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Paint Stirring

I downloaded the following from Walther's.com today: Paint Stirring Before starting any painting project, make sure your paint is thoroughly mixed in the jar. Your best bet is to shake it for a couple of minutes so the pigments and base are completely blended. Motorized paint shakers help greatly as they shake it faster. Stirring paint isn't the best method as it allows more air in the mix. One easy way to aid paint mixing is to drop a couple of BBs or stainless steel ball bearings into each jar when you open it; these help stir up the thicker pigments at the bottom of the jar as you shake it.

But I found one better last week. I was (carefully) opening a rattle can that plugged up on me to salvage any remaining paint and the rattle-ball. When I retrieved the ball, I found that it was a glass marble, not a ball-bearing. Later that day, on a trip to the local Dollar Shop, I scored a bag of marbles (100-count) for a buck. Being glass, they're also less likely to break the paint jar. And at a penny each, they're a lot cheaper than stainless ball-bearings!

Regards,

Reply to
The Old Man
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I'd have thought getting something like those laboratory test tube clasps, hold the tin inside that, tin end on rather than sideways to hold the lid, and put the other end in a drill on low revs would have come up at some point ?

Richard.

Reply to
Richard Brooks

I got an old labratory vortex mixer to stir paint. Basically it has a rubber top that is cupped to hold test tubes in place and when you push down on it, it moves rapidly in an orbital path. it is great for mixing paint in their bottles. Just be sure to put the lid on tight. Steve

Reply to
steve

Hence my reference to not holding it around the sides! ;-)

Richard.

Reply to
Richard Brooks

I just add two BBs to a new bottle or tin of paint. When I need to use it, I stir up the gunk at the bottom of the bottle or tin with a round (not flat) toothpick and then shake it up (just make sure to replace the lid first!). The big advantage of doing this over using a motorized stiring method is that there is no equipment cleaning involved, just throw the toothpick away. This works great for me.

Martin

Reply to
The Collector

Sorry, for test-tube clamps I should have said large finger clamps.

With my method, you'd just use the large finger clamps to hold the paint tin, lid closed of course and holding the tin with fingers over the base and lid, so no cleaning needed.

Richard.

Reply to
Richard Brooks

Unless the tiny tip of the toothpick breaks off and you try to airbrush something. I just stir the paint with the wrong end of a paint brush and then wipe the brush end with a paper towel.

Reply to
willshak

I salvage straight pieces of sprue for the stirring task.

Bill Banaszak, MFE Sr.

Reply to
Mad-Modeller

and an electric jig saw with some laquer thinner can revive the oldest, driest enamel. i brough back a tin of humbrol rlm 65 that was over 30 years old and rock hard.

Reply to
e

I use those plastic stirring sticks/tubes sold for stirring coffee. Costs about a buck for 100 stirrers.

Reply to
Don Stauffer

Yes, but I've already paid for the sprue. ;)

Bill Banaszak, MFE Sr.

Reply to
Mad-Modeller

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