Painter's All-In-One Tool

After yesterday's post about carefully removing trim, I thought it would be appropriate to highlight another tool that I always have with me, a painter's all-in-one.

It looks like a fancy putty knife, which is actually a fairly accurate description. It has a stronger blade than a typical putty knife, though the blade is thin and sharp. I like that the butt end of it is reinforced so I can hammer on it without hurting the handle.

At the store, these are often called things like painter's 5-in-one, etc. I think that mine actually said it was a 14-in-one or something ridiculous like that. You can get a 7-in-1 on Amazon here for under $6.

Anyway, in addition to loosening trim it's great for:

1. Scraping old caulk off of trim for reuse

2. Scraping off peeling paint

3. Applying leverage to trim to make tight joints (like crown moulding)

4. Pulling some nails

5. Sharp curve can cut linoleum and rigid insulation (see this post)

6. Anything you would use a putty knife for- glazing, applying wood filler

7. Opening windows

8. Bottle Opener

9. Lots more, be creative here

Get your own, I'm hanging on to mine!

-Peter

http://www.carpentryguy.com/

Magnetic Drill Bit Holder & Guide

Here's a tool that I really hate to be without. It's an extension that holds hex screwdriver bits. Since it's magnetic, screws 'stick' to it and don't fall off. It helps so much when you're trying to drive a screw and your other hand is not free (which is most of the time).

I learned how dependent I've become on this simple device when I was using a friends drill the other day and he didn't have one. I kept expecting the screws to 'stick' to my driver tip but they kept falling off on the ground. It was a headache.

There's one more awesome thing about this tool. The sleeve on it extends forward to further ensure that the screw is guided into place. I like to extend the guide and then rest it on one of my fingers while I'm driving the screw. The guide won't spin, but will allow the driver to spin and drive the screw.

I found these online for $5-10, but there are probably some out there for even less. Anyway, it's worth every penny!

-Peter

www.CarpentryGuide.com