To use a tray or not - Paint Talk

ewingpainting.net · 07-24-2010, 02:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PatsPainting

1,) no washing - One they cost money, fives don't - takes just a few minutes to wash out a bucket, or leave it in the sun for a day and peel it out.

2,) easy color change - I just grab anther bucket

3,no messy cleanup, well you have to dispose of them somewhere, never had any issues on cleaning out a five.

4,) far less chunks in the paint compared to a 5'er. I don't seem to have this issue. Seems to me it would be pretty difficult to use a 5 gallon straining bag on a tray.

Pat

I've never understood the use of the tray either. I think of trying to move it while it has paint in it. Awkward! I'm starting to wonder if its a geographic thing and how ones been trained. Paint contractors I have been taught by/worked for have never taught me to use a tray nor have I ever seen them use one. It's like a joke here in California. I remember a guy telling me he had his own tools. When he walked up to the job with a roller and tray. The crew of 6 made him the laughing joke. I made him as a inexperienced painter even as my employees did too.

PatsPainting · 07-24-2010, 02:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ewingpainting.net

I've never understood the use of the tray either. I think of trying to move it while it has paint in it. Awkward! I'm starting to wonder if its a geographic thing and how ones been trained. Paint contractors I have been taught by/worked for have never taught me to use a tray nor have I ever seen them use one. It's like a joke here in California. I remember a guy telling me he had his own tools. When he walked up to the job with a roller and tray. The crew of 6 made him the laughing joke. I made him as a inexperienced painter even as my employees did too.

I'm thinking on the same line as you Gabe, must be a geographic thing. This goes way back, I can remember painting with a buddy 10-12 years ago and some guy dropped off a flyer for paint work. It had a picture of a paint tray on it. Me and buddy would prank call the guy, asking about his paint tray. Its just been a painters type joke here as long as I can remember.

Pat

ewingpainting.net · 07-24-2010, 03:07 AM

LMAO

VanDamme · 07-24-2010, 03:47 AM

For commercial work, I ALWAYS used a 5 and grid.

For residential, I use pans w/liners and love 'em!

Wolfgang · 07-24-2010, 06:41 AM

You know things are slow here when you have a poll on using trays. I used trays quite a bit doing ins. resto work - a wall here, a wall there, all in different colors. Spot priming and rolling with oil, BIN, Kilz. Numerous small jobs in one day. Etc.. I'd also have numerous brushes and rollers going in the course of a day that would be cleaned when I got back to the shop or home. Everybody has their own preferences, the right tool/equip for the job. Does that make them any less of a pro?

Dave Mac · 07-24-2010, 07:35 AM

I want Scott an neps opionion on this one. What we really need to know is when you using a tray do you whear jeans or whites. lol

DeanV · 07-24-2010, 08:28 AM

For most of my interior jobs, I am using 2-3 gallons of one color, 1-2 of another, 4 gallons of this color, 1 gallon of that color. I never buy wall paint in 5's. To use a 5'er would be a TON of washing out time and the dried/partially dried paint on the sides of the 5'er is a mess to deal with in a residential setting. Using trays, we almost never have any bits of dried latex to pull off the walls.

Need another color? Spend 10 seconds putting the extra paint back into a can and thrown down a new tray liner. Want to reuse the tray liners? set them aside to dry. Want to toss them? stack them together and no mess to throw away.

For residential work, holding 3/4 of a gallon in a tray is fine. This is not commercial work where we are throwing paint at the wall with a big nappy ghetto roller. If I want producton, I am more likely to use a wooster bucket and an 18" roller but 18's are too big for many residential rooms and you cannot roll as tight or work the roller well around built-ins, windows, and other trim.

Some 5'ers just do not wash out well from the dried paint (white buckets in my area do not wash or peel as well as the black, but few manufacturers used the black buckets).

I find when I used a 5'er and grid on exterior, there are a lot of dried film issues from the paint on the inside of the bucket that can be okay on exterior rough cedar, but would not fly on an interior. When you use a tray, the ramp is staying wet from constant use. With a 5, the inside of the bucket builds up with dried paint since the grid is what is getting rolled on.

If a painter showed up on my jobs with a 5'er and grid, I would assume he does apartment painting or commercial work and has no experience in higher end residential work.

StefanC · 07-24-2010, 08:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DeanV

For residential work, holding 3/4 of a gallon in a tray is fine. This is not commercial work where we are throwing paint at the wall with a big nappy ghetto roller. If I want producton, I am more likely to use a wooster bucket and an 18" roller but 18's are too big for many residential rooms and you cannot roll as tight or work the roller well around built-ins, windows, and other trim.

We do mostly high-end NC and res. The speed we get out of an 18" can't be touched by a 9"er. As for the edges and corners, most of the cut is dry rolled with a whizz to help blend the cut n roll, it actually blends better then a 9". Doesn't take much extra time either.

Roadog · 07-24-2010, 08:52 AM

"If a painter showed up on my jobs with a 5'er and grid, I would assume he does apartment painting or commercial work and has no experience in higher end residential work."

bikerboy · 07-24-2010, 08:57 AM

There are occasions where using a tray makes sense. I just rarely encounter them. Would think most pro's here probably have a large assortment of all application tools and use them as the situation requires. There is no, "most of the time choice" so I pick the tray because once or twice a year......

Roadog · 07-24-2010, 09:45 AM

And I think what Bikerboy says just about wraps it up. I got all the stuff.....just depends on the job/situation. I am however evolving and find myself going to 12 or 18 inch sleeves for certain increased production which dont work with the 5s.

CK_68847 · 07-24-2010, 09:45 AM

If you want an easier faster roll get rid of the grid and the 9 inch roller. Go to the 14 inch roller. It will save you a lot of time, and it rolls out better. It does require a tray, but in the end you will wonder why you ever used a 9 inch roller on walls. I know there are somettimes a 9 inch roller is more convinent if you are doing a small job, but just give the 14 inch roller a try.

bikerboy · 07-24-2010, 10:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CK_68847

If you want an easier faster roll get rid of the grid and the 9 inch roller. Go to the 14 inch roller. It will save you a lot of time, and it rolls out better. It does require a tray, but in the end you will wonder why you ever used a 9 inch roller on walls. I know there are somettimes a 9 inch roller is more convinent if you are doing a small job, but just give the 14 inch roller a try.

Wooster gave us 3, 14" frames and pads to try out. We use them in the same bucket as the 18". I really like these. You still get increased production, the open end of the frame lets you get close to the corners and the increased length helps to reduce fat edges ( or trails, or wheel marks whatever you call them.)

johnpaint · 07-24-2010, 10:34 AM

I do a lot of accent walls where you have one two or three gallons of paint to use. We all know if you try to pour 1 gallon into a fiver you really can't roll out of it very well, and if you want to get to the last drop of paint you can't, so you guy's must not be painting any accent walls that I can see if your using fivers.If you are then whats your secrete.

PatsPainting · 07-24-2010, 11:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by johnpaint

I do a lot of accent walls where you have one two or three gallons of paint to use. We all know if you try to pour 1 gallon into a fiver you really can't roll out of it very well, and if you want to get to the last drop of paint you can't, so you guy's must not be painting any accent walls that I can see if your using fivers.If you are then whats your secrete.

Not sure why your saying "We" I have no problems at all if there is a quart or 3 gallons in my five. Rolls the same. and getting the last drop is as simple as spinning the roller around the bottom a few times.

Pat

PatsPainting · 07-24-2010, 11:33 AM

also congrats on reaching 3500 posts

PatsPainting · 07-24-2010, 11:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DeanV

If a painter showed up on my jobs with a 5'er and grid, I would assume he does apartment painting or commercial work and has no experience in higher end residential work.

See this has to be geographic type of thing, I would think the same thing if a guy showed up with trays. Which makes this thread a little more interesting then talking about whats better, pan or bucket. Maybe its not a geographic deal and it has to do who your painting hero's were when you were learning. I'm pretty sure we all have one if not a few of these guys who we really looked up and tried to pick their brains when we first started. For me it was a few old timers.

I will say this, if some guy drops off a flyer with a paint tray on it on a job I'm working at, I might think twice now before crank calling him. I know you guys that are using paint trays in this thread are good at what you do. But I doubt I will ever use one. I still just don't see any benefits on using em. I know you have stated a few, but for some reason I don't have those issues.

Pat

ewingpainting.net · 07-24-2010, 11:50 AM

I don't think if you use a tray or not determines if you are a "high end" painter or not. It baffled me when I 1st came to PT finding out how many painters do use them. I do High end work, done homes a mill up. Like I said I think its a geographic thing. Most painters in southern California, that I know of. Just don't use them, none to be exact. Its not a bad thing if you do or don't. I was more curious in the poll than your feed back. Just cause I know these topics turn into a pissing match. "I'm better cause I use a tray" or "I'm better cause I use a 5er"

who gives a sh!t? As long as your producing quality work while making a profit, the method is irrelevant if you are. 14" 18" rollers I've never dreamed of using either. But again who cares if you or I are achieving the same results. I never owned a tray nor will this thread make me start using them. Its what you've been accustom too. And that's fine

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I would like to add a thought about the "only 3 gal" jobs. Those using trays, do you mix all the paint together? I always mix all my singles of the same color since the color can very from gal to gal. Or are you just reloading your tray without mixing it all together?

Roadog · 07-24-2010, 12:22 PM

Define "high end". I dont think that because a home cost a mil. or more makes that high end painting. I've walked into many Mc Mansions that were obviously done by the lowest bidder. I have always considered high end as "detailed".....smooth and flawless. prepped to the hilt! No matter the cost of the building. Just my opinion.

ewingpainting.net · 07-24-2010, 12:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Roadog

Define "high end". I dont think that because a home cost a mil. or more makes that high end painting. I've walked into many Mc Mansions that were obviously done by the lowest bidder. I have always considered high end as "detailed".....smooth and flawless. prepped to the hilt! No matter the cost of the building. Just my opinion.

So because you use a pan, that makes you more detailed? My point was I have done and am doing "high end" work acording to your standards. Just because one does or doesn't use a pan. Doesn't make them any more qualified than the other.