Help me find the right paint rollers

[Nanako]

i have been silly in past months, buying tons of paint rollers and frames sort of at random, because i falsely assumed it would be all standardised, now i have several 9 (226mm) inch parts that don't fit together

i have these foam rollers, and no frame that fits them. External diameter 57mm, diameter of inner hole is 12mm
completely foam, soft, no hard parts

and i have frames like this, diameter of the end caps is 37mm, one of them slides along the rail

I'd like to first find a frame for the rollers, because i have quite a few of them and they are currently useless

and i'd also like to know how to find rollers compatible with the other frame

are there any standards or proper names for this stuff? what should i search for

 

[robinbanks]

How much money will you save over discarding the incompatible rollers? Or even all the rollers and buying a set (eg tool station do a 9 inch roller handle, tray and 5 sleeves for 11 quid) that does work?

Doesn't seem like something I'd fuss over buying more gear to make work, only to bin it all eventually anyway; spend the money on something that does work, out of the box?

 

[Nanako]

How much money will you save over discarding the incompatible rollers? Or even all the rollers and buying a set (eg tool station do a 9 inch roller handle, tray and 5 sleeves for 11 quid) that does work?

Doesn't seem like something I'd fuss over buying more gear to make work, only to bin it all eventually anyway; spend the money on something that does work, out of the box?

well at this exact moment, i have zero functional frame and roller sets, a paint job that takes two people, and someone coming over to help me next week. So it seemed like the right thing to just complete two sets

In any case, i also need to learn, what standards are there, how do i find things that fit together

someone in another thread recommended purdy + colossus, but i looked at the prices on those and cried

 

[Nanako]

How much money will you save over discarding the incompatible rollers? Or even all the rollers and buying a set (eg tool station do a 9 inch roller handle, tray and 5 sleeves for 11 quid) that does work?

Doesn't seem like something I'd fuss over buying more gear to make work, only to bin it all eventually anyway; spend the money on something that does work, out of the box?

also some of the painting in the past is exactly how i got here, this very roller frame was from a set, and then i used up the rollers that came with it, tried to get more, and here we are

 

[foxhole]

Roller frames tend to be 11/2” or 2” .
Just buy same size roller .

 

[Leftum]

What do the pro’s use for emulsion ? We’ve got some fancy paint and I want to give it a chance to look its best. Should I whisk in a bit of water too ?

 

[robinbanks]

Decide the finish you want, which will inform your choice of roller material. If your surfaces are not a uniform colour, consider painting them with a cheaper paint that is almost the colour of your expensive fancy paint until they are uniform; it will reduce the number of coats of fancy paint required

So it seemed like the right thing to just complete two sets

I'd just give tool station/wickes/screwfix 30 quid for a decent brush/roller/tray set and be done with it. Your mate's saving you ten times that every day that they paint, on not hiring in a decorator. They can cut in and do woodwork while you roller areas and vice versa, so you don't necessarily need two of everything. Sets tend to have multiple sleeves, so picking up another handle and tray is trivial

Gotta keep perspective; I don't like binning stuff but I'm slowly ditching my dad's notions of spending a pound to save a penny

 

[blup]

Get the best you can afford, you are saving a lot more by not using a decorator, and will still have the tools for the next job

 

[opps]

Your roller frame in image 1 is an extremely cheap one.

They are horrible. They flex whilst you roll and if you decide to use an extension pole, you can only use one with a push fit bayonet. I have seen the frame fall of poles in the past and if they don't fall off, sometimes they twist whilst you are working

Additionally, they only accept 1.5" diameter (internal) roller sleeves.

Pro versions use 1.75" sleeves and the frame is often screw based (when connected to a poll).

You can get a 9" Purdy frame and Colossus sleeve for just over £20. My advice would be to bin the foam roller sleeves that you have. I have been a professional decorator for over 30 years. I have never understood why anyone would buy one. The only reason that I can think of is to apply wood stain, which is so thin that the air bubbles in the finish burst immediately. They are not suitable for emulsion.

I have no idea how much disposable income you have, the purdy combo, if looked after, will last years. As a back of the cigarette calculation, most of my interior work is 15-20% for materials. I am happy to pay more for decent rollers so that I can apply two coats of emulsion to the standard that my customers expect. If you are retired, unemployed or have no value on your free time, then, yeah, go for the cheaper rollers, but be advised that you may need to apply a third coat, which pushes up the cost of your materials and your labour time, and will (potentially) provide a lower quality of finish.

I appreciate that the above might come across as condescending- that isn't my intention. I am simply offering advice as someone who started out using inferior tools and products many years ago.

 

[robinbanks]

As a back of the cigarette calculation

That's a very small calculation indeed!