We have all owned paints that have broken down into a clumpy mess and a slick liquid, visibly separated when viewed from the side of the pot. Shaking these by hand takes ages and never truly yields a perfect mix. Today we’re taking a look at alternative options to save your wrists from RSI.
1. Stirred not Shaken
For years, James Bond has told us “shaken, not stirred” is the best, but honestly just popping that lid and using an old brush to slosh the paint around is pretty simple and won’t cost you any Moneypennys. Just be careful not to get any on you otherwise you could end up with Goldfinger.
2. Paint Shaker
You can buy a Paint Shaker from Artis Opus that will quickly and efficiently mix your paints. Adjustable settings and speed will give you enough power to mix those separated paints. This solution is what they use in laboratories and medical facilities.
3. Drill + Clamp = What could go wrong?
I saw someone stick a trigger clamp into a jigsaw and I thought what a great idea. Sadly the up and down motion led to the clamp loosening and sometimes the clamp flying out of the jigsaw! Most people would stop there but I thought, “I could use a drill?” and it’s even better at mixing paints! Make sure your drill has a high speed option and use the hammer setting. Add a rubber band around the pot and clamp as a precaution and then spin to win*.
*Please do not try this at home, your carpets may be at risk. Your health may be compromised if you do not live alone. Garfy takes no responsibility.
4. Balls of Steel (Stainless)
Army Painter sell a pack of 100 Stainless Steel Mixing Balls. They sent some to Stahly to review and Stahly kindly sent some to me. They’re been in some of my paint pots for a couple of years now and show no signs of rusting. I still have to shake the pot but they do help a lot with agitating the paint. There is no reason why you can’t combine this tip with any of the above.
How do you mix your paint? Share your tricks in the comments!
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My LabGenius Vortex mixer has not only made my hobby time easier but also cuts ALOT of time out of shaking pots manually. Granted, it is a luxury, and a bit on the expensive side just to oscillate wee little pots of paint for my “little grey army men dolls”- quote for my girlfriend. Never the less, I love it and totally encourage anyone that can splurge on it to do so. As we guys get further up there in age, manually shaking pots of paint becomes a daunting task.
Reviews for the Artis Opus mixer are vanishingly rare. Even their promotional video seems to have been eaten by youtube, so there’s very little info about it. I don’t suppose you happen to have one you could tell us more about..?
Mini vortex mixer like the Artis Opus one pictured above. Mine is by Heathrow Scientific and works well after near daily use since last December. I consider it my best hobby tool upgrade after the wet pallet. While expensive, it is so much more satisfying working with a well mixed pot of paint. Works wonders on GW’s metallics.
I picked up a nsil varnush shaker from amazon for £20 fsr chesper than the Artis ovetpriced shajer. Its been doing its thang for a couple of years now. Akso added the army paibter balls and jobs a good un
I had one of these as well. They weren’t able to properly mix heavily separated paints like a pot of Liberator Gold I haven’t used in a while and it broke after four months 🙁 Hope it works out better for you!