Paintycait's Brilliant Tip on 'Cutting In'.

[dave.m]

Copied and pasted from another thread on the same subject.
Can it be stickied, please.

Get a decent sized brush and I would make that 2" plus. Make it a synthetic one.
Dip the brush 2" into the paint and don't scrape it off the side of the paint kettle (don't work from the pot), tap off the excess.
Pretend you are using your hand to be a glove puper and make a duck...quack quack and then grip the body of the brush not the handle (see pic below)
Then turn the brush on it's side so that all the tips of the bristles lay along the line that you want to cut in...that's difficult to explain so hubby posed cutting in a door frame (see pic below)
Make sure that you can actually see the tips of the bristles...most people work too low cutting in cornices.
Draw the brush along the surface and keep going even though it feels and looks like you have little paint left, then turn the brush and come back the way you came.
If you lay the bristles of a 3" brush on the surface you start with a 3" straight line;If you lay the bristles of a 1" brush on the surface you start with a 1" straight line .....much easier to get consistently straight lines with a bigger brush even though it seems daunting.

[paintycait]

I feel famous :)

[royaloakcarpentry]

You can also gently run a scraper along and this will leave a very feint line for you to follow.

[Have Brush Will Travel]

Can I just add to Caits great advice...

If you are able...on door frames...vertical edges etc..cut in the left hand edges with your left hand and right hand one with your right..its a far more natural, easier and comfortable way to do it and you will have better control over a brush..

For those painters here....look at the contorted way you have to hold a brush if your right handed cutting in a left hand architrave to a wall..in many case the brush blocks your line of vision as well..it can also put strain on your wrist and you have to move your arm up and down as opposed to the brush...

Easy for me to say this as im left handed..and most left handed (or 'cack' handed as my father used to say!) people are able to do more with their right hand than right handers are able to do with their left...I do nearly everything with my right hand except write (no jokes please...its Easter!!!) but for newbie painters its a good habit to get into..I tell my trainees when they say they cant paint with well their left..'you cant paint that good with your right yet either...so why not learn to use both?'

Oh and...when cutting in a wall to a ceiling a lot of people will say 'if your left handed start on the right...right handed start on the left'...I dont agree...if you do that youl find you have to keep sweeping your hand across the front of you and its like laying off backwards...far easier to work away from yourself with either hand imo

Just a thought...

[Tom d'Angler]

Oh and...when cutting in a wall to a ceiling a lot of people will say 'if your left handed start on the right...right handed start on the left'...I dont agree...if you do that youl find you have to keep sweeping your hand across the front of you and its like laying off backwards...far easier to work away from yourself with either hand imo

I'm left handed and I find it much easier to start on the left and work my way around a room left to right. I tried the other way but it didn't feel comfortable.

I also practiced cutting in the right side of door frames with my right hand and as you say it is much easier if you can do it that way. I also alternate rollering with left and right hands so as not to strain myself too much

[Have Brush Will Travel]

Oh and...when cutting in a wall to a ceiling a lot of people will say 'if your left handed start on the right...right handed start on the left'...I dont agree...if you do that youl find you have to keep sweeping your hand across the front of you and its like laying off backwards...far easier to work away from yourself with either hand imo

I'm left handed and I find it much easier to start on the left and work my way around a room left to right. I tried the other way but it didn't feel comfortable.

I also practiced cutting in the right side of door frames with my right hand and as you say it is much easier if you can do it that way. I also alternate rollering with left and right hands so as not to strain myself too much

Indeed...!

Tom all the best people are left handed mate...

[Tom d'Angler]

Tom all the best people are left handed mate...

Indeed.

And the most intelligent.

Not to mention good looking.

[michelangelo]

aha!i knew there was a reason for my good looks and intelligence

[paintycait]

OK...just get a room you guys

[Have Brush Will Travel]

aha!i knew there was a reason for my good looks and intelligence

Not forgetting style, wit and charisma...

and...the fact we are meant to die before right handers...

[paintycait]

Sheesh

[Have Brush Will Travel]

Sheesh

Kebab?

[andydec]

You are the first painter I have ever seen holding a brush like that . Are you holding it that way so D I Y painters find it easier .

regards Andy

[southwood3]

I've just painted a room in my house. The wall and ceiling both have embossed paper and I found it impossible getting a clear-cut line between the white ceiling and mushroom walls. Every time I tried to make it look better I made it worse. First the mushroom had 'bled' onto the white ceiling and I tried to cover it with white only to find that the white then bled onto the wall colour. I've given up now and try not to look up when I go into the room. It does look sh*te. I don't even think that Frog tape would have helped.

[PaintyLee]

Southwood.

If you are up for starting all over again the one thing you could try would be to run a thin bead of caulk along all ceiling/wall joints.

I wouldn't go more than say 2mm as it will widen as you smooth it out. Then you will have to repaint the edges.
Starting with the ceiling, if its been a while give it all one more coat but if its recent you could just cut in again.When using the white for the ceiling come down the wall about 1 - 2 inches.

Now when you come to repaint the wall edges you'll have a thin smooth edge to cut into.
Once its all done you will not notice the lack of embossed pattern at the very top and you should have a nice straight line too. Also as a freeby I would suggest getting a nice synthetic brush to cut in with.

Good luck and let us know how you get on.


Also make sure you allow the different surfaces to dry thoroughly before trying to cut in for the finish