Over the past few years, I’ve been very fortunate to travel around the country to trade shows to find out what the newest and latest inventions are in the trade. I’ve been able to form amazing partnerships with wonderful countries, and the products and people I met at the National Hardware Show in March were no exception! I was able to meet Matt Andersen from Scale Up Tools - a company that develops time-saving tools and equipment for the trades & DIYers - for Painters by Painters products! Two of their products in particular caught my attention for how they could improve painter’s safety and efficiency on the job site. 

The fan pivot

The fan pivot attaches any spray gun with standard ⅞” threads, and allows you to change the orientation you’re spraying at. All you need to do to operate this product is reach out with your finger and rotate it. This allows you to keep your gun upright, and spray horizontal and vertical with ease! The rotation system is built off of patented polymagnets with 90-degree self-aligning poles that will not weaken or wear out. 

Currently, most painters typically rotate their guard to be able to spray at a different angle, but with this fan pivot tool, that can become a thing of the past. Something that’s always concerned me when it comes to rotating my guard has been safety - all it takes is one accidental trigger pull while your hand is in front of the gun and you could get injected with paint and potentially lose a hand or arm. We typically put the gun on safe before messing with the guard, but accidents can always happen. With the fan pivot, there’s no need to put your hand anywhere in front of the gun - rotate 360 degrees at 90 degree intervals within seconds. 

Rotating the guard, for some people, may be exactly what they need, but you’ll be saving time by using the fan pivot tool. I would always put the gun between my legs to turn the guard, and a flick of my finger is way faster than that. Plus, guards aren’t designed for the purpose of turning your fan orientation, so you’re actually loosening & tightening the gun depending on the direction that you are turning it. And, a well-used guard with paint built up on it isn’t going to turn as well as a brand new guard. There’s a multitude of reasons why it’s not ideal, but it has worked for a lot of people for a long time. This tool is going to change everything - you’ll be faster, more efficient, and safer. 

The current prototype is rated for up to 3600 PSI, but future models can be made to spray up to 5000 PSI. When the fan pivot is loaded up with pressure, it’s still just as easy to turn, and you don’t have to worry about leaks if you’ve tightened it appropriately. Additionally, you don’t have to worry about this product being too bulky or weighing down your gun - it only weighs 3.5 oz/100 grams, and if you have it closer to the gun than the end of your extension, it’s not going to be forward heavy at all. 

The fan pivot also comes with a repacking kit if you are experiencing any leaks. The version of this product I’ve been using is a prototype - the fan pivot has 2 U.S. patents and is available for licensing. 

Dual fan tip

The other product from Scale Up tools that has me excited is their dual fan tip - an airless spray tip with two sizes in one! Now, you might be thinking, “Hey, doesn’t Titan have a dual reversible spray tip?”, and while they do, that product requires a bulky and heavy adapter and so hasn't grown in popularity over time. This company’s version of the dual fan tip can be made to be used in any guard with any barrel size, with no adapters needed. 

In a lot of the videos I’ve posted with the prototype of this product, there have been a lot of comments not understanding why there’s a 625 & 215 combination, but it’s just an example. Scale Up Tools can make any two tip size combinations! What would you want? The tip I would probably use the most would be one that’s a 515 & 310 combination for exterior painting - spray the body with the 515, then quickly move to the 310 to do gutters and the front door. For interiors, I would use a 310 for the trim and a 619 for ceilings. Imagine the endless combinations that could make your life easier on the jobsite. 

All you have to do is rotate the tip 90 degrees and spray with the other pattern - the paint lines will never interfere with each other. And if one of the tip sizes wears out before the other? Well, there’s no need to throw the whole tip away - simply use it as one tip instead of a dual. Labels on the tip clearly state what the sizes are, with a little white arrow showing you which side is spraying. 

Show your love for Scale Up Tools product’s on social media to help them get closer to their goals of licensing the products and getting them into your hands!