[Gymschu]

As an old-timer I used to cut the lip off of cleaned up paint cans, but I find that the plastic buckets are SO much easier to use. They have an adjustable handle to fit around your off hand and you can put in just enough paint to do your cut-ins. The plastic inserts are great if you have 2 or 3 color changes. New color, just insert a new liner. It's cheap and effective and better IMO than cutting the lids off of old paint cans, then cleaning any old paint out to make them usable.

 

[SemiproJohn]

As an old-timer I used to cut the lip off of cleaned up paint cans, but I find that the plastic buckets are SO much easier to use. They have an adjustable handle to fit around your off hand and you can put in just enough paint to do your cut-ins. The plastic inserts are great if you have 2 or 3 color changes. New color, just insert a new liner. It's cheap and effective and better IMO than cutting the lids off of old paint cans, then cleaning any old paint out to make them usable.

My biggest issue with painting out of a gallon can is having to hold the brush more vertically than I care to, and the diameter of the can does not allow for easy movement of the brush (in order to collect and tap the paint before going to the surface to be painted). Plastic cut-in buckets are just worlds easier to use. The only time I paint out of a gallon can is when it is more than half empty and I'm doing touch ups or very small cut-ins, otherwise it is just a pain to me.

 

[Redux]

With our average employee hourly cost of $42/hr, and a plastic deuce with a metal handle costing $2.20 and a 1/2 gal bucket costing $1.40, if an employee spends 4 minutes cleaning a gallon metal paint can, the 4 minutes in labor exceeds the cost of a new deuce and could pay for 2 x 1/2 gal buckets. We don’t clean paint cans or plastic buckets for this reason.
Metal paint cans with regulated liquid or solid waste/dry paint get disposed of in 55 gal DOT drums, and we pay a hazardous waste/environmental remediation firm to haul them away. There are no hazardous waste drop off sites in my county for CESQG’s. Shipping manifests get filed with the EPA to track waste streams, yet by managing hazardous waste and keeping monthly total weights under 220 lbs, and accumulations less than 2200 lbs, we retain our CESQG status. My local landfill accepts commercially generated non-hazardous waste metal paint cans, empty or full, liquid or dry. We however use Xsorb paint solidifier before disposal. Any non-spent material in cans is listed on Craigslist “free stuff”. We generate a lot of plastic waste which isn’t good for the environment. My landfill accepts plastic buckets for recycling as long as the material in the bucket is dry, isn’t regulated, and is non-hazardous.

 

[jr.sr. painting]

With our average employee hourly cost of $42/hr, and a plastic deuce with a metal handle costing $2.20 and a 1/2 gal bucket costing $1.40, if an employee spends 4 minutes cleaning a gallon metal paint can, the 4 minutes in labor exceeds the cost of a new deuce and could pay for 2 x 1/2 gal buckets. We don’t clean paint cans or plastic buckets for this reason.
Metal paint cans with regulated liquid or solid waste/dry paint get disposed of in 55 gal DOT drums, and we pay a hazardous waste/environmental remediation firm to haul them away. There are no hazardous waste drop off sites in my county for CESQG’s. Shipping manifests get filed with the EPA to track waste streams, yet by managing hazardous waste and keeping monthly total weights under 220 lbs, and accumulations less than 2200 lbs, we retain our CESQG status. My local landfill accepts commercially generated non-hazardous waste metal paint cans, empty or full, liquid or dry. We however use Xsorb paint solidifier before disposal. Any non-spent material in cans is listed on Craigslist “free stuff”. We generate a lot of plastic waste which isn’t good for the environment. My landfill accepts plastic buckets for recycling as long as the material in the bucket is dry, isn’t regulated, and is non-hazardous.

I applaud your efforts and diligence, it sounds like you are a big outfit so perhaps those actions are warranted. We are a small but very busy operation. Add life into the mix and all I need is a contractor bag and either the garbage at my house or customers garbage. I don't care what's in them it's garbage. If they have paint I'll wrap them a couple times with gorilla tape so they don't open up in the garbage. I'm not a tree hugger and honestly don't really care.


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[Fman]

The thing I like best about a gallon can cut pot is I can hang it from a ladder and have both hands free to cut in. I can go to my left if it's not busy holding a Home Depot coffee cup cut in dealie. Those are okay and you can jam the open-handled ones into the top non-step of a step ladder to keep both hands free, but it (sometimes) frightens folks around you. They don't think it looks safe (and it might not be) but, I haven't lost one yet. I was on a job one time and cutting out the top of a gallon bucket when a co-worker advised me that if our boss saw that, he'd be upset. I thought the guy was kidding but I learned the boss preferred we use 2 gallon plastic buckets- the kind that really crappy ice cream comes in. They "hold more paint" so, evidently, you don't have to waste hours refilling your cut pot. Different strokes for different folks but one bosses time/money saver can be a real PITA to a worker.

 

[Woodco]

I use dueces myself, because I can stick a weenie roller in them, but I sure as hell wouldnt be upset if my guys used an empty gallon can. For disposal, I have a big rubbermaid bin outside I stick my gallon cans in upside down, then throw them away at a later date after theyre nice and dry. Sometimes, I'll hose them out really quick, so I can throw them right in the trash.

Sometimes, Im so lazy I'll take some leftover paint with a sheen, and coat the inside of a dirty five and let it dry, so I can pull the whole inside out and have a sparkly clean bucket.

 

[ScottsPainting]

PPG has the best cut pots. Especially with the plastic cans with the metal lip & lid. Cut that lip off, they're sweet then. The all plastic can, with the plastic lid are junk. They're so bad they even ruin the new paint in the can before you've used it. :thumbdown:

The standard shaped cans with plastic seem to be going by the wayside. Even Duration home ditched the plastic can idea because HOs could not open a can they painted shut.

 

[Fman]

It's funny how closely related coffee is to painting. You've got those screw-top gallon, easy pour cans and for cutting in, big, coffee cup looking things with handles. I wonder if SW or Behr is really a subsidiary of Folgers?

 

[John Dee]

I brush out anything left in the can

 

[deadend]

The thing I like best about a gallon can cut pot is I can hang it from a ladder and have both hands free to cut in. I can go to my left if it's not busy holding a Home Depot coffee cup cut in dealie. Those are okay and you can jam the open-handled ones into the top non-step of a step ladder to keep both hands free, but it (sometimes) frightens folks around you. They don't think it looks safe (and it might not be) but, I haven't lost one yet. I was on a job one time and cutting out the top of a gallon bucket when a co-worker advised me that if our boss saw that, he'd be upset. I thought the guy was kidding but I learned the boss preferred we use 2 gallon plastic buckets- the kind that really crappy ice cream comes in. They "hold more paint" so, evidently, you don't have to waste hours refilling your cut pot. Different strokes for different folks but one bosses time/money saver can be a real PITA to a worker.

...all day long and hes right...whether I'm using the mini and a grid or not a ladder hook on the 2gal is the hands free solution...not to mention ease of storage and being able to cut 1gal+ before refilling...

 

[futtyos]

empty paint cans

I've only read the 7th page of this post , so I imagine someone else already does what I do.

When I am using a zinsser product or Behr paint, or any other 1 gallon can that has a plastic body with a metal rim, I try to make sure they don't get too gummed up. At end of day, I will clean out any that are not too mucked up and save them for straining old paint into a new can. When doing repaints I often come across touch-up paint that needs to be strained and put into a new can.

futtyos

 

[Mr Smith]

I use the wall color paint can. Most jobs I roll the first coat and then cut in. I use that can for cutting in. I do have those cutting pails in the picture above but I don't like the side handle. I use it when I have nothing else available.

For exterior work and I'm high up on a ladder, I might use a 2-gallon pail with a 1-gallon grid along with my 4" Wooster mini roller and brush. That comes in handy when doing fascia etc.

 

[Woodco]

I use the wall color paint can. Most jobs I roll the first coat and then cut in. I use that can for cutting in. I do have those cutting pails in the picture above but I don't like the side handle. I use it when I have nothing else available.

For exterior work and I'm high up on a ladder, I might use a 2-gallon pail with a 1-gallon grid along with my 4" Wooster mini roller and brush. That comes in handy when doing fascia etc.

I have recently discovered, that every once in a while, theres tint stuck to the inside of the can, so if you use one of the gallon cans to cut with, theres a small possibility that the color will be a touch off. I usually do it just like you, dump all my paint, and pour back in to one of the gallons, and use that to cut, but if you notice tint streaks when you dump your paint, its a good Idea to either rinse the gallon can out, and start clean, or use something else. Just food for thought.

 

[PACman]

I have recently discovered, that every once in a while, theres tint stuck to the inside of the can, so if you use one of the gallon cans to cut with, theres a small possibility that the color will be a touch off. I usually do it just like you, dump all my paint, and pour back in to one of the gallons, and use that to cut, but if you notice tint streaks when you dump your paint, its a good Idea to either rinse the gallon can out, and start clean, or use something else. Just food for thought.

Or go to a paint store that shakes the paint properly. As in....long enough. You wouldn't believe how many times i have had painters complain about the competition about this.

I used to have to stock skids of dueces when i worked in California because of how many painters used them. Since i moved back to Ohio i've probably sold 4 of them Weird how that stuff works. I doubt if anyone in this state has even seen a two gallon bucket grid!

 

[Holland]

we re-use almost all of our cans at least once (mini roller and screen) utilizing a "bucket holster" (imagine a house painter in the wild west)

 

[Lightningboy65]

The only working pot I ever feel comfortable using are 1 gal all metal paint cans. No 2 gal pots, coffee cans, and certainly nothing plastic. Nothing else feels right in my hands. The biggest factor in pot selection is what you are used to. I always danced with the one that brought me to the party!