Brush and roller cleaners like the one above have stood the test of time.  As a boy, I remember helping my dad clean his paint brushes by attaching them to the cleaner and pumping like mad inside of a bucket to spin them as fast as I could — I learned fast how big of a mess I could make without the bucket.

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When you need a little more leverage prying the lid off a five-gallon bucket, you might want to try this long-handled bucket opener from Warner Tools.  The heavy-duty, cast-aluminum 3-in-1 tool opens buckets, cuts lids, and hammers them back into place.

If you only open a few five-gallon buckets this year, Warner’s 3-in-1 bucket opener might not be worth the $15.  On the other hand, if your paycheck depends upon getting into five-gallon buckets, the money might be justified.

Bucket Opener [Warner Tools]
Via Amazon [What’s This?]

Handy as a painter’s tool, portable like a folding knife — Warner Tool’s painter’s blade, unlike a traditional painter’s tool, is something you might actually want to carry in your pants pocket.

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We’re sure you’re sick of Hyde products for now, but we’re saving the best (read: most ridiculous) for last:  the Dual-Action Flex Roller.  Hyde claims that with their new roller you’ll spread paint more evenly, paint faster, and work more effectively.

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Hyde likes the number 10.  First it was the 10-in-1 Painter’s tool, but that wasn’t enough 10’s, so they made the PaintMiser 10-in-1 tool.  Instead of carrying this tool in your pocket, you probably want to leave it close to the paint — most of its functions have to do with getting every last drop from the can.

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Hyde takes the venerable painter’s 5-in-1 tool and adds a bit holder and storage for four bits in the handle, in addition to the paint scraper, drywall knife, roller cleaner, crack cleaner, and hammer.  Evidently it’s supposed to save you from grabbing for a screwdriver when you need to remove hardware for painting.

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Whether you’re eight or eighty, glow-in-the-dark is pretty cool.  OK, maybe you aren’t going to put glow-in-the-dark planets and stars on the ceilings or paint secret messages on your walls when you’re eighty, but painting your switch plates so they glow in the dark may be a great way to locate them rather than groping about.

Krylon Glowz paint comes in a 6oz. spray can and can be used on a ton of materials including wood, metal, glass, plaster, fabric, and paper. It dries to the touch in three minutes, and you can handle it in three hours.  Like you’d expect, the phosphors in the paint “recharge” by being exposed to light.

A spray can of Krylon Glowz paint will run you about $4 to $6.

Glowz [Krylon]
Street Pricing [Google]
Via Amazon [What’s This?]

Stain in a spray can — it’s not something you’d use every day, but if you have a small job and don’t want to invest money and time into a sprayer, it definitely could be useful.  Minwax has sold stains in spray cans for a while, but Krylon claims their new product is the first exterior stain in a spray can.

Krylon formulated the stain to be fast and durable and to give even coverage — if you apply it right.   The stain offers UV fade protection, and it’s water-repellent as you’d expect an exterior stain to be.

We can’t find Krylon’s WoodStain for sale online yet, but it’ll come in 12oz cans of rustic brown, honey gold, redwood, and cedar.

Exterior Stain [Krylon]

Caulk Savers are another solution to the old problem of how to store that half-empty tube of leftover caulk — instead of just capping the tube stem, the 3″-long by 1/8″-diameter Caulk Saver stem penetrates into the tube, and the threaded design ensures a clear passage once it’s removed.  Although it’s named the Caulk Saver it’ll cap and plug adhesive, silicone, or any other product that comes in a caulk tube.

The Caulk Saver screws into the tube and keeps air out. Turning it clockwise draws the tapered part of the Caulk Saver into the tube, sealing it.  Turning it counter-clockwise removes it, cutting any dried caulk in the process.

You’ll pay somewhere between $1 and $2 for a single reusable Caulk Saver.

Caulk Savers [Corporate Site]
Street Pricing [Google]
Via Amazon [What’s This?]

Tray liners let you skip some of the cleanup usually required when you paint with a roller.  Unfortunately stores seem to regularly change the types of trays and liners they carry, so you always have to buy a new tray when you need more liners.  Plus you might feel just a little twinge of guilt throwing away yet more plastic, even though you are saving water.

With the Peel Away paint tray, a product I have to admit I first saw watching Ron Hazelton’s House Calls, you’ll never have to worry about finding liners again, because they’re part of the tray. Each Peel Away paint tray has four peel-away liners that, according to the manufacturer, use 50% less material than rigid plastic tray liners.

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I must love buckets — they’re all over my home, shop, and garden — but the ones missing their handles cut into my hand when fully loaded, and the new ones can be a pain to open.  Fortunately Prazi makes the 4-in-1 Bucket tool;  it can serve as a replacement handle, and it’ll also help you pry off those stubborn lids.

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The makers of the Right Brush ergonomic paintbrush claim their product can eliminate most painter’s aches and pains. They designed the strange-shaped handle to fit comfortably in your hand, giving you more control and ease while painting.

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We’re big fans of custom tools. Not only do they say something about you as a tool guy but they’re a fun way to set yourself apart from the herd. This fine example of a custom welding helmet from reader Lungofish struck us as a sweet way to get art into the shop. He writes about the process:

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No matter how carefully you mask off an area, sometimes a little paint will still bleed under the tape and leave a less-than-crisp edge.  Shuretape Technologies claims that if you use their Frog Tape instead of other masking tapes you’ll get crisp, clean lines every time.

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This patent-pending paint can holder from Lee Valley fits both the flat rungs of a stepladder and the D-rungs of an extension ladder.  It holds either a quart or gallon can steady, and you can easily pick it up and move it to the next set of rungs.

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The Secure Tray paint tray clamps securely to the top of any stepladder so you don’t have to climb up and down the ladder to reload your roller.  Yes, we’ve had paint trays that attach to ladders for ages, but those trays usually just rested on the rungs of the ladder.  Plus, the Secure Tray’s airtight lid keeps your paint and roller fresh for hours.

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Simple Green now has so many products it’s hard to keep track, but one that may be worth a try is the Brush and Roller Cleaning Gel. Brushes and roller covers never seem to come out like new and it may not usually matter, but getting the stiff out of the bristles or nap is a pain.

Chemicals can do crazy things nowadays and this is worth a shot if it really works — though we have to say, sometimes it’s easier just to chuck the nasty brush and get a better one.

Simple Green [Website]
Street Pricing [Google Products]