Paint Buddy

Spring weather brings out the spirit of tidying up the property following winter's length. For several seasons I have looked at the faded, and flaking paint on the roof line trim around the house and garage. The trim is a burgandy shade which highlights the stone accents and the off-white, planked walls. The trim is a promenent feature of our home.

To do this properly, I needed to scrape the loose paint, sand the edges, and spackle patch the marrs I had created. The patches then needed to be prime painted before I could repaint with the burgandy. 

The work needed to be done while on an extension ladder rested against the roof edge. Climb up and scrape and sand. Climb down and move the ladder. Repeat the process. Wait a day or two following the rain for things to dry off. Then climb the ladder and begin the spackleing. When the spackle turned from pink to white, up I go again with the sandpaper.

Finally, it is ready to prime and paint. Just a second, Bob. How are you going to hold onto the ladder, hold the paint can, and brush the paint all at the same time? What you need is a Paint Buddy. 

The Paint Buddy is a two inch wide piece of tin which has been formed to loop over the belt and to provide a stable grip for the handle of a one gallon paint can. The Paint Buddy suspends the can in a mannor which permits climbing the ladder without jostling the can. Once in place on the ladder, one hand is freed up to hold the brush, dip into the can, and paint a reachable section. Having built this buddy, I need to come up with a way to climb the ladder without having to hold onto the brush. That's next.