Let's talk about roller frames...

As the designer of the Gruven roller frame let me share my work experience and how
and why this Patent Pending frame was designed and what it can do for you.
---Byron Woodruff / R&D / Gruven Frames

The Designer
I have 15 years experience in the trade. I began doing tract work in Southern California,
and later moved to custom new homes, repaints, and new production work on the
North Carolina coast. Much of what I learned about rolling came from "wall men" who
did little else but roll walls in Southern CA housing tracts. They were very good. I have rolled
thousands of gallons in my 15 years. I began designing spray equipment accessories in '93,
but have always thought it was a crime that professional painters and the perfection oriented
homwowner/decorator was forced to use "low-tech" roller frames that force you to work harder
(and longer) to produce quality results. Clearly, the ordinary roller frame could be greatly improved.

Utilizing my experience (and those of professional friends and associates) I set out to eliminate
all the frustrations of conventional "throwaway frames" and design a truly professional tool. The
Gruven is the result of years of effort. We suceeded. It's a beautiful tool that makes rolling faster,
easier, and simply makes for a better looking job. It may be "just a roller" but, remember, as a
professional painter, a roller is one of your primary application tools...consider how many gallons
you have rolled and how much of your professional life has been spent behind a roller. As a "DIY"
-- do it yourselfer, you'll find this tool will make you look good the very first time you use it and
will continue to make you look good for many, many years.

So, whether you are an old pro, or just like to do rewarding decorating projects for yourself, this
tool will make you better than you already are. It's a joy to use. You won't waste your time or money
with any other roller frame again.

More about what makes this roller frame so good...

Roller "walk off"
One of the biggest aggravations (and time wasters) with standard roller frames is the tendency
of the roller cover to "walk off" the end of the frame. I don't know how many thousands of
times I have stopped, flipped the frame on it's side and hit it against the floor to force the cover
back on. You get so used to doing this you don't always realize how much time you waste here.
It's bad enough in new work (on bare floors) but it can be a real aggravation in carpeted repaints
(you often have to use your fingers and push it back on -- a mess).

The Gruven roller frame uses special
"shouldered endcaps" -- the roller cover
can never "walk off". There are many
standard frames that use a variety of
techniques to hold the cover in place,
but in my experience (and having talked
with hundreds of painters) none work
effectively, the Gruven holds the
cover in place...guaranteed.

Frame works loose on pole
Another aggravation with standard frames is that they are always coming loose
(unthreading) from an extension pole. All professional painters use extension poles
with frames, and all of us have had to stop and re-tighten them. This is especially
frustrating (and time consuming) on vaulted ceilings and high exterior work.

The Gruven will never work loose. It doesn't thread on the pole...it slides on, and a special
clamp holds it secure to any pole threaded or unthreaded. It attaches in seconds and makes
changing poles a snap (example: going from rolling walls to rolling out a hallway or closet).

Roller "track lines -- worms"
Probably the biggest trick in rolling is getting the material to the wall and laid off without
"track lines" or "worms" (those ridges of paint that come off the trailing end of the roller). You
want to carry as much material to the wall as possible (to minimize trips to the bucket) but you
then spend most of your time rolling back over an area (dry rolling) to eliminate the track lines.
Track lines are primarily caused by excess material accumulating at the outside end of the roller
cover (were it slides on). The "shouldered endcaps" on the Gruven frame "cap" the end of the
roller cover -- there is no area for excess material to build up and roll off as track lines. It's
amazing how much time you will save not fighting track lines with the Gruven frame. It takes
some of the skill out of rolling...which is a good thing, because even if you are good at it, who
needs the extra work? Everyone wants their work to look good, pro and DIY alike, the Gruven
will do that for you.

Noisy roller
Not as major an issue (but a very aggravating one) is a "squeaky roller." We have all had to deal
with these. Get's on your nerves (and those around you) doesn't it? Some will go to the extra trouble
of giving a frame a shot of WD-40. The Gruven frame uses a very special material to form the roller
endcaps. This material makes the best bearing there is -- it's expensive, but with this material (and the
very high manufacturing standards close bearing tolerances -- .001) the Gruven frame will never
squeak or rattle. The endcap bearings are so low friction you will never have to fight a roller that
would rather slide than roll, no matter how thin the material (faux finishes, glazes, oil enamel, etc.).

Flexing and "gray streaks"
All standard roller frames use ordinary mild steel to form the roller frame (bent rod part). They are
usually chromed to inhibit corrosion. Mild steel is used because it costs very little -- it's not very stiff,
and the chrome has a tendency to wear off in certain areas and leave those aggravating "gray streaks"
(and occasional rust streaks) that force you to roll over and an area again and again to spread them
out (trying to hide them). The Gruven frame uses high quality stainless steel. There is no coating
to wear off and it will never rust. Stainless steel is much stiffer than mild steel. The Gruven has a
solid feel ... it almost feels as though it's gliding across the surface . Also, because you remove the
whole axle to install or remove the roller cover, you can adjust roller "side play." The Gruven doesn't
slop side-to-side as you make a pass down (or across) a surface. It rolls smooth and straight without
a sound. It's a solid predictable feel you will notice the instant you make your first pass.

Durability
As a professional, how long does a roller frame last you? Couple of weeks? A month or two? Several
things "kill" a standard roller frame. Either they are so hard to clean they don't get cleaned and begin
to bind and skid, or the flimsy bearings simply wear out and begin to squeak and rattle. Roller cages are
prone to simply falling apart ...ending up as wires in your hand. I've seen roller cages fly completely off
when you go to remove a roller cover by hitting a frame against a bucket. There is no "egg beater" roller
cage on a Gruven ... this makes it a snap to clean. Just so you know ... wire cages are only there to provide
friction to hold the cover in place -- our shouldered endcaps eliminate the need for a cage. All the surfaces
on the Gruven frame are "angular" -- meaning you can easily run a putty knife over them to scrape paint off.
The endcaps can be soaked in any thinner (including lacquer thinner). You can easily get to the roller endcap
bearings and clean them in seconds. Because you can easily clean a Gruven, it will always provide excellent
performance. In time (hundreds of gallons), you may want to order new endcaps (the only part subject
to wear). You can rebuild this frame in seconds. The frame itself will last years...maybe forever (as long
as no one drives the truck or van over it...even then you could probably still use it).

Bottom Line
We are not competing on price with other roller frames on the market. We know you can get them
for under $10...I've used them for years myself... I've fought them, and had them fall apart. I have thrown
away more than I care to think about. The Gruven frame was design the absolute best...a professional
roller frame for professional painters and the perfectionist DIYer -- anybody can instantly feel and
appreciate how well it works. We designed solutions for each and every weak point in commonly
available standard roller frames (throwaway frames). Professional painters shouldn't have to work with
"throwaway tools" tools -- neither should savy DIY homeowners -- throw them away one last time, and
step up to a tool that makes you look even better than you already are. The Gruven is a worldclass tool,
maunufactured to aircraft standards, using the very best materials. Cost played no part in the design or
manufacture. We strove for performance and durability. A cheap frame is the most expensive frame you
will ever own, they cost you time, money, and aggravation everytime you use one. Then they fall apart.
A cheap frame can ruin a paint job...it can ruin your day. They don't look very professional either.
The Gruven looks good, and works great. It makes your work easier, faster, and better. It makes a
professional statement too... It's the best, if you shot for the best you should be using it.

Cost...
The average professional painter rolls 200-400 hours a year. The Gruven frame will cut labor and
downtime by at least 10%. At just $15 an hour, that translates into 350 - $600 dollars a year in savings.
You will be making fewer rolling passes across the same surface, and you won't have to stop and mess with
the roller cover sliding off, or it coming loose from the pole. You will be working less and getting more done.
The Gruven frame will outlast a standard frame 10:1 and it's rebuildable (just replace the endcaps once
a season or so). Consider how many of those "cheap" frames you throw away a year and you will see they
cost more than you might think -- they are no bargain. OK...as you've probably guessed, a Gruven
frame isn't cheap (see order page). Quality never is. Just consider how many gallons you are going to
roll with this frame, or how much aggravation you want to endure, then consider the true value of this
tool. At least you have a choice now. We hope you will see and appreciate what we have designed and
step up to "pro status" by ordering a Gruven frame today. It will save you time and money -- it is a joy to use.

By the way.......
"Gruven" is sort of slang German for "good."

Gruven Frames: 800-536-0743Gruven Frames

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