Lead Adventure Forum
Other Stuff => Workbench => Topic started by: redzed on March 27, 2018, 08:39:19 AM
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as Trevor & Simon said "Shake your Paints"
YOUTUBELINK cos I don't know how to embed video on the forum (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=czAQNk9RZNQ)
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Hmm, I wonder if it also helps with pigment stuck at the bottom of the bottle.
In all seriousness though, it kind of looks dangerous, still worth it over shaking by hand though.
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nice ideia!
Although not extreme as that, I use stainless steel paint mixers, they are quite helpful:
http://www.migjimenez.com/en/accessories/347-stainless-steel-paint-mixers.html
I mark the paint bottles which have the mixers, so that later I can re-use them
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I saw your photo of this on FB, and now the video which doesn't make it look any less dangerous - I have awarded your first "like" for that alone.
When you lose a finger can I have it?
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I also use a cheap jigsaw for paint-shaking, though I haven't secured it to anything because of the vibration. I wrapped the blade in about a dozen layers of masking tape before I started using it, just to make sure I didn't accidentally cut anything off while shaking things, and just hold the bottle to the blade with a bulldog clip — I have had bottles shake themselves loose, but only twice so far in a couple of years, and they don't go far.
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A very useful post.
I use this method which was simpler/cheap. If you have the saw you just need to buy the clamp which fits straight in without any mods needed. However you do it this is a brilliant way to get life back into old paints (I've put plastic beads in my bottles to help agitate the mixture)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BMmMls-GYOI (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BMmMls-GYOI)
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I did it with the clamp for years but the clamp finally gave way so I just went a bit extra and fixed it permanently. Before people say that the clamp is dangerous all that happens when the paint pot comes lose is it falls to the floor ;-)
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I did it with the clamp for years but the clamp finally gave way so I just went a bit extra and fixed it permanently. Before people say that the clamp is dangerous all that happens when the paint pot comes lose is it falls to the floor ;-)
Could be worth trying, but I'd be prepared to invest in something less noisy. I am sure I have seen some kind of contraption built specifically for the purpose of shaking pots of various dimensions...
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I picked up a vortex mixer for such things.
Grimm
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I picked up a vortex mixer for such things.
Grimm
I've looked at them but the price in the UK is a tad much
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Yes, Vortex mixers seem to be £100 to £150. So if anyone has a source of cheaper ones, it would be good.
Otherwise a clamp on a jigsaw seems an interesting contraption. But there are lots of you tube videos showing it working.
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(https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nypHcnhI0NM/Wr7W7LZ9I-I/AAAAAAAAKRQ/lNC9YwPB3rENCReirXxPR4oTjGyTthS6gCLcBGAs/s1600/2018-03-31-paintshaker-001.jpg)
I've been using a cheap $20 jigsaw to shake the bejeezus out of my paints for a while, and it works very well.
Up until now, I've just been clamping the paint bottle to the masking-tape wrapped blade of the jigsaw with a bulldog clip, and that has worked OK, but from time to time I do get a flying paint bottle. Also, it's a bit of a faff getting everything mounted properly.
So, I've made this modification.
The main body of the frame is just a bit of plywood that I've cut out, drilled, and epoxied to the jigsaw blade. I filed down the teeth of the blade for safety's sake. The bottles are held in place by some bits of velcro I had left over from some household job or other; they're just stapled to the plywood frame.
(https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CSQKCwqzL5M/Wr7W7WPNPYI/AAAAAAAAKRU/oNKkCvwJbgYLsC_WKAZZaMZ3wDQv7ABaQCLcBGAs/s1600/2018-03-31-paintshaker-002.jpg)
I can shake two bottles at a time with this setup, though how the jigsaw will cope with all the extra weight and vibration in the long term I don't know. It cost very little though, so I'm not risking much.
(https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iXpkLE9x_gs/Wr7W7RSVnTI/AAAAAAAAKRY/uDbvsc0RwPwDO5j94sfciFBYe3WynC5qACLcBGAs/s1600/2018-03-31-paintshaker-003.jpg)
I cut a notch in the cap end of the frame to give the bottle some lateral stability. I don't know how necessary that is, but it can't do any harm.
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Yes, Vortex mixers seem to be £100 to £150. So if anyone has a source of cheaper ones, it would be good.
There you go bud (https://www.sciquip.co.uk/vortex-varimix-and-fixmix.html?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI6prgt8aR2gIVRCrTCh23zgObEAkYASABEgLO0vD_BwE)
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I've been using a cheap $20 jigsaw to shake the bejeezus out of my paints for a while, and it works very well.
nice set up dude 8)
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I've looked at them but the price in the UK is a tad much
Yes, Vortex mixers seem to be £100 to £150. So if anyone has a source of cheaper ones, it would be good.
Otherwise a clamp on a jigsaw seems an interesting contraption. But there are lots of you tube videos showing it working.
Granted I am in the States, I snagged mine off eBay for $35 + shipping.
Just got to be vigilant.
Grimm
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Very useful. Maybe I could write up a tutorial based on your postings and put it in that sub-board?
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#I use a Vortex Mixer now mate, £20 off ebay, and it's sooooooo much quieter.
But if you do a quick search on Youtube for jigsaw paint mixers there's a plethora lol
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I'm sure I've seen someone before using a kind of vibrating plate specifically made for paint mixing.
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#I use a Vortex Mixer now mate, £20 off ebay, and it's sooooooo much quieter.
Do you have a link? From a search on eBay most of what I'm finding are protein shake mixers or expensive lab ones.
On another approach, has anyone tried using a car journey as a mixer? I ask as the other week I took some paints away, and they had a couple of hours in the boot being vibrated by the journey. When I used them while away they all seemed fairly well mixed - but I hadn't really paid a lot of attention if any of these were badly separated before hand. I might try this again over the weekend as I have a couple of trips to make. Obviously not much use for quickly mixing a single paint, but could help to bulk mix all of your paints for very little effort?
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Do you have a link? From a search on eBay most of what I'm finding are protein shake mixers or expensive lab ones.
On another approach, has anyone tried using a car journey as a mixer? I ask as the other week I took some paints away, and they had a couple of hours in the boot being vibrated by the journey. When I used them while away they all seemed fairly well mixed - but I hadn't really paid a lot of attention if any of these were badly separated before hand. I might try this again over the weekend as I have a couple of trips to make. Obviously not much use for quickly mixing a single paint, but could help to bulk mix all of your paints for very little effort?
You could gaffer tape the pots to the spokes of your wheels. That'd give 'em a good spin!
Sounds like an awful idea. Centrifugation will just make paint separate further.
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I've just stumbled across nail varnish shakers. There are some cheap ones on ebay (less than £20 anyway). I've no idea whether they will be any use but it might be an option.
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the nail varnish shakers break for a pastime.
on ebay look under medical supplies, if you go new the cheapest I've found is HERE (https://www.sciquip.co.uk/vortex-varimix-and-fixmix.html?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI6prgt8aR2gIVRCrTCh23zgObEAkYASABEgLO0vD_BwE)
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Certainly much more elegant than a jigsaw or hydraulic drill to mix paints! lol
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Do you have a link? From a search on eBay most of what I'm finding are protein shake mixers or expensive lab ones.
Search for "vortex mixer" They will range from $40 to a few hundred dollars. You have to be persistent. Took about a month, and a got a good one for about $43 plus shipping.
Can't all fall into your lap on the first try.
Grimm
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Thanks - wasn't sure if it was new ones or second hand ones that were being referred too.
I can keep an eye of eBay for good deals.
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Make mine another vote for the vortex mixer. I just received one I got on eBay and I am doing the "Snoopy" dance! (That's from the "Peanuts" comics of old for you folks across the pond.) Tested it on some paint and it really does the job. I have to experiment with some older paint that has settled out badly, but for fresher paint (like less than a year old) it works really well. The Valeo size bottles fit the cup great.
Yeah, $60US seemed a bit high until I priced some new ones! And the lower cost ones on eBay were mostly either non-working for parts only, or a single speed type, or looked like they had just been pulled from a working lab and not cleaned off. This one has a multi-speed control plus a "touch on" selection. I had been watching eBay for one for about a month or so. Plus, this was a Buy It Now rather than an Auction listing, so I was willing to pay a little more rather than "hope" to win an auction. It seems to be really well made and solid. If it lasts a good while, it will definitely be worth the investment. I wish I had picked up one long ago.
All in all, I think this will likely become one of my most regularly used hobby tools.
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Just a heads up...
Amazon has its LabGenius Vortex Mixer on sale (the clear bodied one) for $75
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01CLLBZ6S
Its 110-220v.
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Found a review of different paint shakers and stirrers. Good overview of ways to stir up the paint!
https://tangibleday.com/5-useful-paint-mixers-and-shakers-for-miniature-paint-review/
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Just a heads up...
Amazon has its LabGenius Vortex Mixer on sale (the clear bodied one) for $75
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01CLLBZ6S
Its 110-220v.
Thanks for the heads up... bought one the other day and it seems to work well. Heavy, solid feel - hope the rubber topper holds up over time.