Tips & Techniques

Easy-Clean Putty Knife

Cover the blade with packing tape to make cleanup super simple.

By Charles Miller Issue 289 - Feb/Mar 2020

Recently, I needed to use a putty knife to spread construction adhesive. Before I even started, I was dreading cleaning the knife when I finished. So I grabbed a piece of packing tape and stuck it on the blade. Amazingly, it worked just fine, and I think the tape left a smoother finish than the bare metal. Cleanup was as simple as peeling off the tape.

Click to enlarge the illustration

—Michael Eenigenburg, Reading, Pa.

Edited and Illustrated by Charles Miller

From Fine Homebuilding #289

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