Cheap Paint Supplies

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Cheap Paint Supplies

Submitted by: anonymous 03/05/2009 11:49 PM

The best drop cloth ever is a used plastic shower liner. After they have seen better days in the shower, I dry them and save them until I have a painting project. They are large and thicker than the drop cloths the stores sell so they stay in place.

Also, I save plastic coffee cans with lids and use those to hold my paint in smaller quantities for brush work so I don't have to lug around the whole can. And when you are done for the night, just pop the plastic lid on it.

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Comments:

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Thanks for the tip!
If you have a spare plastic lid, and need to brush-paint something overhead such as ceiling, cut an opening in the middle of the lid, insert the handle of the paintbrush and it will help catch any paint that gravity may pull downward toward the handle. Makes things less messy.

Posted by frugalgramma on March 13, 2009 12:43 PM

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fruglgramma--that is brilliant!! I always end up with paint on my glasses. am going to try this out this weekend. thanks.

Posted by anonymous on March 13, 2009 1:43 PM

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Just a recommendation on your eyeglasses; when you're done with your paint project, just use a little straight rubbing alcohol on your lenses... clears them right up. I'm an optician and have cleaned many lenses with this technique even after the paint was good and dry. Although you may want to double check with your personal optician to make sure you don't have any coatings on your lenses that may wear away over time with this technique...most are sturdy enough to hold up, but still good idea to check before using this regularlly. A once in a while use though shouldn't do any damage at all on any lenses.

Posted by anonymous on March 19, 2009 4:35 PM

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If you are painting with oil-based paint you can stop painting for days and not clean the brush - all you have to do is wrap it in plastic wrap or tin foil and put it in the freezer. Thaw it out for half an hour or so unwrapped and you can paint again. You only need to use turpentine to clean up when you are through with your painting job.

Posted by P L A on March 26, 2009 3:07 PM

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The only problem with plastic drop cloths is that the paint remains wet and is easily tracked else where. Before I paint I make a trip to the recycle center and grab bags of newspaper and spread several layers thick on my floors. When I am done the whole mess goes back to the recycle center.

Posted by Michael Coutts on March 26, 2009 11:19 PM

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