PAINT ROLLER

— In the depths of those stagnant times, when there were shortages of everything, I had to think up some kind of method of evenly spreading paint or varnish on a surface. I first tried to solve this problem by taking some foam rubber cut into the shape of a cylinder used for women's hair curlers. This was the basic idea, but to make it turn, revolve and, apply the paint in a flat layer (...) Well, I made an axle, bent into shape from this millimeter steel piece. Well, to be more accurate, not steel, I mean, not millimeter steel, but two millimeter steel, bent in a zig-zag. That's all really. A very simple solution. I varnished several surfaces with it. It was very convenient and economical – you could use just a small jar's worth of varnish instead of a bucketful. It was about '83, '84. I still use it now. It works for as long as the foam rubber lasts. When it starts to decompose you need to replace it. If you can still get your hands on some curlers then everything is OK, but if they stop putting them out the item will cease to work. I painted a nightstand that I made myself with this one. It's coated with varnish in the tone of the other furniture so that it all matches. You can see the results.