By signcraft
Posted on Sunday, May 28th, 2023
Many years ago, an elderly sign painter showed me how to fold a paint cup or box that holds your paint while lettering. It’s very convenient because you can mix and thin your paint in the cup, then hold the cup by one of the tabs between your thumb and forefinger while holding the mahlstick with the same hand. The other tab can be used as a palette.
Leftover vinyl liner paper is great for this because it is thick and coated. If you mix up more than you need for the job, you can let it skin over and stack the boxes inside each other. You can peel the skin back and use the paint again for the next week or two.
I start with a piece of paper that is about 4½-by-10-in. I fold it roughly in thirds in both directions. The video shows how to fold it into an open-topped box with a flap on each end. Squeeze the ends firmly so that the box will hold its shape.
Redgie Adams, Adams Signs, North Little Rock, Arkansas
Dispensing lettering enamel
We use a short, large-diameter lag bolt to seal cans of lettering paint. There’s no waste, no scum, and it’s easy to dispense. After each use, we shake the can upside down to seal around the bolt.
Dave Murphy, Murphy Signs, Harlan, Iowa
Another twist on this tip comes from Ian MacRae, Spitfire Signs, Conquerall Bank, Nova Scotia, Canada. Ian drives a large nail into the lid of the can. He slides the nail out, dispenses the paint, then slides it back in.
We’ve also heard from readers who punched a hole in the lid of the can then threaded a screw eye into the hole. No matter what you use to plug the hole, dispensing lettering enamel through a hole in the lid is easy and minimizes waste. —Editors
Simple shop-made adjustable chairs
It’s amazing how much time a simple tool can save you over the years. Twenty years ago, while I was recovering from a broken foot after falling from a ladder, a friend came up with this adjustable seat so that I could work in comfort. He welded a car jack to an angle iron frame, then I cut out a plywood seat and attached a piece of carpet.
The angle base held my sign kit so I could roll the chair with my sign kit to the job site, then letter a window, truck door or sign. It was especially handy for sign painting, but it is helpful for vinyl application, too. I’ve been using it ever since, and it’s very handy.
I also have a wooden box that I take to job sites. It is 6-by-12-by-18-in. and made from overlaid plywood. It provides different seating or standing heights that suit most lower jobs. It holds my cleaning bucket, too. This box is over 30 years old and patterned after the one used by my sign mentor, Don Martin.
Dave Murphy, Murphy Signs, Harlan, Iowa
