What to do with the big bucket

Striping Fool wrote on Sep 1, 2006:Go to #19

I'm confused why you guys use the holes in the can to pour. Why not just take the lid off and pour. No gluging and faster. If you worry about spilling, just be carefull, it's a new challenge every time!!

Theres no way you are opening a can faster than I can punch two holes in it. We use to open each lid, what a waste of time. When we punch the vent hole we do it right at the lip to drain out the cup of paint left in it. Jim

See? I'm not the only person set in my ways. I just don't like having to deal with empties. We open 'em, empty 'em, nest 'em and dump 'em in the nearest dumpster. No hauling empties around, no unloading empties, no storing empties, no emptying empties, no hauling empties to the landfill. You can punch a hole faster than I can open a pail, but I can pour a five faster than you can. So PHHHHT! NA NA NA NA NA! And lets see you nest 10 pails with the lids on. Once again: wotevah flote de bote. PS: and I have one less tool to keep up with.....

BTS answered for me. A little funier than I will, but he's a funny guy. (Funny in a ha ha way, not the other ) I'd like to race ya. I'll use a screwdriver and pour and stripe 15 buckets. You do the same by punching (and just put the new bucket on go I assume). You'll win, by a little, till its time to go. I'll make 3 stacks of 5 and on the way out throw'em in the dumpster. I'm done with no trash left. What do you do? 1- Open later to stack and throw away? I doubt that or you wouldn't have said you were faster. 2- Throw them out with the lids on and wet paint inside? I'll catch up by putting 3 stacks in the van, and 3 stacks in the dumpster instead of 15 empty cans, plus I don't think I would feel comfortable filling up a dumpster with so much air. Half the time we have a hard time finding a dumpster that's not to full to put the stacks in, let alone 15 pails. I'd hate to get stuck with them if theres no room. Like BTS said.. wotevah flote de bote. (Hasn't this been debated before? and.. who won? )

Nobody won! It is simply a matter of each of our operating procedures and what we feel works for each of us. Let's get real. What are we talking about in time difference here anyway? A minute difference per pail? Possibly more possibly less. How many pails do each of us use in a day? In a big day, we might go through 24 pails. So if someone saves a minute a pail over what I do, so what? We all waste a half hour per day doing something and if you are using 24 pails in a day, you are wasting that 24 minutes with probably 3 employees or more so that equates to 8 minutes per man wasted each day. Do you think each man costs you more or less than 8 munites of wasted time in a 8 - 12 hour day? I'd say much more than 8 minutes. Bottom line here is that all methods above are good methods. Jim is efficient with how he handles his empties - just look at his video on how he compresses them after a long day and he probably has a great deal of fun doing it!! The only thing in my book that is a major no-no is returning back to the shop with a bunch of pails that have a couple of cups of paint in them because someone was too lazy to use the proper method (defined different by each of us) of fully emptying the pails on the job.

Just to clarify, I'm using cut latex paint for my operation (fields only). when its cut and in a full can its very hard to get a controlled pour into a 5" tank opening. When its un cut I can get smooth pour just because it doesn't flow as fast. I "gargle" (swish some water around) the cans when I load up the tank and then at the end of the day I take the tops off and stack them to get rid of them.

I know it's not important. It's just fun to get peoples different takes on such minuscule tasks. Besides, it's been raining like it's the first 2 of 40 days and I'm bored. Guess I should do paperwork, but I was wondering, what foot do y'all use to drive the Lazy Line... right or left?

Striping Fool wrote on Sep 2, 2006:Go to #26

but I was wondering, what foot do y'all use to drive the Lazy Line... right or left?

Both, one forward, one backward.

I think I've got you all beat, because I don't open my own pails . That's what I have a helper for! I pull up to the trailer, grab an open and more importantly PROPERLY MIXED bucket of paint.( Please don't give me that "my machine mixes it for me" BS). Usually about 2.5 - 3 gallons(no spills) of whatever color I need, pour and go! In most cases I don't even have to remind him. It's just there. Kinda like a pit stop. No popping tabs no punching holes...just striping.

I made a punch and it worked quite well, (still have it), then I got some 6 gal buckets for the machines. now I open my paint, stur it and poor into the 6 gal bucket. rince out the bucket with about 1 cup of thinner and poor it on top of the paint on the machine. then deposit the empty in the customers trash. It may take me a little longer but everything is finished when I leave the job except the paper work. The reason the punch system does not work as well for me is my paint sets around for a week or two sometimes a month or two, and I don't have a shaker yet for 5's. I store my paint upside down so when I do get to use it the thick stuf starts at the top and is easer to mix.

Well to get back to the 15 gallon hopper, I just use a 3 mil contractor trash bag. Theres no need to tape it down. I just put the bag into the bucket. I don't push it all the way down, I let the paint do that.

Lets see.... Paint machine mixing paint... cost of gasoline at $2.50 a gallon Helper mixing paint at ~$100 a day.... Sounds more like CS (common sense) than BS......... . Again.... whatever works for you is the correct way to do it..... No reason for disparaging remarks just because someone does their work differently.