3-3. Paint-Preparation Tools. The basic tools to assist with protective-coating preparations and
applications are hand paddles, power mixers and shakers, paint buckets, and paint strainers.
a. Hand Paddles. Use hand paddles to keep paint well-mixed while you are painting. Using
wood-hand paddles allows you to discard them after their use and saves a cleaning job. More efficient
metal hand paddles with holes in the blade are also available. However, if a power mixer is available, it
is not economical to mix large paint quantities with a hand paddle.
b. Power Mixers and Shakers. These tools were covered in Lesson 2.
c. Paint Buckets. Several plastic buckets that hold at least 1 1/2 gallons are very useful for
mixing paints and for cleaning brushes after their use. A paint-can extender (splash guard) is also handy
when you are stirring paints in the original paint container.
d. Paint Strainers. Strain paint that has set all night and strain mixtures of dry pigments and oils
before use. Also strain any coating that is used in a spray gun. Some strainers are made of paper or
cloth, and they are inexpensive and disposable; however, always dispose of used strainers in a fireproof
container. Other strainers are made of fine wire mesh; they are cleaned with the same material used to
thin the paint mixture.
e. Paint Guide. Use a paint guide (Figure 3-21) to help with painting in tight corners and to
keep paint off ceilings and trim. Be careful not to get paint on the back of the paint guide.
Figure 3-21. Paint guide
3-4. Paintbrushes. It is important for you to select good-quality paintbrushes of the correct size and
shape for a particular job. You must also know how to care for paintbrushes, store them properly, and
reclaim abused paintbrushes.
a. Selection. Besides choosing good-quality paintbrushes, you should also select brushes that
are the right size and shape for the job. For example, using a small paintbrush on large surfaces not only
wastes energy but also prevents proper paint spreading. Applying paint to a smooth surface requires
good-quality paintbrushes. They are well-bristled, and the bristles are springy. The bristles of good-
quality paintbrushes are flagged at the ends to hold and help spread paint; where as, poor-quality
paintbrushes will neither hold paint well or spread it evenly. Figure 3-22 shows the principal paintbrush
parts. Good-quality bristles are made from natural or synthetic bristles or a mixture of these materials
(Figure 3-23).
EN0562
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