![]() By positioning the longer side of the blade in the corner while scraping, you’ll get optimal paint removal without scraping up your knuckles as you go, thanks to a design that keeps your hand farther away from the wall. Chisel-edge scrapers like the HYDE 3-Inch Black & Silver® Stainless Steel Chisel Scraper offer an altogether different edge variation in which a slanted blade makes it easier to scrape away paint from inside corners. Scraper blades that remain rigid during this flexibility test have not been ground and are sturdy enough for the pushing action that removes old paint and putty.įor the most effective scraping power, choose a stiff blade with a beveled (angled) bottom edge that slips easily beneath thick layers of old paint to lift with ease. Such flexible blades are also often called “putty knives,” because they’re primarily used for filling holes and applying compound smoothly over drywall seams. ![]() When you press the blade against a surface and attempt to bend it, you’ll notice that a product with a ground blade shows some give and tends to be better suited for the pulling motion used when spreading. Photo: Deciding on a Blade DesignĪfter you get past a blade’s material and size, you’ll notice differences in its flexibility and its edge. When scraping paint from metal in unpredictable situations, a high-quality, non-magnetic brass blade like the HYDE 1-1/4-Inch Stiff Brass Black & Silver® Putty Knife will not spark. Brass blades are ideal for use around flammable materials, such as lacquer or chemical fumes.Even dried-on putty falls right off after a job, just by flexing the blade. With a cutting-edge blend of flexible steel and Rockwell hardness, this little putty knife-or even any other size blade in the Black & Silver Stainless Steel collection-has just the right amount of flexibility for smoothing spackling and putty into holes, and doesn’t require difficult cleanup. Take the HYDE 1-1/2-Inch Flexible Black & Silver Stainless Steel Putty Knife, for example. Stainless steel, on the other hand, combines the flexibility of carbon steel with corrosion resistance.Wash and dry these blades immediately after you finish your project, though, because carbon steel has a tendency to rust. Economical scraper blades are often made from carbon steel, a metal with a nice flex for filling nail holes or applying compound to drywall seams.While most metal blades may look the same, the materials’ properties and strengths will vary widely. It’s a smart idea to do the same if you frequently work on home repair projects. For this reason, professionals often stock their toolboxes with a variety of blades-if not nearly every width manufactured. ![]() While larger blades do the same work and can remove wider strips of paint, thereby reducing the amount of time spent scraping, they can’t fit into narrow spots. ![]() ![]() A tool as slim as the HYDE 2-Inch SuperFlexx™ Stainless Steel Putty Knife works well for scraping around staircase balusters or along strips of window trim. Generally speaking, tasks like scraping small areas or applying dollops of putty with precision require the use of a stiff, more slender blade. Standard blade widths start at ¾ inch and run up to 4 inches blades wider than that are typically labeled as “joint knives” and are flexible for working with drywall compound instead of scraping. Just as the size and scope of projects differ, so do the sizes of scraper blades. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |