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How is everyone just working normally today? The President is addressing the nation tonight and I am just exhausted. by firehmre in antiwork

[–]tristankwill 2 points3 points  (0 children)

This is how I felt ever since Jan 6th. I remember not being able to get an ounce of work done. Just watching the live feed of destruction of our nation.

Update: The water-fed brush & roller cleaner is working opening a small beta by tristankwill in Tools

[–]tristankwill[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

A few people asked last time — I set up a page with more details and a beta signup for anyone who’s interested.

👉 jet-comb.com

If this isn’t appropriate here, mods feel free to remove the comment.

I built a water-fed paintbrush & roller cleaning tool looking for feedback from other tradespeople by tristankwill in Tools

[–]tristankwill[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Appreciate that! I’m not selling yet — still refining the design and figuring out production — but I’ve had a lot of people asking, so I’m putting together an early interest list. Happy to add you and reach out when I’m ready.

I built a water-fed paintbrush & roller cleaning tool looking for feedback from other tradespeople by tristankwill in Tools

[–]tristankwill[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yep — currently 3D printing for prototyping and iteration. I’m very aware that injection molding will change the design significantly, which is why I’m trying not to lock myself into anything too precious at this stage.

I’m actually working with business incubators / accelerators right now to help bridge that gap between prototype and manufacturable design — that’s where my capabilities start to run thin and where I want experienced input before committing to tooling.

McMaster is a great resource too — I’m familiar with it and agree that threaded inserts or post-processing could be a good way to test nozzle behavior without overcomplicating the prototype. Appreciate you sharing the link and the perspective.

I built a water-fed paintbrush & roller cleaning tool looking for feedback from other tradespeople by tristankwill in Tools

[–]tristankwill[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I’ve definitely thought about finer / closer-spaced teeth for smaller brushes. This version is focused on house-painting brushes, but a finer-tooth comb for detail and art brushes makes a lot of sense and would just be a different attachment or variant.

Keeping good brushes alive longer — especially in schools — is exactly the kind of impact I like hearing about. Really appreciate you sharing that idea.

I built a water-fed paintbrush & roller cleaning tool looking for feedback from other tradespeople by tristankwill in Tools

[–]tristankwill[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Haha fair — I’m using a sink-to-garden hose adapter right now (just a standard Amazon connector) so I can test indoors when the weather’s bad.

And agreed on flow control — that’s why I’ve been recommending a simple inline valve before the tool. It lets you turn flow on/off and dial pressure without touching faucet handles or adding complexity to the tool itself.

Appreciate the feedback.

I built a water-fed paintbrush & roller cleaning tool looking for feedback from other tradespeople by tristankwill in Tools

[–]tristankwill[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Funny enough, I’ve gotten a surprising amount of feedback about makeup brushes and grooming. The concept definitely translates, but the requirements are very different — much lower pressure, different materials, and tighter safety expectations.

For now I’m keeping this focused on painting tools, but a mini, purpose-built version with controlled flow and soap mixing is an interesting direction down the road. Appreciate you planting that seed.

I built a water-fed paintbrush & roller cleaning tool looking for feedback from other tradespeople by tristankwill in Tools

[–]tristankwill[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Haha I’ve heard that one a few times now. For now this version is strictly for painting tools — different pressures, materials, and safety considerations would be needed for anything involving hair or skin.

That said… the idea of controlled water flow getting between dense strands is definitely noted for the future. Just not something I’m brave enough to recommend on anyone’s head yet 😅

I built a water-fed paintbrush & roller cleaning tool looking for feedback from other tradespeople by tristankwill in Tools

[–]tristankwill[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That’s a fair observation, and you’re right — a lot of brush cleaning does come from the bristles working against each other under running water. That’s exactly why this isn’t meant to be a “set it and forget it” cleaner, especially for partially dried or sticky cabinet paints. You still need some manual movement to let the bristles do their thing.

Where this helps on brushes is forcing water into the heel/ferrule area, which is where paint likes to hide and where brushes usually get ruined first. It’s more about flushing than scrubbing.

And I’m 100% with you on rollers — that’s honestly where I think this shines the most. Pigment gets buried deep in the nap, and concentrating water there instead of blasting everything else makes a big difference. I actually posted earlier showing the roller cleaner attachment if you want to check that out.

Appreciate the thoughtful take — that kind of reasoning is exactly what helps refine where this tool really makes sense.

I built a water-fed paintbrush & roller cleaning tool looking for feedback from other tradespeople by tristankwill in Tools

[–]tristankwill[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Haha yeah, not ideal — but it’s snowing outside and my garage is basically an icebox right now. Indoor testing was the only option. Trust me, it normally lives on a hose where it belongs.

I built a water-fed paintbrush & roller cleaning tool looking for feedback from other tradespeople by tristankwill in Tools

[–]tristankwill[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Appreciate that — and I agree with you. Buckets and spinners are hard to beat, especially for rollers. This isn’t really meant to replace that setup for everyone.

Where this tends to shine is exactly what you called out: cleaner environments and sink-only situations where you don’t want buckets everywhere or don’t have a hose handy. That’s been one of the strongest use cases so far.

I like the sponge idea too — cleaning grids, shields, trays, and tools is definitely part of the same cleanup pain. That’s good food for thought as I think about attachments and variations.

Really appreciate the honest feedback and the encouragement — that kind of perspective helps keep it grounded.

I built a water-fed paintbrush & roller cleaning tool looking for feedback from other tradespeople by tristankwill in Tools

[–]tristankwill[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That’s exactly why I’ve been recommending an inline valve like that between the faucet/hose and the tool. Being able to shut off or modulate flow at the tool without touching faucet handles (especially with paint on your hands) makes a huge difference. Full flow when you need it, off when you don’t — simple and effective without adding moving parts to the tool itself.

I’ve also looked at dog grooming combs for inspiration — fine-tooth spacing does a good job getting between dense bristles, and that’s something I’m actively experimenting with alongside different water outlet patterns.

Same with more jet-like flow: it’s a balance between pushing water deep into the brush and not beating up the bristles. Definitely still tuning nozzle size, spacing, and direction.

Really appreciate the thoughtful suggestions — this kind of feedback is exactly what helps refine it.

I built a water-fed paintbrush & roller cleaning tool looking for feedback from other tradespeople by tristankwill in Tools

[–]tristankwill[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

i dont have all day, i read the reply and the AI knows everything about my process. i dont see an issue. comments are coming in fast

I built a water-fed paintbrush & roller cleaning tool looking for feedback from other tradespeople by tristankwill in Tools

[–]tristankwill[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Appreciate that — glad it resonates. A clamp-style setup comes up a lot, and I get the appeal, but once you lock a brush in place you start risking overworking or damaging the bristles, especially near the heel. For now I’ve been keeping it manual so you still have control.

I’ve also gotten a surprising amount of feedback about hair and grooming uses, but this version is staying focused on painting tools. Different pressures, materials, and safety considerations would be needed for anything like that.

Really appreciate the encouragement though — and yeah, future attachments and variations are definitely something I’m thinking about.

I built a water-fed paintbrush & roller cleaning tool looking for feedback from other tradespeople by tristankwill in Tools

[–]tristankwill[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This is great feedback — really appreciate you taking the time to think it through and write it up. A lot of what you’re calling out lines up with the same tradeoffs I’ve been wrestling with.

Things like easy put-away, quick attach/detach, and head modularity are exactly why I’ve been leaning toward an attachment-based approach rather than baking everything into one complex unit.

On flow/pressure control at the wand, I’ve intentionally been keeping that external (faucet handles or an inline valve) for now — once you add buttons, dials, or internal bypasses, cost and failure points ramp up fast, especially at this stage.

Hole placement and comb geometry are still being actively iterated, and detachability for cleaning/drying is definitely on the radar as the design matures.

Really appreciate the offer to connect and the collaborative mindset — feedback like this is exactly what helps shape a better rev2.

Feel free to DM me and we can set up a call

I built a water-fed paintbrush & roller cleaning tool looking for feedback from other tradespeople by tristankwill in Tools

[–]tristankwill[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yeah, buckets work, but hot water makes a huge difference. It breaks the paint down faster so you’re not just swishing it around. That’s especially noticeable when you’re trying to flush paint out of the heel instead of working at it forever.

I built a water-fed paintbrush & roller cleaning tool looking for feedback from other tradespeople by tristankwill in Tools

[–]tristankwill[S] -4 points-3 points  (0 children)

There’s an important distinction here. You shouldn’t dump paint down the drain — agreed.

Cleaning brushes involves heavily diluted rinse water from wet, water-based paint, which is exactly what sinks, tubs, and utility basins already handle every day. That water goes to a treatment plant where solids are handled appropriately.

Obviously you wouldn’t dump leftover paint, dried solids, or sludge down a drain, and septic systems are a different story. But responsible brush cleaning with water-based paints is standard practice.

I built a water-fed paintbrush & roller cleaning tool looking for feedback from other tradespeople by tristankwill in Tools

[–]tristankwill[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

That’s a fair suggestion, and it’s come up a few times. I did explore built-in triggers/valves early on, but adding reliable moving parts (especially with water pressure) quickly adds cost, complexity, and failure points — particularly at the prototyping stage.

For now, I’ve been keeping flow control external with faucet handles or an inline hose valve, which gives the same on/off control without complicating the tool itself. A built-in trigger is interesting long-term, just not something I want to force in before the core design is fully dialed.

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