I'm not sure I have your poetic style but how about:

slappin' paint
puttin' a lid on it

Tom (kickin' back) Gale

John Leeke wrote:

> A couple years ago I was listening to Ken tell stories about his early stone
> masonry work and he used the expression "bumpin' stones." Since then I have
> thought of a few more of these nifty little phrases to describe the various
> trades. Can you thing of any others?
>
> bumpin' stones
> chopin' wood
> slingin' mud
> clinkin' bricks
> knockin' tin
>
> John (chopin' wood) Leeke