Paint Scrapers: Why So Short?

[Bull]

I need to scrape and paint one side of my house in a couple of weeks. Therefore, I am trying to identify the best scraper to get. Two years ago, when I did one side of the house, I got a scraper from the local hardware store that uses carbide blades. The blades worked well when really fresh, but soon dulled and then things started to ****. Since the scraper was so short, my arm needed to provide all the leverage to get the layers of old paint off, and this became tiring.

Why don't they make scrapers with real long handles so that your body is relieved from some of the labor?

This Bahco unit has seven glowing reviews, but it's still short!

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000288LP6/?tag=atomicindus08-20

 

[lilredex]

Guess you ain't been to the right garage sale..........yet:

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That handle is 11 1/2" long and it reads:

Warner Accuracy Tools, Pivot Head, 2 1/2" 809 Scraper......made in U.S.A.



Ain't those blowed up pictures great?? No more scrawney thumbnails for me. Hook on to FOTKI or other, and you can have them too........all free.

 

[Bull]

11 1/2 isn't bad, but where are the 24" handles? I mean, this is a hard job, scraping old paint on hundreds of clapboards. Fatigue sets in right quick without some freaking mechanical advantage on your side!

 

[moronmountain]

Wouldn't having a long handle make it HARDER to put pressure in the right place?

 

[Bull]

Wouldn't having a long handle make it HARDER to put pressure in the right place?

I don't know, would it? Math and science are not my strong suit. I was the kid who excelled in English and History and struggled in those other two disciplines.

What I know is that the job was fatiguing the last time!

 

[lilredex]

What I know is that the job was fatiguing the last time!

Call TOH...........you're right there!!

 

[Bull]

Call TOH...........you're right there!!

The houses they work on always seem to be big money ventures. I think my project would be beneath them!

 

[lilredex]

The houses they work on always seem to be big money ventures. I think my project would be beneath them!

AHHH.............but they have "Ask TOH" also, where Tommy is going to come out to your house and show you. It'll be all done by the time he is finished showing you........if you act incompetent. Just think you could then watch yourself on TV.......and show us all how you outsmarted them.

 

[Bolster]

I've been trying to cypher this...engineering's not my strong suit either...the fulcrum is provided by your wrist, yes? The wrist of the hand that's holding closest to the business end of the scraper. The other hand, back on the handle, is leveraging the blade into the work. So a long handle would advantage your back hand at the expense of your forward hand. If you had a powerful "blade" hand and a weak "handle" hand then you'd want a long handle.

Anyhoo, as it seems we always do on this forum, I'm going to disagree with your premise rather than answer your question. (I hate it when others do that to me, so consider this payback.) Seems to me the solution to your problem is fresh blades, or a decent sharpening system, or a powered solution, one of those new-fangled horseless paint scrapers I've heard about.

The reason I'm being so obtuse about this, Bull, is that I can almost feel a wrist injury coming up. You may be a powerful dude, and I am a runt, but I recently gave myself a wrist injury by over zealously chopping out a stump with a shovel (wrong tool!) and I had to put in about 3 months of painful work following that as I tried to keep working and rehab my wrist simultaneously. It's incredibly frustrating to work with an immobilized wrist, so I really want to see you come up with a solution that doesn't put the burden of de-painting your house on your poor wrist!

$337 is nothing compared to a wrist rehab. I spent that much in Physical Therapy sessions alone...

(Supposed to be a photo of a Metabo paint stripper)

http://www.google.com/products/cata...ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CCgQ8wIwAA#ps-sellers

 

[d33pt]

better yet..is there such a thing as a power paint scraper?

 

[Tim Cowan]

For a big, heavy-duty job that needs a super scraper........Put a good sharp edge on a roof shingle buster on a shovel handle.

 

[olds70supreme]

Years ago my parents repainted a large Victorian-style mansion that needed all of the paint scraped off of the side boards and the wainscoating (sp?). They used propane torches (small handheld units), lightly fanning the flame on the paint. This caused it to "melt" and curl up, making it very simple to scrape off with a putty knife. I shouldn't have to warn you that this could cause a fire if you aren't careful, but I will anyways.

 

[gorilla]

Is the siding wide enough to use a belt sander? You can get a lot of life from a belt if you use on of those gum rubber bricks to clean the belt. If you want a longer scraper why don"t you just bolt a longer handle to one?

 

[superautobacs]

How about this?

http://www.tajimatool.com/products/scrapers/scrape-rite/view.php?page=all

 

[wantedabiggergarage]

better yet..is there such a thing as a power paint scraper?

There is a thread here, somewhere, where someone made their own. But:

 

[Bull]

How about this?

http://www.tajimatool.com/products/scrapers/scrape-rite/view.php?page=all

Now look at that! Where are they sold?

The problem with these fancy high-dollar machines some of you are referencing is that there are negative reviews for all of them. Not preponderantly negative, but enough people saying the tools are flawed to prevent me from slamming down hundreds of my hard earned and scarce dollars. I researched all of them heavily two or so years ago when I realized I had to scrape and paint my house ($17,000 vinyl siding quotes made that decision for me.)

So, even buying the best hand scraper on the market, and a supply of great carbide blades, I'm ahead of the game.

 

[Stephenw]

I have a similar scraper and don't see the advantage to a longer handle.

The scraping action is done on the pull stroke, not pushing as when using a putty knife.

 

[Bull]

I have a similar scraper and don't see the advantage to a longer handle.

The scraping action is done on the pull stroke, not pushing as when using a putty knife.

My entire premise might very well be flawed. And in that case, I am glad to have been edumacated by the fine folks here.

But I see there is a long scraper available, as superautobacs linked to. So, there must be some reason to have one.

 

[1320stang]

I seem to recall a power paint removal device that had 6 sets of bristles on a rotating drum and the bristle mounting end was tangent to the drum, so they stuck out at an angle.

I've done a search for it on the 'net, but am unable to find a photo or name of what I'm talking about. I want to remove flaking stain off my house before I paint and since the builder put Boston siding over wafer board with no moisture barrier or even 15# felt, I'm hesitant to use a pressure washer.

 

[mooman]

Would this work?

 

[bent valves]

I hope my post is not too far off topic, but last April I posted about a power paint remover I made. Here is a link:

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=60760

I am not suggesting that you make one but rent one because they are priced insanely.

I use to scrape my house every time before painting and it sucked! Using a power paint stripper is the answer. The paint comes off almost as fast as it goes on.

 

[wantedabiggergarage]

I hope my post is not too far off topic, but last April I posted about a power paint remover I made. Here is a link:

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=60760

I am not suggesting that you make one but rent one because they are priced insanely.

I use to scrape my house every time before painting and it sucked! Using a power paint stripper is the answer. The paint comes off almost as fast as it goes on.

That is the post I was thinking of. I wish you would have replied to the questions though.

 

[bent valves]

Let me guess what the question is. Does it work? Yes. Where can you buy one? See the first post in my link. Don't buy one rent it, is my advise.

 

[wantedabiggergarage]

Let me guess what the question is. Does it work? Yes. Where can you buy one? See the first post in my link. Don't buy one rent it, is my advise.

I think you should have read the questions. How well does it work? (as compared to does it) and what type of siding do you have? (tried it anything besides clapboard?)

 

[bent valves]

Sorry for my short answer. I am not a pro-painter and have only tried my knock-off on my clapboard house. I can only compare it to hand scraping and there is no comparison, it is much easier. The three carbide inserts will last for my two story house by rotating the insert to a new edge. There are three edges on the insert.

 

[devilphrog]

I would try and find a rental place that loans out the PaintShaver (brand name google it)

 

[Bull]

You're in New England; I'm in New England.

Your name is Dave; My name is Dave.

You have a tool for stripping paint; I need a tool for stripping paint

I just see the beginnings of a relationship here

Seriously though, that's great that you could do that. I might look into the rental option.

I hope my post is not too far off topic, but last April I posted about a power paint remover I made. Here is a link:

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=60760

I am not suggesting that you make one but rent one because they are priced insanely.

I use to scrape my house every time before painting and it sucked! Using a power paint stripper is the answer. The paint comes off almost as fast as it goes on.

 

[scarrylarry]

Bull

I saw an ad for a Wagnar paint shevr it's on You tube,you might want to check it out.
Now as far as lon hadled paint scrapers i think Richad sells the,m but i'm not positive.did you know that you can resharpen you paint scraper bldes,and it is very easy trust me if it's easy for me it's easy.fist you need a Nicholson axe file one side is double cut other side is single.Do not remove the dull blade from the scraper handle.Make sure the screw that holds the blade on is tight.Hold the scraper on it's side with the blade edge verical and take your file,with the tip of the file at the top of the blade and at approx. a 45degree angle.In on single downward motion run the file down the lenght of the blde finishinf withe the bas of the file at the end.Repaet this procedure a few times.what you are actually tying to do is create a wire edge od burr on the underside of the scraper blade once you have raised it by filing you will be able to feel it.It takes a bit of practice but once mastered it is the cat;s ***.a pro painter showed me the trick.You also told me you dont really have to take all the paint off only what is bubbled aand flaking.Any questions on what I have explained ?I will post you a picture if needed
scarrylarry

 

[Bolster]

Years ago my parents repainted a large Victorian-style mansion that needed all of the paint scraped off of the side boards and the wainscoating (sp?). They used propane torches (small handheld units), lightly fanning the flame on the paint. This caused it to "melt" and curl up, making it very simple to scrape off with a putty knife. I shouldn't have to warn you that this could cause a fire if you aren't careful, but I will anyways.

PLEASE READ: You'd only want to do this if you were 100% certain it was not a lead-based paint. My contractor told me of a similar story where one of the people scraping died and the other was invalided for life, by heating leaded paint and scraping it.

 

[Bolster]

The problem with these fancy high-dollar machines some of you are referencing is that there are negative reviews for all of them...

What do you consider bad overall reviews? Metabo I pointed you to gets a 4 of 5 stars out of 32 reviews on Amazon...?

 

[Bull]

What do you consider bad overall reviews? Metabo I pointed you to gets a 4 of 5 stars out of 32 reviews on Amazon...?

Reviewing the reviews, there are six or seven that are truly negative. That represents about 20% of the total number of reviews. I guess that isn't terrible, but if I am going to drop $350 I need a bit more confidence going in than that provides me with. That's a lot of scratch for the Bull clan.

 

[Bolster]

Reviewing the reviews, there are six or seven that are truly negative. That represents about 20% of the total number of reviews. I guess that isn't terrible, but if I am going to drop $350 I need a bit more confidence going in than that provides me with. That's a lot of scratch for the Bull clan.

OK, fair enough.

I think these motorized paint scrapers all land in a tool category where they make a difficult job somewhat easier, but not painless.

Also weigh the cost of the tool against a repetitive use injury, and/or buy used and sell the tool when you're done. I've gotten darned near free tool usage sometimes, when I do that.

 

[Bull]

I did check Craiglook and eBay earlier todayfor used versions of the Metabo and Paint Shaver. Found a couple used Paint Shaver setups that are above $300 used with plenty of time left in the auction.

Really can't afford to drop that much. Looks like it's going to be a scraper, stack of blades, and athletic tape wrapped tightly around my wrist.

Ok, no tape. I've never done that.

OK, fair enough.

I think these motorized paint scrapers all land in a tool category where they make a difficult job somewhat easier, but not painless.

Also weigh the cost of the tool against a repetitive use injury, and/or buy used and sell the tool when you're done. I've gotten darned near free tool usage sometimes, when I do that.

 

[bent valves]

As much as I like to help people out, this tool will not be lent out. It is too dangerous!

I can just imagine it now, standing before a judge explaining that "I just lent it out to help someone". And the prosecuting attorney stating, "Look at him. He is in a wheelchair after falling off a ladder. His eye is bandaged and badly injured because of paint shards. And he turns to look at me asking; Where are the required warning labels showing that eye protection is needed?

No thanks. Even if we agreed that the tool is on a "Use at your own risk" basis, in today's litigious society there is no guarantees. Hope you understand.

 

[Bull]

Trust me my good man, I do understand 100%! It is not worth the risk to help a stranger out like that.

I will just say that I am so disgusted with the litigious nature of our society that, barring someone doing malicious and intentional harm to me, or hurting me while drunk or stupid, I would never step foot in a lawyer's office to initiate a case.

Now, what is your hourly rate for using this device on a stranger's home?

As much as I like to help people out, this tool will not be lent out. It is too dangerous!

I can just imagine it now, standing before a judge explaining that "I just lent it out to help someone". And the prosecuting attorney stating, "Look at him. He is in a wheelchair after falling off a ladder. His eye is bandaged and badly injured because of paint shards. And he turns to look at me asking; Where are the required warning labels showing that eye protection is needed?

No thanks. Even if we agreed that the tool is on a "Use at your own risk" basis, in today's litigious society there is no guarantees. Hope you understand.

 

[comedyman809]

my paint scraper is 6 foot 2 inches.


his name is pablo.

 

[slip knot]

Mines named Veektor. He's maybeso kinda one good painter. I pay him like a maybeso kinda good painter, When he's done!!

 

[Bull]

my paint scraper is 6 foot 2 inches.


his name is pablo.

Now that right there is funny.