Randy made a paint brush holder which he designed for his wife. Now she can keep any brushes she is currently using for a project close at hand. He shares some details on how he made it.
“The brush holder is slotted so that it can snugly slide onto the easel and remain securely in place (no chance of it falling off unless one were to use it as a climbing step), and includes a ring for convenient storage. It has holes of various kinds to hold a wide variety of brushes, and includes two hooks for any oddly shaped brushes or tools. It’s worked beautifully :)
To make it, I first fitted the part that attaches to the easel by simply molding the hot plastic around it. Next, I made a flat (3/8″ thick) rectangle. For the holes, I drilled them with a heated drill bit (I think, it’s been a while…) and then cleaned them up with brush handles while the plastic was still moldable. For the smaller holes, I used a heated awl to press through the plastic. Then I fused the two pieces together using a lighter and extra plastic for additional support and reinforcement. To finish it off (and hide the all the burn marks) I painted it black and sealed it with a glossy varnish.”
Thanks Randy, for sharing your secrets on making such a professional looking tool. Your wife sure is a lucky woman, but judging from the impressive art we see in the corner, it sounds like you may be getting the better deal. :)