The technique starts with forming the bristles of the brush into a blade by brushing on a section of the wall.

You want to try and keep the bristles flat and with enough paint in and on the brush for spreading you can do it.

When you’re cutting in think of all corners, no matter how large or small, as little 90 degree angles. Whether cutting in the top of baseboard trim, the edge of door trim, the ceiling, when you dissect it down to it’s simplest form all you’re doing a resting the “bladed” bristles into a corner and pulling down, or in some cases across.

As you can see in the picture I’m only using a small portion of the formed bristles, in the corner, and sort of “whisking” my way down. Some people might find it easier to use an “angled” brush and that’s okay, just get the bristles flat. Don’t sit and play with it and peck, go long on the strokes, or as long as you can. You’ll get the hang of it.

Once you get a section “cut,” as you move along go back and brush out. This will allow enough room for rolling the rest of the walls.

When I’m training new workers I always have them start in the corners of the room and work those 90 degree angles. Once they learn that I move them to brushing around windows and doors before moving up to cutting in the ceilings. By the time they get to the ceilings they have it down.

Take a wire brush or a finishing sander and clean off the rust as best you can until you get down to the orange core of the rust at the bottom. Brush away the powered rust residue and treat the surface with a liquid rust converter. This will turn the rust black, or back into a quasi metal (rust converter).

Then, what I do, is apply 1-3 coats of Rustoleum’s Rusty Metal Primer, and then apply 1-2 coats of Rustoleum’s Satin Finish. The more coats the better protection.

My search for the polyurethane I used to refinish my kitchen table came to an end when I discovered the manufacturer and the “unfinished” furniture store I bought it from both went out of business, so I ended up at Rockwood Ready To Finish Furniture Store in Durham.

Once inside and carrying a cabinet door, the owners took me through a quick demo of the General Finishes (brush on) Wipe On Gel Stains and Old Masters Gel Polyurethane. That was it.

I sanded the water stains out of the wood with 80 grit sandpaper and then smoothed with 100 grit. Then I took a small cheap throw-a-way paint brush and applied the gel stain in small area’s, because when you try to do a large section at one time the stain will set up too fast. Then I rubbed and wiped off the stain with paper towel, let dry and repeated with the gel poly. Great stuff!

Thanks Vicki and Wade.

Tecnu Original Outdoor Poison Ivy Skin Cleanser by Tec Labs is the absolute real deal. It looks like milk but spreads on like suntan lotion, and what it does is completely neutralize and remove the rash causing oil,  Urushiol.

I always apply to my skin 15-20 minutes pre-shower and let it sit, then wash in mildly warm water. My skin usually feels a little oily after, but I never break out after using this.

Save yourself the ITCH! There is nothing like it. Check out Tec Labs website for more information and testimonials.

Tec Labs

As a concentrate it has the consistency of tooth paste, and the all-natural walnut shell scrubbers make it feel like it has sand in it.

I have personally used this stuff with a tire scrubber and water to remove spilled oil base paint from brick, roofing tar caulk and oil-based paint from my hands, grease, etc. It re-defines “clean up with soap and water” leaving your hands daisy fresh.

When you try it you will not believe it. The only hand cleanser you will ever need. Absolutely amazing.