General 11 unexpected ways to use a painter’s combination tool By Martin Zibauer Published: May 24, 2022 Updated: March 26, 2024 share Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Pinterest Copy Link Cancel View in Fullscreen 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Photo by Liam Mogan Turn small screws View in Fullscreen 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Photo by Liam Mogan Pound down the paint can’s lid using the metal cap on the handle The cap also protects the handle from hammer taps when you’re using the tool to pry off mouldings. View in Fullscreen 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Photo by Liam Mogan Crack open a beer when the job’s done (Or a near-beer while you’re working). View in Fullscreen 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Photo by Liam Mogan Squeegee excess paint out of a paint roller before cleaning it Save paint, time, and water. View in Fullscreen 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Photo by Liam Mogan Pull a nail View in Fullscreen 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Photo by Liam Mogan Pry open a paint can View in Fullscreen 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Photo by Liam Mogan Scrape off loose paint with the bevelled edge or apply putty with the flat edge A painter’s tool is too rigid to easily feather out a lot of drywall mud on a seam, but if a dab’ll do ya (to fill a nail hole or make a small repair, for example), the flat edge works. View in Fullscreen 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Photo by Liam Mogan Scrape caulk out of corners Place this point in the rim of a paint can. Tap it down with a hammer to puncture the rim; any paint that slops into the rim drains back into the can. View in Fullscreen 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Photo by Liam Mogan Scrape spindles and other convex curvy surfaces with this edge Tackle concave mouldings with the next edge down. View in Fullscreen Related galleries At the Helliwell cottage—and all over cottage country—pickleball is serving up hours of fun It’s huge! 5 giant facts about Canada 8 expert-approved Canadian cheeses to serve to your cottage guests 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 unexpected ways to use a painter’s combination tool When it’s not masquerading as a Rock Gnome’s improvised weapon in your Dungeons and Dragons cosplay, the painter’s combination tool is handy for attacking other jobs around the cottage. The tool costs less than $20, depending on the brand and the number of functions it promises. What can you do with it? A lot. This article was originally published in the May 2022 issue of Cottage Life magazine. How to avoid common injuries while doing chores at the cottage Related Story The ultimate cottage tool: the Swiss Army knife