Baluster Paint Mask (.75")

thingiverse

I had to paint my deck railing, and it's equipped with over 300 .75" anodized aluminum balusters. I didn't want to tape every single one top and bottom, so I created this tool to snap onto a .75" diameter aluminum baluster and cover the first 2" or so, and printed about 20 of them. Check out the pictures for how it's used. It saved me a lot of time, tape, and frustration. They simply snap on, and if you get too much paint on them, they wipe clean with a damp cloth. This design fits most standard .75" aluminum balusters. This version is a slight improvement over the original, I slimmed down the end that touches the rail and added ridges to the tabs for easier handling. A friend loved them so much that I printed a custom-sized set for his rails, and I figured others might appreciate this design too, so I uploaded it here. I've also included the Sketchup file, which lets you modify the size if needed - scaling on your slicer can achieve the same result. Enjoy using this tool and don't forget to like and donate if you find it helpful.