are more trade than retail in supply

This list is by no means extensive of all independent suppliers

but should provide a use full reference

Over time i will add more stores and update on any changes

Mypaintbrush .....

Award winning web site based in the midlands all leading brands of brushes and tools trade based quality and always have some new innovative products to promote also the home of the distinctive FOX brush brand

Also supply fillers, abrasives, rollers, hand tools and accessories

A great source of good quality trade tools

free delivery over £50.00 free t shirt orders over £70.00 free brush comb when you spend over £20.00 on Fox products.

Decoratingdirect.....

Trade based suppliers based Middlesbrough A very broad range of brushes tools rollers with prices to suit all pockets they also sell access equipment and most sundries useful to the pro decorator and diy.

some trade paints, floor coatings, masonry, primers etc also do Sadolin stains lining papers and an extensive range of thermal liners.

very good extensive site with some great brushes.

free delivery orders over £45.00

Trade1st...

Located in Cheshire very crisp responsive site selling all leading brands of tools brushes and sundries has a nice top ten featuring best sellers on each page.

A good broad range of trade and retail brands which are easy to locate from the brand image scroller on the home page not a great deal in the way of paints but they do have some usefull primers and damp proofers

free delivery orders over £50.00

Decoratingwarehouse...

based in Nottingham large range of all paints and wallpapers probably the largest online! all leading paint brands and sundries most but not all of the brushes and rollers are geared towards the retail market .

Suppliers of Purdy, Hamiltons, prodec products

Paints are primarily Johnstones, Dulux,Granorcryl

Very knowledgeable and friendly staff

free delivery orders over £69.99 inc vat

Decorating-supplies....

Based in Sheffield supply small range of trade brushes and tools including Hamiltons, purdy, prodec, Axus

They have a very good range of work wear paste tables and some good deals on Gopaint brush storage products.

free delivery orders over £60.00

Thedecoratingstore...

Based in Shoreham they have good range of trade brushes Wooster, Purdy, Hamilton, Prodec, Elder and jenks, Rembants.

They also have a range of Mythic paints and some good quality power tools

Very good best seller offers on the homepage

Orders £50.00ex VAT and above up to 15kg FREE

Glenwooddecoratingsupplies...

Based in Darlington have a very large and extensive range of paints and coatings some trade brushes and a good range of retail brushes and rollers too

Interestingly they also have their own brand of paints

Free UK Mainland Delivery on orders £35+.

2015-08-15T17:10:00.001-07:00

The battle of the wooster vs purdy roller sleeves put to the test

I had a great chance to use wooster and purdy roller sleeves side by side with acrylic eggshell paint by Johnstones

I much preferred the wooster sleeves as the purdy marathons felt a little too synthetic for my liking the wooster sleeves had a much softer action fluffier in use and gave a much better quality finish they washed out much easier too!

OVERALL BOTH GOOD QUALITY AS YOU WOULD EXPECT

But by far the wooster pro dooz gets my vote for all round performance.

PURDY MARATHON pro extra

WOOSTER PRO DOO- Z

PURDY IN THE RED CORNER

WOOSTER IN THE GREY CORNER

Refina Plasiflex finishing trowel

2015-04-06T08:20:00.000-07:00

Plasiflex trowel for skimming and finishing plaster a review

The 14" plasiflex by refina tools

As a decorator you may come across Artex ceilings which are a little dated i have often been asked to skim over these or do i know a plasterer who could do the job?

I am used to using caulking tools with plastic blades for joint finishing and saw these trowels used for skimming, they have a very flexible edge and are becoming a popular choice with professional plasterers. I decided to buy and use a plasiflex to skim over a swirl artex ceiling for a customer.

The tool itself is very well made and the edges surprisingly flexible.

It was as you can See from the video very easy to use and i was very pleased with the results.

After preparing the ceiling by scraping away any high spots from the artex i then repaired some quite large cracks with self adhesive joint tape the tape was then roughly skimmed over with plaster.

a generous coat of thinned unibond applied to the ceiling sealed the artex ready for skimming.

As you can see the ceiling was perhaps the worst type to test my plastering skills which had been confined to patching small areas and skimming onto boards but i found this tool surprisingly easy to use it very lightweight and ergonomically well designed for prolonged use.

Once you get used to the feel of the tool and spreading without pressing the plaster too much it was a speedy job to quickly apply the first coat of plaster to back fill the artex which in places was a couple of mill deep.

once set i began to apply the second coat and it was only then that this tool began to show its true ease of use the flexi edge smoothed the rough first coat without effort and it was very difficult to believe it was this easy to skim such a rough large area so quickly.

The ceiling dried to a great unpolished finish ideal for mist coating a couple of days later.

I would not hesitate in recommending this product and it paid for itself on its first job.

So if you do the odd bit of patching or want to branch out into offering to skim rooms this would be a good choice of tool.


flexible not half!

Wooster products at Screwfix

2015-03-29T06:42:00.000-07:00

WOOSTER PAINTING AND DECORATING PRODUCTS NOW AVAILABLE @

I have noticed that my local screwfix outlet now stock a small range of wooster products
I think that this is great news and i fully support them.
You can get some silver tip brushes and 9 inch frames and sleeves
Sherlock roller poles
Pelican scuttles and liners
Lock jaw tool holder
Exquisite superflow brushes
It is a small range but i'm sure overtime it will grow it's really great to see such high quality products available so conveniently local without having to order online.
I would recommend using the online stock checking tool on the screwfix website where you can reserve for collection

Acrylic satinwood paint by Dulux a review

2015-03-29T06:21:00.001-07:00

I find that satin wood paint is becoming evermore popular but some times i struggle with the coverage and finish getting the balance right can be a pain.

Dulux quick dry satinwood brilliant white

I found this product

Is easy to apply without overloading

Has a nice smooth level finish

Gives excellent coverage

Was very easy to apply gives the user plenty of time to lay off

Only required two coats for perfect coverage

You don't have to overload the surface trying to get it to cover

Nice sharp white finish

Price wise, very competitve and easily available

Overall an excellent product

For customers who request a gloss finish i use johnstones acrylic gloss paint, it has a great shine but i not a huge fan of the acrylic satin they produce.
I'm now happy that i can be confident and offer an equally good satin finish with Dulux satinwood

How to wallpaper around a window

2014-11-27T13:59:00.001-08:00

Here is my video on how to wallpaper the small tricky bit around a window reveal

Star ceilings, how to turn any ceiling into a glow in the dark galaxy with simple tools and of course glow in the dark paints

2014-02-05T12:29:00.000-08:00

buy glow in the dark paint

I recently contacted Mark Watts regarding his ebook instructional on how to create star ceilings.

Mark very kindly sent me a copy and its a nice clear concise ebook detailing his techniques with some good tips on setting up and the tools and materials required .

I will be doing some star ceilings as friends and family have shown a great interest in having something a little more unusual .

One of marks pupils had a ceiling creation featured on diy sos tv show the video with the unveiling segment is a nice touch.

I have done some research on the glow in the dark paints , these are acrylic based and are safe non toxic etc ,.

The prices vary depending on quality, expect to pay £9.99 for 30ml of paint (Glowtec)

Alternatively you could buy a kit from £34.99

the star ceiling e book can be purchased from the link below.

Click Here!

glowinthedarkpaints

Looking for ready mixed wood fillers read my Ronseal ready mixed wood filler review

2014-02-02T10:44:00.001-08:00

buy multi purpose filler

Multi purpose wood filler, Ronseals ready mixed wood filler When and where to use it, how does it perform?

Ronseal ready mixed wood filler

A traditional ready mixed wood filler (not lightweight) it's not a product i would normally use on new woodwork typically you are having to fill deep screw/nail holes in pine joinery.

Some ready mixed products can dry harder than the substrate timber making it very difficult to sand without damaging the bare wood surrounding the filled area.

Epoxy fillers can be troublesome in this respect but often epoxy fillers or two pack mix filler is specified on some new builds.

Mixing powder filler is an option but often does not have the strength to create a long lasting fill, it can after a short time during the drying process begin to fall out or crack away from the timber or screw head.

So a ready mixed filler that has user friendly qualities, combined with a fast drying time is a great addition in many ways a time and money saver.

Ronseal multi purpose comes in a range of colours so it also good for filling timber that is being stained rather than painted.

In this video i use the white version as its easy to see once dry.

It has a slightly runny consistency from the tub but as soon as it hits any surface it begins to firm up so it does not dribble out of the deep screw holes etc.

A screw on lid design keeps the product fresh for use and its handy size makes it easy to carry around in a pocket.

I found it did save me time and i was very pleased with its one fill application and its easy to sand formula, not too soft and not too firm.

A great product i would definitely buy again.

dulux paints hamilton paint brushes painting and decorating

Painting aluminium shop windows? which paint to choose

2014-01-27T09:43:00.000-08:00

paint painting Aluminium shop windows commercial premises how to update a tired paint finish, try johnstones smooth metal paint.

Faced with this problem when asked to repaint the shop front of a fast food premises.

The owner required a colour to match his existing colours on his other premises.

The surface to be repainted was of a mixed construction painted aluminium and PVC snap in inserts, the colour was deep grey and the surface was blistering and tired.

my local paint supplier recommended johnstones smooth metal paint after hearing my concerns regarding drying times when using an ordinary oil based under coat and gloss system.

Now i was slightly dubious when told no primer, undercoat was required with this product and that i could clean up and thin the paint with ordinary white spirits!

It was a very nice product to use and my worries were unjustified as the finish after three coats was a transformation that everyone was happy with.

The video below shows me applying the final of three coats.

The technique i chose to use was brush and roll with a synthetic one inch brush (cutting in) and a full bristle synthetic two inch for the larger areas, its quite a thick paint to apply and has a good workable drying time which allowed me to then finish the surface with a four inch foam roller.

price was around £43.00 for 2.5 litres

Ready mixed wood filler by Sadolin perfect for filling woodwork before stain is applied

2014-01-24T09:01:00.002-08:00

USING READY MIXED WOOD FILLERS
A REVIEW OF SADOLINS WOOD FILLER QUICK DRYING MAHOGANY FILLER.
simple to use straight from the tin to save time when filling small imperfections to a surface prior to using a water or oil based wood stain.
When used it is best to apply a good hour before you need to stain your surface as it does dry very quickly in normal conditions and it dries very hard.
Slightly porous when dry and sanded, unlike an epoxy two pack filler which can be too smooth and impervious!
This filler when over stained has good key which is important to prevent flaking or splitting .

Sadolin wood filler

Not the easiest filler to spread but it does the job well and above all dries quickly

Sadolin wood filler retains its deep colouring when dry so over stains very well i would definately use again

How to get rid of damp stains on your walls and ceilings

2014-01-20T05:37:00.000-08:00

what is shellac and how does it work?

various shellac forms scraped and collected from the bark of trees

Recently at work i had been using zinsser covers up to eliminate a nasty water stain on a customers ceiling and he remarked what the heck was i spraying?
I told him it was zinsser spray which contains the strong smelling but distinctive "shellac"additive.
Which you may or may not know is made from beatles wings? or so i thought!
Well its actually a secretion from a beatle called the Kerria lacca which consumes the sap from trees which it then secretes onto the bark, this resulting secretion hardens and is the collected by scraping from the branches.
It is the used in varnishes paints etc and is a constituent part of most stain blocking formulations, it also has that distinctive smell.

Zinsser products have this covers up product which is especially made to spray upwards onto ceilings without tipping the can, the clever nozzle it uses requires the user to simply press the plastic nozzle aside to produce a nice controlled upwards spray onto the offending stain, it does take a little while to dry but forms a very effective barrier to the unsightly stain.
My tip would be to apply it well in advance of over painting to prevent any hold ups.

Zinsser covers up stain block

The clever upwards spraying nozzle

How to make make your shabby chic table painting project unique, easy step by step instructional video shows you how.

2014-01-20T04:43:00.000-08:00

Learn how to stencil a lace effect onto your table top,
you will need
1. A table
2. Paints
3. Lace curtain or tablecloth
4.Spray paint

Up cycling an old lace net curtain to create a stunning lace effect on my coffee table.
After the usual preparation prior to painting sanding cleaning dust removal etc i painted the table with subtle cream acrylic paint (two coats) we then allowed the table to dry overnight.
The large lace net curtain was a charity shop purchase mere £2.50 we then lay the lace flat over the table.
Take some gold coloured spray paint and gently spray across the lace don't spray too close or heavy less is most certainly more in this example!
The lace was then removed to reveal this unique stencil effect you see in my video,finally two coats of acryic varnish to protect the finish.

BEFORE

AFTER

Coming up see me up cycle a old cutlery box into a stunning jewellery box

This interior decorating program will show you how to decorate Your home, using your current furniture & accessories And combining with new ones. Includes everything you need to start your Design Touch project right away! Click Here!

Synthetic paint brushes or pure bristle which are best?

2014-01-20T03:22:00.001-08:00

CHOOSING THE RIGHT TOOLS FOR THE TASK.

Without doubt the correct brushes for differing painting tasks makes things easier.

As a pro decorator you might own a huge armory of paint brushes but will usually end up using one particular brush more than others.

Lets call this brush the all rounder, a tool you simply cant put down i recently purchased a 2" Rembrandt synthetic brush and now find myself using it for most emulsion painting jobs and now cant put it down.

I have a good selection of brushes purchased mainly from online decorating tools and brush suppliers.

Brands including

Proform

Wooster

Corona

Hamilton

Rembrandt

Each and every brush is used for its own specific task and i with a small exeption would'nt be without any of them!

But trying to find good pure bristles is becoming quite difficult and there is just something about the way they perform that synthetic filaments cannot compete.

Pure bristle brushes wear down quite quickly and so the performance changes over time often they become a better brush, synthetics really dont wear down to any degree and require almost obsessive and routine cleaning and maintenance schedule to prevent them becoming crusty, clogged fit for nowt!

Without any hesitation the best pure bristle brush i've seen is the "Corona morro" its construction and bristle quality is superb and well worth the money.

corona morro2"


please note this brush has been trimmed /modified by me!

SEE MY TRIMMED PAINT BRUSHES GALLERY HERE BRUSH GALLERY PHOTOS

Hand cut, cutting in brushes

2013-06-26T11:29:00.001-07:00

This group represents just a small selection!

Get these brushes from outstone63 on ebay, to see my auctions for the purdy monarch elite, corona morro, hamilton, wooster , Maxim two inch trimmed paint brush.
grab them fast as i can only produce them as and when, happy bidding!

click Here for our listings live on ebay, bid now and grab a bargain

Comparing a trimmed bristle with a full bristle 2" Hamilton perfection paint brush.
These brushes in the perfection range of pure bristle are perfect for trimming.
When compared side by side the amount of bristles removed seems quite dramatic.

MY HAND TRIMMED BRUSHES NOW AVAILABLE FROM

decoratingwarehouse.com The brushes are called the edge and are exclusively available
We are now selling these brushes starting with a small range including synthetic brushes

edge paint brushes available here

The video below shows the purdy monarch elite 1" with its synthetic filament trimmed.
The technique for trimming synthetic brushes is a little more complex.

xxxxxx > superb cutting in brush

Well trimmed, very fast despatch and delivery! Excellent.

Another excellent item of this 5 ebayer!!

Well trimmed, very fast despatch and delivery! Excellent.

Superb been a decorator 30 years and this brush looks as if it had been worn in

very happy with brush im a decorater and this is very good work

item spot on recommended ebayer many thanks

Great brush will b back! 5*

Excellent product as always from this ebayer! Recommend highly!

From one decorator to another, great item fast delivery A*

spot on, keep up the good work!!!!!

fast delivery ..great brush.. thanks....

Great Brushes makes cutting in so much easier / Recommend to all / Thank you.

Amazing paint brush for the diyer and the professional decorator! Perfect!

Rapid delivery! also these brushes are excelent, try one you wont be disappointed

My first roller pole!

2012-02-17T04:52:00.005-08:00

As mentioned in my previous blog i was apprenticed to an old fashioned decorating firm old techniques and habits being the order of the day.
for instance to paint a ceiling we would have to set up a scaffold type access which sounds grand but merely involved a pair of wooden stepladders either side of the room with a batten or plank spanning the space, after applying the paint generously "cos you aint payin for it lad" the whole apparatus would be moved one man either side to paint the next "shift".
It all sounds very complicated and believe me it was! it was also the only way it was to be done. UNTIL!!!!
Myself and fellow apprentice shane were sent to a building site to first or mist coat a bungalow, it was a new build by a local building firm notorious for their luxuriously long tea breaks, five or six men would troop religiously into a shed containing a gas stove and a collection of cronky chairs to break, it was my first experience of seeing just how childish grown men could be! after being at school i thought i had truly seen it all as far as bad behaviour was concerned.
These blokes builders, joiners,plumbers etc could make us laugh so hard we could barely breathe.
Any way before i start telling bawdy tales and get x rated back to roller poles.
we were left to paint the spacious bungalow with the before mentioned scaffold and despite asking our boss to get us a roller pole he point blank refused!
Not to be outdone we pinched two sweeping brush handles and whittled the ends so we could with effort screw the poles into the roller frames and away we went.
We were due to be picked up at 4.30 that afternoon and presented the boss with the whole bungalow coated, to say he was stunned was an understatement we explained how we had done it, by the next day the trestles and steps were ditched in favour of the new fangled pole.

Pure bristle or Synthetic brushes?

2012-02-16T08:16:00.000-08:00

The brushes i used as an apprentice were pure bristle and to my shame i don't recall the various brands we used! i do however remember cleaning them dozens at a time, they were stored in water filled buckets, white brushes separated from coloured by a small piece of plywood, to use a brush we selected our weapon and shook out the excess water more often than not the stocks would be filled with water and you had to hold the brush upside down to drain out the liquid! if the stock was not watertight then we were told to rub some putty into the join where the handle was attached to the metal ferrule to prevent water re entering the stock.
Not ideal i know and now I'm glad we have the vapour box storage systems, this brings me to synthetic brushes i must admit i was never a quick convert to these until recent developments in acrylic paints means care full brush selection is essential for the modern decorator, my own preference is for the Wooster chinex range for acrylic gloss and satin application, the proform picasso 2" for emulsion paints along with the firm action Wooster extra firm range.
My first foray into synthetic tools was the purchase of the Purdy 2" dale elite i was as they say an instant convert and managed to wear this brush to a stub, still got it but it looks a little weathered.
As for pure bristle they still have a place in my tool kit and i prefer the absolute quality of the Hamilton perfection range i use them for oil based paints and they store for months without any problems in my vapour box no water filled buckets any more!

GET THE VIDEO HERE ON HOW TO TRIM YOUR OWN PAINT BRUSHES

Have you ever waned to trim down your own paint brushes for use when cutting in?
I needed a specific shaped brush for painting some georgian style windows the problem was the only worn down brushes i had that would do the job with speed were absolutely clogged up old pure bristle brushes which had seen better days!
Now i had heard other decs tell stories about how they could set fire to a new brush and reduce the splay of bristles to create a decent cutting in tool, sounds drastic and it was i tried it and the smell was atrocious.
After i managed to extinguish the fire there wasn't a lot of bristle left!
well i was determined not to give in and bought a box of 50 pure bristle brushes to practice on and set about trying to solve the problem.
I must admit i almost gave up trying!
using various methods and some of them were bizarre including chopping with scissors, using chemicals, power drills with brushes cobbled onto the ends, running the brushes up and down rough brick walls and stucco surfaces.
I even started to consider building a contraption that would attach to the back of a moving car which would then wear down the brushes as i drove around, seriously i was a man obsessed.
How could something so simple be achieved? after all simply using the brush for months or years even could create the perfect cutting in tool its a solution but still left the problem of a tatty brush!
Well as often with a problem the solution is in plain sight and it was.
When you find out how to do this you will kick yourself as i did i could'nt quite believe i had solved the problem Eureka!
Now what do do with it? Easy i produced a nice set and selfishly began to use them in all sizes.
I also began to realize that these tools were fast and saving me so much time in fact they were making money! by speeding up some of the more tedious jobs cutting in windows as an example is the obvious one .
I began to use my brushes in larger sizes and started to replace the use of mini foam rollers on large surface painting tasks.
using old worn down brushes is nothing new! but using a "new" worn brush was doing some pretty clever things! So instead of only using these tools for cutting in i began to use them in a more general way, certain shapes of brush can be used to lay on paint with very little flip flapping to spread the paint, again we are saving time!
Fast forward a few years and after some family difficulties i got back to my trade and with a nice armoury of brushes my job was indeed a lot easier, anytime i needed a new tool i just made one. I would buy a suitable brush trim it down wear it etc and away i went.
The popularity of synthetic brushes was on the rise and as with any new products after a time i began to use these too, again i'm wondering if i could trim my synthetic tools down and how would these work and perform? The method of trimming these is slightly different but it works all the same.
The better quality the brush the modification process is simpler its the same with anything you buy! choose a good brand with a thick stock its really not a good idea to trim a thin stock synthetic filament it can be done but they don't work as well. These kind of brushes work well at their intended use, i use them too! but would struggle to use them in oil based paints.
It was a natural progression to make my finished brushes available to other decorators and diy enthusiasts so with this in mind i began to dip my toe's into online selling of my modified brushes.
The interest has been quite staggering and has taken me by surprise!
I now sell my brushes on ebay they sell at cost plus a nice mark up and the feedback i recieve not to mention repeat orders keeps me busy, but above all my love is for painting and decorating i love my customers and most of them i now consider friends.
I enjoy buzzing around in my van working locally and i want to concentrate on that.
So i have created a video which gives anyone interested everything you need to know to be able to modify and sell your own creations however you wish.
You might not be a decorator but that would'nt and shouldnt stop you being able to do this and earn some money.
The secret is now available! am i going to make millions? i doubt it! be nice though!
My next project is to register some new designs on some brush shapes i have created and to take these forward and make them available and also concentrate on film making all about painting of course!

The video below will take you to my youtube channel instone09 where you will find my brush trimming tutorial videos free to view.

"Best buy any Decorator could buy! No more wearing in new brushes!! Yayyy! Thanks"

Heres a set of brushes one of my video tutorial buyers has sent to me NOT JUST ONE BUT A FULL SET!

Old mr hubbard

2012-01-26T15:37:00.000-08:00

I was reading a forum and some one was asking how he could store old paint?

Well this got me thinking about what my first boss mr hubbard who used to get us to re use our old paint scraps or leftovers if you like!

He had a large wooden shed which stored all the paint equipment all very orderly and organised it was too, rows of shelves groaning with tins of all sizes brand names long gone like Valspar, berger, ring a bell with anyone?

on a quiet day we were instructed to brush out all the remains of oil based paints into a gallon tin as they were then.

we had to carefully remove the skins from the tins and some of these skins were crusty with age and the remaining paint was gloopy but surprised to still liquid!

once a gallon tin was full we had to stir the mixture of colours together it was always pink for some reason.

After hammering on the lid and brushing the lid top with a sample of the resulting colour we had produced and labelling the atrocious mixture "smudge"

Smudge was used for painting the inside of cast iron guttering and downpipes which was one of the jobs us young uns were assigned to do.

Hubbards painting and decorating was by no means a modern company it was a family business based on old fashioned values, trust, honesty, and above all high quality i miss those old days and loved my first job and intend to write about them and some of the old techniques in detail.

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