Posted on Aug 20, 2009 in Methods

This isn’t an outdoor painting gizmo per se, but it is definitely one of the most money-saving devices I’ve used – a tube wringer. Gets those last bits out of that expensive tube of cobalt blue very well. They can be purchased from numerous art supply companies and also at tubewringer.com. Opt for the heavy duty one – works best on those fat tubes of white paint. Here’s the outdoor painting part: when your tube is half empty, reserve it for your outdoor painting kit. Full tubes of most paints are rarely needed, unless you paint like Van Gogh, and you’ll carry less weight.

For small plastic containers for transporting solvents, try urine specimen containers. I discovered a barrel of these at a surplus place labeled: “Urine Specimen Jars – 6 / $1.00 – Never Been Used”. Check out the fit of the lid if possible; hopefully they are leakproof for all purposes.