small volume painting

Is it just me? Usually always is so that is why I ask the dum questions. How do you guys do small batches of paint and primer without mess and off ratios? Anything homemade or ideas on how to do this well would be greatly appreciated because ya know what, lots of lurkers out there need the same help but are scared to ask the questions. And for gall dangs sake if you are in the product industry think of the users pouring the stuff to do the business. Give yer head a shake on cans and rectangle containers with glug glug pouring all over the place.l;

I am done

As far as your mixing, the paint store carries small pint measureing cups as well as quart cups. Ace hardware also has the quart, two quart and gallon measuring cups. Same thing. Although they have ratios marked on them, for a novice they can be very confusing. Even today I end up using the ounce scale marked on them more than 98 percent of the time. It"s fairly simple math to figure how many ounces or half ounces or third ounces to mix with the same ratio but less materials. (See that gradeschool math was good for something). As far as the rectangular gallon cans, if it"s reducer, I pour some into a separate mixing cup so that I can then slowly and accuratly pour it into my actual mix cup. There are a number of ways to handle the paint. The paper cup is one idea. I"ve just learned the careful technique of pouring it straight from the can. I also have poked a drain return hold in the groove of the round gallon or quart can for paint to return to the can before putting the lid back on. I heard that Home Depot had some new kind of pour spouts for gallon cans that I need to go check out.

Changing OIL

Oil Change instructions for Women:

1) Pull up to Jiffy Lube when the mileage reaches 3000 miles since the last oil change. 2) Drink a cup of coffee. 3) 15 minutes later write a check and leave with a properly maintained vehicle.

Money spent: Oil Change $20.00 Coffee $1.00 Total $21.00

Oil Change instructions for Men:

1) Wait until Saturday, drive to auto parts store and buy a case of oil, filter, kitty litter, hand cleaner and a scented tree, write a check for $50.00. 2) Stop by liquor store and buy a case of beer, write a check for $20.00, drive home. 3) Open a beer and drink it. 4) Spend 30 minutes looking for jack stands. Jack car up. 5) Find jack stands under kids pedal car. 6) In frustration, open another beer and drink it. 7) Place drain pan under engine. 8) Look for 9/16 box end wrench. 9) Give up and use crescent wrench. 10) Drop drain plug in pan of hot oil: splash hot oil on face and arms in process. Cuss. 11) Crawl out from under car to wipe hot oil off of face and arms. 12) Throw kitty litter on spilled oil. 13) Have another beer while watching oil drain. 14) Spend 30 minutes looking for oil filter wrench. 15) Give up; crawl under car and hammer a screwdriver through oil filter and twist off. 16) Crawl out from under car with dripping oil filter splashing oil everywhere from holes. Cleverly hide old oil filter among trash in trash can to avoid environmental penalties. Drink a beer. 17) Buddy shows up; finish case of beer with him. Decide to finish oil change tomorrow so you can go see his new garage door opener work. 18) Sunday: Skip church because "I gotta finish the oil change." Drag pan full of old oil out from underneath car. Cleverly dump oil in hole in back yard instead of taking it to recycle. 19) Throw kitty litter on oil spilled during step 18. 20) Beer. No, drank it all yesterday. 21) Walk to liquor store; buy beer. 22) Install new oil filter making sure to apply a thin coat of oil to gasket surface. 23) Dump first quart of fresh oil into engine. 24) Remember drain plug from step 10. 25) Hurry to find drain plug in drain pan. 26) Remember that the used oil is buried in a hole in the back yard along with drain plug. 27) Drink beer. 28) Shovel out hole and sift oily mud for drain plug. Re-shovel oily patch of ground and avoid environmental penalties. Wash drain plug in lawnmower gas. 29) Discover that first quart of fresh oil is now on the floor. Throw kitty litter on oil spill. 30) Drink beer. 31) Crawl under car getting kitty litter into eyes. Wipe eyes with oily rag used to clean drain plug. Slip with stupid crescent wrench tightening drain plug and bang knuckles on frame. 32) Bang head on floorboards in reaction to step 31. 33) Begin cussing fit. 34) Throw stupid crescent wrench. 35) Cuss for additional 10 minutes because wrench hit Miss December (1992) in the left boob. 36) Beer. 37) Clean up hands and forehead and bandage as required to stop blood flow. 38) Beer. 39) Beer. 40) Dump in five fresh quarts of oil. 41) Beer. 42) Lower car from jack stands. 43) Accidentally crush remaining case of new motor oil. 44) Move car back to apply more kitty litter to fresh oil spilled during steps 23 - 43. 45) Beer. 46) Test drive car. 47) Get pulled over: arrested for driving under the influence. 48) Car gets impounded. 49) Call loving wife, make bail. 50) 12 hours later, get car from impound yard.

Money spent: Parts $50.00 DUI $2500.00 Impound fee $75.00 Bail $1500.00 Beer $40.00 Total-- $4165.00

But, you have the satisfaction of knowing the job was done right...

When I am going to use up a significant part of a gallon or quart can of paint, I use the plastic snap-on poor spouts and pour the necessary quantity into glass kitchen measuring cups (up to 2qt sizes), which also serve as the mixing container. The spouts need to be cleaned afterwards though, as the measuring spoons do. I also sometimes use wide masking tape applied on the inside of the can rim for several inches around the circumference as a throw-away pour spout for the larger quantities. The use of green tape with the better adhesive, a carefully cleaned rim to insure sticking and a can that's less than 2/3 full will result in the best success using this method.

There will always be a certain amount of unavoidable waste using small quantities at different times, especially with catalyzed paints, because one can never really estimate the exact quantity needed beforehand. It's always better to have a little left over than run short. There will always be some drips and drops. I put down paper towels on the bench for that. Significant messes however, can be avoided.

Rod