# Small diameter roller for cut in?



## Homerepairguy (Aug 1, 2010)

My brother told me that a pro painter that helped his son paint the exterior of his house, used a small diameter roller to cut in. He said that the roller was furry (not foam) and looked to be 1" or 1-1/4" in diameter. Was really fast since the small diameter allows the roller to get in tight to the corners.

I'm painting the exterior of our house. Repainting smooth wood surfaces that has old paint that I sanded and primed using latex primer. So I'm painting on top of the primer.

I bought a 1" diameter x 4" long roller to do cut ins. The roller I bought is a Linzer Pro Edge Professional, smooth surfaces Velour. Although the roller spins very freely on the handle, when I try to roll the cut in, the roller just slides instead of spinning.

Does smooth wood + smooth 1" diameter roller = sliding? If so, then why do they even sell this type of small diameter roller? Or did I just buy the wrong brand of roller? Do any of you use a small diameter roller to do cut ins even if you brush after applying the paint with the roller?

Thanks,
HRG


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## Jmayspaint (May 4, 2013)

I use mini rollers all the time. The whiz type that have the metal rod that the naps go on can tend to do the 'sliding around' thing where they don't want to roll. I like the mini cage variety better. They actually have a roller cage, though a small one, and tend to roll more freely. 

This is the Purdy version. Wooster makes one too. Yes, they are good for getting into corners. The tip of the nap is woven also, so the end of it spreads paint too. I will brush behind it a lot of times, but it still spreads paint faster/easier than a brush alone.


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## Gymschu (Dec 12, 2010)

They do cut down the brush work that's for sure. As JMays said, buy the Purdy or the Wooster versions. Linzer products are sold in Wal-Mart if that tells you anything. I use the Whizz roller system and they are pretty good as well, but, as JMays alluded to, you have to keep the rod very clean and once paint gets down into the spinning mechanism of the roller cover, well, it "skids" rather than rolls.


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## ToolSeeker (Sep 19, 2012)

Some other things that tend to make them "skid" is loading with too much paint, too much pressure when rolling, not enough angle on the handle meaning if you hold the handle too close to the wall at a very shallow angle. Also trying to roll too fast can be a cause.


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## Homerepairguy (Aug 1, 2010)

Jmayspaint said:


> I use mini rollers all the time. The whiz type that have the metal rod that the naps go on can tend to do the 'sliding around' thing where they don't want to roll. I like the mini cage variety better. They actually have a roller cage, though a small one, and tend to roll more freely.
> 
> This is the Purdy version. Wooster makes one too. Yes, they are good for getting into corners. The tip of the nap is woven also, so the end of it spreads paint too. I will brush behind it a lot of times, but it still spreads paint faster/easier than a brush alone.


The picture you posted looks like the mini roller I bought, though my roller is the metal rod type. So even the whiz rollers slide too. That's good info to know.

Thanks,
HRG


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## Homerepairguy (Aug 1, 2010)

Gymschu said:


> They do cut down the brush work that's for sure. As JMays said, buy the Purdy or the Wooster versions. Linzer products are sold in Wal-Mart if that tells you anything. I use the Whizz roller system and they are pretty good as well, but, as JMays alluded to, you have to keep the rod very clean and once paint gets down into the spinning mechanism of the roller cover, well, it "skids" rather than rolls.


The hardware store near my home only sells the Linzer mini rollers. I'll check out the Purdy and Wooster versions the next time I go to the Benjamin Moore store.

Thanks for the tip about not getting paint into the spinning mechanism. The nap on the roller in your picture is much longer than the mini roller covers that I bought. I'll try a 3/8" nap roller although it has a slightly larger diameter.

Thanks,
HRG


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## Homerepairguy (Aug 1, 2010)

ToolSeeker said:


> Some other things that tend to make them "skid" is loading with too much paint, too much pressure when rolling, not enough angle on the handle meaning if you hold the handle too close to the wall at a very shallow angle. Also trying to roll too fast can be a cause.


Thanks for your tips. I'll be more aware of those things the next time I'm cutting in.

HRG


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## ToolSeeker (Sep 19, 2012)

Also use the same nap size as the roller your using on the wall. that way the stipple pattern will be the same.


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## mathmonger (Dec 27, 2012)

The mini rollers - even the ones with cages - never work quite as well as a 9-inch roller.

And sometimes a particular paint just doesn't play well with a particular roller cover.


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## Jmayspaint (May 4, 2013)

The type of cover you choose can make a difference in how they work too. A short velour nap is probably not ideal for something like siding. They don't hold or apply much paint, and the shorter nap makes them less able to really get into corners. You might try one similar to the one pictured in Gymschu's post. 

The velour and mohair naps are most commonly used for things like smooth metal doors, shelving, or trim where a tight stipple is desired.


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## Matthewt1970 (Sep 16, 2008)

Those are the greatest thing in the world for doing ceilings. It will cut your cut-in time by 2/3rds a lot of time and I think does a better job.


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## Homerepairguy (Aug 1, 2010)

ToolSeeker said:


> Also use the same nap size as the roller your using on the wall. that way the stipple pattern will be the same.


I was using the roller to apply the paint and then brushing since the roller did not quite get into the inside corners. Also, by brushing I could feather the cut in on the wall to not have a 4" ridge formed by the 4" roller.

Is there a technique to feather the cut in on the wall using the roller as the final pass?

Thanks,
HRG


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## Homerepairguy (Aug 1, 2010)

mathmonger said:


> The mini rollers - even the ones with cages - never work quite as well as a 9-inch roller.


Assuming that you mean a larger diameter roller.



> And sometimes a particular paint just doesn't play well with a particular roller cover.


Could be that the BM Moorguard latex paint that I'm using is one that falls into that category.

Thanks,
HRG


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## Homerepairguy (Aug 1, 2010)

Jmayspaint said:


> The type of cover you choose can make a difference in how they work too. A short velour nap is probably not ideal for something like siding. They don't hold or apply much paint, and the shorter nap makes them less able to really get into corners. You might try one similar to the one pictured in Gymschu's post.
> 
> The velour and mohair naps are most commonly used for things like smooth metal doors, shelving, or trim where a tight stipple is desired.


I'll try the 3/8" nap mini roller. Diameter is in between the 1" mini roller I tried and a standard diameter roller cover.

Thanks,
HRG


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## Homerepairguy (Aug 1, 2010)

Matthewt1970 said:


> Those are the greatest thing in the world for doing ceilings. It will cut your cut-in time by 2/3rds a lot of time and I think does a better job.


How do you avoid a ridge due to non- feathering of the rolled cut in without using a brush?

Thanks,
HRG


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## ToolSeeker (Sep 19, 2012)

Use a mini with the nap on the end not the button, in a 1/2" nap and you can roll clear into the corners. On the ceiling or by the trim use your brush to cut in then roll as close as you can to the trim or ceiling this will leave almost no line that will be visible,


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## Homerepairguy (Aug 1, 2010)

ToolSeeker said:


> Use a mini with the nap on the end not the button, in a 1/2" nap and you can roll clear into the corners. On the ceiling or by the trim use your brush to cut in then roll as close as you can to the trim or ceiling this will leave almost no line that will be visible,


Thanks, I'll give it a try.
HRG


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