When painting what do you guy use?

[Don Morris]

I prefer not to paint my work. But had to copy another built in. So.. I just finished a built in and part of it was a large surface on which I rolled some paint. I use a metal tray. When I was in the store they had all these plastic trays that were cheap..$1.00 or so. Sort of like a throw-away. I have had this metal tray for years. Very little rust but it takes me forever to clean-up. Are the plastic trays the way everyone is going these days? Or is there some other reason everyone is going to the plastic and I've just missed the boat on the reason. Are they really easy to clean or something? Seems to me the plastic might not be as chemically inert as metal and eak out into the paint.

[Phil Phelps]

Actually I have been using a plastic insert in a metal tray and usually I toss the insert. This is because I use this in my business and to clean a tray is time consuming. The metal trays I have are twenty, plus years old.

[Steve Hajewski]

I have both plastic and metal roller trays and don't notice much of a difference for either when using latex paint. (including cleanup)

For oil paint, i prefer to use a plastic liner and toss it after it dries. When using rollers, I'm not all that brand loyal but I wash them to remove lint before using a new one, which I think makes a big difference.

For brush painting, my preference is to paint out of used sour cream containers, since the lid is handy if you need to stop for some reason. My favorite brushes are the "Purdy" brand, and I'm somewhat OCD about cleaning them.

I've also found that I like those plastic visor looking things that make it easy to pour paint without getting it on the rim of the can.

My biggest problem lately is with storing paints and supplies... my basement gets pretty humid in the summer (despite an always running dehumidifier) so metal cans tend to get rusty. Also not good for tools. I think I am going to need to invest in a second dehumidfier.

Steve

[Ed Hazel]

I picked up a Teflon paint tray this summer works nice let the paint dry in the tray an peel it out no mess no fuss. I have only used it on latex paint.

[Dave Potter]

I picked up a Teflon paint tray this summer works nice let the paint dry in the tray an peel it out no mess no fuss. I have only used it on latex paint.Ed:

The Teflon trays are great for clean up, but you don't always need to allow the paint to dry. Cleanup is a snap (for latex) with warm, running water and a rag or paper towel. This is really handy if you need to switch colors during the job, such as while adding accent colors and such. I'm told it's an easy clean up for oil paints, too, though I've no personal experience with that as yet.

Dave P.

[Jason Whitaker]

The thin plastic liners are what I find the most convenient. They slip right into your old metal tray, use as normal and when done toss the liner. I usually buy them in packs of 50 or 100 and the unit cost is only pocket change..IIRC about $0.25/piece at the local paint shop. Beats trying to clean out a tray or having to wait for paint to dry. And I find they are handy for all types of finishes, not just paint. FWIW