Hamilton Paint Brushes

Astra has given me some good painting tips also.

 

As a pup I recall uncles who were professional decorators saying they would only use Hamilton (Purdys weren't around then).
It does frustrate me that the top tools for mechanics are Snap On (American), plasterers - Marshalltown (American), Power tools - Bosch (German), although I prefer Makita (Japanese) although probably made in china, likely the Bosch are probably made in China these days.
Anyway, the point I'm making is that it's sad we can't manufacture this sort of stuff ourselves nowadays, I mean, a paint brush, it's not rocket science is it?

 

On a slightly related subject, did you hear Give yesterday? Saying that European boats will still be able to fish in Brit waters because Britain doesn't have the capacity to either catch or prepare the fish available in British waters.....

Why's that then?


And on the thread topic. I'm not going to say purdy brushes are no good (though I find them a bit too plump) but they're definitely overpriced compared to competitors like Hamilton and Wooster. Double the price of Wooster silver tips, which are a fantastic brush.

 

And Hamilton brushes I buy off amazon. Half the price for packs sometimes. Been using for years

 

Much as it pained me to do anything that would in any way benefit the economy of The Reich. I bought a minitrowel and two blades as mentioned on a previous fred.
Blade no 1 shattered when I hammered it on the floor trying to get it onto the handle, very tight fit. Eventually I managed to fit blade on 2 and set about doing one small wall and a repair on a large section of painted wall. It felt quite alien at first and I ended up with a fair few dobs on the floor, but I was impressed with the lightness of it and it didn't do a bad job. Where I was running onto the wall on the repair part, the blade did pick up a scratch and when I did another section, it left a few lines in the finish.
When I came to do the large ceiling, I sanded the edges but as I started trowelling I could see it wasn't going to end well, not well at all, lines everywhere to I reverted to the Marshalltown. Maybe 80 grit was a bit harsh on the edges.
Verdict: I'm not totally convinced, but now I've got the handle, I will in due course ask the deutschen Volke to send me another two blades and I'll restrict their use to finish on plasterboard and ceilings. Might even lay on with the steel and just use the plazi for trowelling up and finishing.
But rest assured, I wont be beaten by the hun.

 

Many years ago I was contracting at a firm in Norfolk who made traditional brushes of all sorts,[Briton Chadwick I think] most of the workers had been there 30 years or more. All the top quality paint brushes were made from pigs bristle, ironically from China. One guy sticks in my mind who operated the biggest hand guillotine I have ever seen. Hanks of bristles [I think for tar brushes? ] were stringed and he cut off each bundle ready to put into the wooden handles. His guillotine was so big he had a hop up to reach the handle, he had done the same job for 15 or so years and when you followed behind him his right side was like a body builder and the other side normal.

 

I k ow this is an old thread but do you recommend the hamilton prestige.. I'm no way a pro just a DIY kinda guy but like to have decent tools.. I was considering taking them back and splashing out on some monarch elits but I've got 5 prestige for half the price I'd get 3 purdys. I only use them for emulsion and water based satin paint. I've taken lots of tips from yourself and got rid of dreaded hair line cracks

 

Depends if you like brushes that the bristles fall out whilst in use. I have never had any filament loss with the Purdy brushes also they keep there shape and edge exceptionally well.

 

So would u suggest I take them back and exchange for some purdys it's just for diy but I do it 2 times per year so I'd like to have dectn produ tus especially when I get onto the water based satin

 

I don't like the purdy brushes but it's a personal choice. We all have a different pressure and hold so you just need to try a few and see how you get on. What one likes another will hate.

 

I’m just intrigued as to why you paint your house every six months ?

A domestic, family house with the usual every day traffic and grubby kids hands and knocks and scuffs to paintwork that happens up and down the land, day in and day out ?

Just seems rather a lot of work if your painting the same areas twice a year and just wonder why to be honest

Is it down to your choice of materials not being up to the job or you’re a total perfectionist with severe case of paint ocd ?

 

Can you re- write this in the Queens English!

 

MY children like to eat sticky foods and hold onto the wall coming down the stairs, grubby hand prints on the walls ect i don't paint the hole house twice a year just high traffic areas.. I do paint the whole house at least once a year tho not usually the woodwork but the walls and it's probably a mixture of that and the fact I've been using johsnsons contract emulsion but this time I'm going to use a vinyl matt I'm not sure what to use yet tho... do you have a suggestion?? something that won't pick up dirt as easy, I was thinking joshsons cover plus I think it's called

 

Contract matt is the wrong paint to use for longevity especially with a young family it will show everymark, Dulux Diamond is great for these situations being a scrubbable paint, downside us the cost. Brewers sell their own branded range under the Albany name called Durable with a more palletable price which would suit your requirements fine.
.

 

Well, that answers my question as I was trying to be polite (as I always am) regarding your choice of materials - paint especially

Bog standard contract matt emulsion is fine for ceilings as they don’t get grubby (expect for in kitchens and bathrooms, rubbish in these areas also)

For walls in a busy family house, totally the wrong choice as you’ve found out and your repainting areas every 6-12 months - sorry but that’s crazy and unneccesary

I painted the majority of my house and especially the heavy traffic areas around 8 years ago using Dulux Endurance - standard diy retail stuff off the shelf from B&Q, a light colour, Natural Calico Matt

With 2 young kids (8 years ago) same messy hands, food mysteriously split up the walls, marks from shoes, exploding tomato ketchup bottle and that YouTube craze when kids were dropping Mentos into bottles of coke and it shoots up like a fountain (if you know what I mean ?) , ok in the garden but the younger one tried it inside

Add to that, school bags being dragged up the stairs, then Army Cadets backpacks and everything else inbetween

Anyway ..... the paint has performed fantastically - everything just wipes off and it takes a serious knock to scuff the paint, it has ‘Diamond Technology’ so the makers state but really, this claim seems realistic and fair

They rebranded some years ago and the paint is now Dulux Easy Care - hopefully it’s the same quality ?

I’ve not repainted in 8 years and yes, it now needs doing again but it’s lasted very well in a family house

I’ve used the Easy Care a few times but in less busy rooms so hard to compare but, it’s nice to paint with, little bit to get used to it as with all washable paints

They’ve clearly got a load of chemicals and additives in the paint to make it what it is - so it dries quickly on the wall as your rolling and will go sticky as it dries

Get a section of wall painted, maybe 3 roller widths, quick roll over the lot to even out then leave alone and move to next section - don’t be tempted to go back and rolled over what you’ve just done - this will cause the paint to pick up and leave a heavy texture

Leave the Contract Matt alone and even the Vinyl Matt, they don’t have the cleaning ability or the toughness of a true washable paint

Crown Extreme Clean is another contender
I’ve used this at my sisters house for her but it’s generally a less busy house

Good luck

 

Thank really appreciate the advice.. please don't think I like to paint every few months as I don't by any means lol and I'm just trying to keep my house tidy I was oblivious to what paint was dectn I thought contract matt was the best u till recently I am aware it's the wrong paint it's like a dirt magnet .. But I've got one gripe with dulux diamond matt... I've heard it's so durable it's almost impossible to sand down I'm not sure how true this is.. I am planning on using a decent paint but I've been sanding years of built up orange peel effect (not my fault by the way) and the walls have basically needed a mist coat because of how porous the walls are after sanding not to mention my battle with hairline cracks which I've not finally got under control.. I do want a decent paint but not something that's going to be a pain in the **** to sand in the future and price isn't really a problem

 

Does the Albany range stay white ect... And would you guys know what the johsnsons equivalent to these paints would be.. I just personally like johsnsons as my great gran and granddad swore by the paint and I rember washing my nan as ceiling every year for 10 Bob and I just for some reason like to use this brand it may sound strange but it is what it is.. If I have to change I will bite the bullet