That's the Way It Crumbles, Cookie-Wise

[Nancy Hart]

If I were forced to listen to only one song the rest of my life, I'd choose this one, because it's so simple and sweet. Willie Nelson does it best, imo.

 

[Nancy Hart]

Someone stained the bedroom floor upstairs very dark brown, almost black. It shows every speck of dust. I thought about refinishing it years ago, but removing old stain would almost require a professional sander. Maybe it was "to hide a nasty stain that's lying there" (♪♫♪), somewhere. Why else would they do that?

The threshold into the closet was covered with green and white paint. I removed the paint and planned on leaving the threshold natural, but it looks like someone left the light on in the closet and it's shining under the door. Found an old can of Minwax stain at my parents' place. Dark walnut. It's a perfect match. How lucky is that?

It's not the cost of new, it's the shopping, trying to find a match, and then getting something that you use a tablespoon of and hate to throw the rest away.

 

[Mary Stetler]

Someone stained the bedroom floor upstairs very dark brown, almost black. It shows every speck of dust. I thought about refinishing it years ago, but removing old stain would almost require a professional sander. Maybe it was "to hide a nasty stain that's lying there" (♪♫♪), somewhere. Why else would they do that?

The threshold into the closet was covered with green and white paint. I removed the paint and planned on leaving the threshold natural, but it looks like someone left the light on in the closet and it's shining under the door. Found an old can of Minwax stain at my parents' place. Dark walnut. It's a perfect match. How lucky is that?

It's not the cost of new, it's the shopping, trying to find a match, and then getting something that you use a tablespoon of and hate to throw the rest away.

I used to save tablespoons of stuff but then they thicken. I have lately been going around throwing out anything left less than 1/2 cup.
I recently had a mishap where hubby had slung an extension cord over a protruberance on a tall shelf at the end of the garage. Wellllll apparently my license plate must have hooked on the cord and as I backed out the shelf started to come over including a partially used can of spray red paint which exploded. I am thinking if it would be worth it to paint the floor of the garage grey again. (for resale of the house.) My car is that color red. Most of the paint hit a storage garbage can, the floor and a spare wood burner. Will have to burn the paint off of that.
I don't look for extra work. I MAKE extra work.

 

[Don Alaska]

In the 2018 earthquake here, my wife's car was in the garage. The paint cans we had stored on shelves all came cascading down and opened over her car. Quite a mess, and we store paint much lower now, and only usable quantities

 

[Joe Riley]

In the 2018 earthquake here, my wife's car was in the garage. The paint cans we had stored on shelves all came cascading down and opened over her car. Quite a mess, and we store paint much lower now, and only usable quantities

Don.... how do you start an earthquake?

 

[Don Alaska]

Don.... how do you start an earthquake?

Move to someplace that has them. I guess I don't understand....

 

[Joe Riley]

Move to someplace that has them. I guess I don't understand....

My apologies, Don. I was thinking of an old Insurance joke. Here is a PC version:

An engineer and an attorney were fishing in the Caribbean.

The attorney said, “I’m here because my house burned down and everything I owned was destroyed by the fire. The insurance company paid for everything.”

"That’s quite a coincidence," said the engineer. “I’m here because my house and all my belongings were destroyed by a flood and my insurance company also paid for everything.”

The puzzled attorney asked, “and how do you start a flood?”

 

[Joe Riley]

In the 2018 earthquake here, my wife's car was in the garage. The paint cans we had stored on shelves all came cascading down and opened over her car. Quite a mess, and we store paint much lower now, and only usable quantities

 

[Joe Riley]

Extend the Life of Old Paint | Brad the Painter​

https://www.bradthepainter.com/extend-the-life-of-old-paint/
A reader has a method he says greatly increases the lifespan of a can of paint.

“Long ago I learned a technique to make paint last almost indefinitely–in quantities of 1 gallon of less (though it might be possible with current plastic 5-gallon buckets). Making very sure that the cans are tightly sealed, turn them over every year or two. Today I’m painting with a long since discontinued Flecto plasticized Varathane enamel. I first opened and used it 11 years ago, but had always flipped it every year or two. It does take about 3-4 days to dry, but I’m betting it was slow even back in the day. This is the third “opening,” and it’s behaved the same each time.”
https://www.bradthepainter.com/extend-the-life-of-old-paint/

 

[Joe Riley]

A 400-mile journey to see a paint can​

"At the meeting, the Object Project team was considering one particular invention: ready-mixed, or ready-to-use, paint in a resealable can. Before this 1870s advancement from Sherwin-Williams, professional painters had to freshly mix harsh chemicals and pigment onsite from complex recipes to make paint. The Object Project team knew there was an early ready-mixed paint can on view at Sherwin-Williams in Cleveland, but they didn't know what it looked like. Still, this was a story Object Project should tell, on how this little can represents a huge change in the way we beautify and personalize our homes." More

 

[Nancy Hart]

Extend the Life of Old Paint | Brad the Painter​

https://www.bradthepainter.com/extend-the-life-of-old-paint/
A reader has a method he says greatly increases the lifespan of a can of paint.

“Long ago I learned a technique to make paint last almost indefinitely–in quantities of 1 gallon of less (though it might be possible with current plastic 5-gallon buckets). Making very sure that the cans are tightly sealed, turn them over every year or two. Today I’m painting with a long since discontinued Flecto plasticized Varathane enamel. I first opened and used it 11 years ago, but had always flipped it every year or two. It does take about 3-4 days to dry, but I’m betting it was slow even back in the day. This is the third “opening,” and it’s behaved the same each time.”
https://www.bradthepainter.com/extend-the-life-of-old-paint/

How timely. Just last night I brought 3/4 gallon of Minwax and 1/2 gallon of cheap generic brand oil-based polyurethane back from near death. Both had thick gel-like substance in the bottom. Patient stirring and lots of paint thinner did the trick on the Minwax. The other had formed a coating over the top. Don't think it's safe to use on anything important. I need to transfer into smaller containers. Didn't they used to sell containers just for that purpose.

In the humid south the cans often rust before the paint goes bad. The best container is a glass jar. Even better with a two-part canning lid. Come to think of it, I have a dozen new canning jars in a box down the basement. Just need some lids, and it's canning season. My mother saved half gallon pickle jars. I'll try to remember to find them.

 

[Mary Stetler]

Move to someplace that has them. I guess I don't understand....

That's nothing. I was inclined to say, To get to the other side. But then, I have chickens.

 

[Nancy Hart]

Someone stained the bedroom floor upstairs very dark brown, almost black. It shows every speck of dust. ...

The threshold into the closet was covered with green and white paint. I removed the paint and planned on leaving the threshold natural, but it looks like someone left the light on in the closet and it's shining under the door. Found an old can of Minwax stain at my parents' place. Dark walnut. It's a perfect match. How lucky is that?

Before and after pictures. It has a lot of superficial damage but lots of character. Now the white part needs painted where I smeared stain. It never ends.

 

[Joe Riley]

I have been repairing and painting some trim on the garage. I admit that I am lazy about doing the proper amount of stirring before starting to paint. I realized that the brush loads paint from the surface of the can, while the unmixed pigments continue to lay on the bottom of the can. Talk about 50 shades of gray!!

 

[Joe Riley]

 

[Nancy Hart]

I'm bad about not mixing paint also. Especially if it's a 2nd or 3rd coat. I just mixed it yesterday. (Last week?)

This string of fixing little things, that have been lingering for years, has been therapeutic. It's a bargain I made as a way to justify procrastinating on the bathroom sink. I can't get a pattern painted on that sink that I like. I keep walking by it and changing something. It scares me to try the resin coating. I often see the same comment about paralysis in moving forward on YouTube how to videos about epoxy resin coating. I think it's the time factor. You have to finish each coat in 10 minutes.

Almost every tool I own, ladders, step stools, sawhorses, and numerous cans of paint and supplies are now handy in the two rooms adjoining the bathroom. The miter saw is on the porch. Makes it easy to do other little projects. Not far to search. But the clutter is starting to get on my nerves. Just one more little project I'd like to finish first. Then it's crunch time.

 

[Mary Stetler]

I'm bad about not mixing paint also. Especially if it's a 2nd or 3rd coat. I just mixed it yesterday.

This string of fixing little things, that have been lingering for years, has been therapeutic. It's a bargain I made as a way to justify procrastinating on the bathroom sink. I can't get a pattern painted on that sink that I like. I keep walking by it and changing something. It scares me to try the resin coating. I often see the same comment about paralysis in moving forward on YouTube how to videos about epoxy resin coating. I think it's the time factor. You have to finish each coat in 10 minutes.

Almost every tool I own, ladders, step stools, sawhorses, and numerous cans of paint and supplies are now handy in the two rooms adjoining the bathroom. The miter saw is on the porch. Makes it easy to do other little projects. Not far to search. But the clutter is starting to get on my nerves. Just one more little project I'd like to finish first. Then it's crunch time.

I must admit that I have painted certain walls without primer. If it is an expensive paint, it worked with one coat. If not the first coat was the primer.

 

[Nancy Hart]

I rarely use primer. Except on drywall and water marks on ceiling from roof leaks. Lived to regret it one time---new woodwork in the kitchen. Knots in the wood bled through 2 coats of white paint. That's another job I just did. Covered those knots with Zinsser white primer, after the fact. Feathered it in. Can't tell the difference.

 

[Don Alaska]

I rarely use primer. Except on drywall and water marks on ceiling from roof leaks. Lived to regret it one time---new woodwork in the kitchen. Knots in the wood bled through 2 coats of white paint. That's another job I just did. Covered those knots with Zinsser white primer, after the fact. Feathered it in. Can't tell the difference.

I always use primer on sheetrock and mud that hasn't been painted, and on any knotty softwood products. Sometimes it helps if you are covering a color (or wall paper you don't want to strip) that is difficult to cover. You can do a half-tint primer (one half of the color in the finish coat) to help cover the difficult stuff, especially if the primer is significantly cheaper than the finish coat. It might save you a coat of finish.

 

[Joe Riley]

3 Valuable Tips from a Professional Painter