This is my first 'Tips and Tricks' blog post. And, from talking to people, I think this will be the most popular blog section. Usually these posts will be short and sweet. There's no reason to add lots of fluff to a simple life hack.
I love fixing things, tearing things apart, and discovering how things are made. I used a lot of tools growing up as I built and destroyed various items. One thing my dad would always tell me while I was playing with the tools was:
"Always use the right tool for the job." - Dad
After using so many tools, it's safe to say that I don't love any one tool above another. But there is one tool with many uses that I think is very underrated. And it is...the putty knife. But not just any putty knife. Specifically, a 1 1/2 inch blade putty knife.
A little known fact about me is that I worked as a painter during the summers when I was in high school. And my senior year of high school I worked part-time after school. This tool pretty much stayed in my car for all 3 years (ok maybe not this exact one, I've probably gone through dozens of them). As a painter you learn to have a putty knife on you at all times. Because it has so many different uses.
In fact, I used my putty knife just this week. I was washing all the windows on my house and I had to remove the window screens first. One of the screens was put in backwards so I couldn't use the pull tabs to remove the screen. I was able to use the putty knife to pry the screen out of the frame. It worked like a charm!
So next time you need something scraped, poked, or pried, use a putty knife.
Here is a list of use cases for a putty knife. I'll try and add to this list regularly, or whenever I find a new use for it. And if you find a good use send it my way and I'll add it to the list!
Open a can of paint
Remove excess MDF material before applying putty to a hole (more on this later)
Apply putty or spackle to repair a hole
Tighten or remove screws from a wall plate
Scrape excess paint from a paint roller
Remove window screens
Open a package
Score paper or cardboard
Remove caulk from a tub or shower surround
Scrape tape residue from a glass surface (be careful, must use something like Windex to keep the area lubricated to avoid scratching the glass)
*Cleaning tip: if you get dried putty stuck on the knife, use sand paper to clean off the blade.
Comments