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Paint Mixer For Those Squeeze Bottles

Iron Mike

Iron Mike

Master At Arms And Resident Curmudgeon
Walking through the grocery store, I noticed a cordless drink mixer and had one of those AHA! moments. I have a large stash of Model Color paints that I bought when our LHS liquidated and some of those are getting kind of thick and hard to remix. I tried my Badger cordless paint mixer, but it is too wide for the hole in the bottle. This little mixer has two flexible legs, cost a paltry $4.98 and looked like it might do the trick.

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Removing the cap and the nipple from the bottle allows you to insert the legs into the bottle.

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I squeezed the legs together and put the mixer in the bottle, but the motor wasn't strong enough to spin the mixer.
Hmmm, guess some surgery is in order! Calling Dr Howard, Dr Fine, Dr Howard!

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I snipped off one of the legs and BINGO!

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Works like a million bucks! No more shakin' for me. :frantic

Getchu one.

:drinks
 
Cool! Double duty!

Just don't forget the shot glass on the bench incident. :rotf
 
Great idea. I just bought my first bottle of Vallejo paint. How well does it work? Does it need a primmer? Gary S. :eek:ldguy
 
Yes it needs a primer and after squirting some this weekend I'm reminded how hard it is to spray, the Model Color that is, the Model Air is ok. Need to keep some retarder on hand to add to your mix for spraying Model Color branded Vallejos.
 
moon puppy said:
Yes it needs a primer and after squirting some this weekend I'm reminded how hard it is to spray, the Model Color that is, the Model Air is ok. Need to keep some retarder on hand to add to your mix for spraying Model Color branded Vallejos.
Click to expand...

I mix Model Color with their AB thinner 1:1 and it sprays like a dream. Add a few drops of their AB flow improver and it's the best paint I've airbrushed, bar none.

The trick is to get the empty eyedropper bottles (incredibly cheap on eBay) in sizes from 17ml down to 5ml.

I drop a stainless BB in a bottle, squirt in the color, thinner, flow and shake and never look back. Smaller bottles for quick colors.

I also repurposed a Dremel Scroll saw as a shaker. Stick the bottle in and it works like the gallon paint shakers at the store.
 
Thanks!! Unless Hobby Lobby sells that stuff I'll have to find something that works. Does rubbing alcohol and a drop of liquid soap work? How well does it brush? Gary S.
 
centaur567 said:
Thanks!! Unless Hobby Lobby sells that stuff I'll have to find something that works. Does rubbing alcohol and a drop of liquid soap work? How well does it brush? Gary S.
Click to expand...

Never add alcohol to Vallejo. Vallejo is a true acrylic, not like Tamiya's ether based stuff.

If you can't get their thinner, just use water (some say distilled).

The flow medium I just started using. I actually started using it for hand brushing MC colors on figures, ended up like it so much I bought a 200ml bottle and decided to try it with ABing too (novel idea huh?).

It's a retarder too, not just a surfactant so I wouldn't try soap instead. It's mainly for tip dry, which I never really had an issue with. Maybe that's the reason why I never added it before even though I've had it on the shelf for years.
 
Hobby Lobby sells the Vallejo thinner. I know there are other products that can work as a substitute, but why take that risk on something you've worked hard on? Model Color can get really gummy with the wrong thinner, believe me! Acrylics work better for me over a primer, they can bead up on bare plastic. I usually use Model Color for brush painting, they are thicker and will require thinning to spray. Lots of youtube coverage out there, sort out what works for you. As far as brush painting with Model Color, it is swell! Thinning it slightly with water makes it flow on smoothly and can be blended with other colors for shadows and highlights. Highly recommended!

My original intention with the mixer was to cut off both legs, leaving a small fork to stir the paints. I didn't realize the legs were flexible until I got it home. I may still "customize" it further, but so far, it works great. To clean it, just dip it in water and hit the button. Most of the paint comes right off and you can wipe the rest with a rag. I'm thinking there may be a less expensive alternative at one of the dollar type stores, but I got this one in a single trip and was back to the bench. :dance

:drinks
 
ausf said:
I mix Model Color with their AB thinner 1:1 and it sprays like a dream. Add a few drops of their AB flow improver and it's the best paint I've airbrushed, bar none.
Click to expand...

I generally use water and liquitex retarder. If I ever see a vallejo branded thinner I'll get it. I see their small bottle of thinner that looks like thin white glue but have to use far more of it to thin than it's worth getting.

Mike the one I had the spinner was split down the shaft and when it spun up the two halves would spread out from centrifugal force. Just an idea...
 
ausf said:
The trick is to get the empty eyedropper bottles (incredibly cheap on eBay) in sizes from 17ml down to 5ml.

I drop a stainless BB in a bottle, squirt in the color, thinner, flow and shake and never look back. Smaller bottles for quick colors.
Click to expand...

The BB trick is ingenious. It works for spray bomb, so why not in other apps. I'm going to have to apply this trick when my bottles arrive. :drinks
 
Don't forget repurposing old tools. I bought an old Dremel scroll saw for a few bucks years ago and couldn't find blades anywhere, so it became my trusty paint mixer:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hCexhnD0C2U&frags=pl%2Cwn
 
Micro-Mark sells a cordless mixer that works on bottles.
Jet.com has one for less $$ and 4 attachments.
https://jet.com/product/Norpro-Cordless-Mini-Mixer/2ab47a55ffd64b619cd2c516d2fc2ad9?jcmp=pla:ggl:nj_roc_gen_appliances_a3:appliances_small_appliances_mixers_a3:na:PLA_1062462892_52485706016_aud-303405841869:pla-335901590879_c:na:na:na:2PLA15&pid=kenshoo_int&c=1062462892&is_retargeting=true&clickid=4a76d792-9b02-4a72-b6bf-66b911f4fa17&kclid=4a76d792-9b02-4a72-b6bf-66b911f4fa17&gclid=Cj0KCQiAgMPgBRDDARIsAOh3uyJQ88gi28NnoI4tLhMhUd7aZ7aSLQHb4QSoqrktzQEJPKiTfe-Qgo4aAvSZEALw_wcB
 
Rhino said:
Micro-Mark sells a cordless mixer that works on bottles.
Jet.com has one for less $$ and 4 attachments.
https://jet.com/product/Norpro-Cordless-Mini-Mixer/2ab47a55ffd64b619cd2c516d2fc2ad9?jcmp=pla:ggl:nj_roc_gen_appliances_a3:appliances_small_appliances_mixers_a3:na:PLA_1062462892_52485706016_aud-303405841869:pla-335901590879_c:na:na:na:2PLA15&pid=kenshoo_int&c=1062462892&is_retargeting=true&clickid=4a76d792-9b02-4a72-b6bf-66b911f4fa17&kclid=4a76d792-9b02-4a72-b6bf-66b911f4fa17&gclid=Cj0KCQiAgMPgBRDDARIsAOh3uyJQ88gi28NnoI4tLhMhUd7aZ7aSLQHb4QSoqrktzQEJPKiTfe-Qgo4aAvSZEALw_wcB
Click to expand...

Jimmy Buffett marketed that as a Margarita mixer also. :coolio
 
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