"agitators for paint bottles question" Topic

Hi all!

A couple of questions for the esteemed panel;

does the shape of the agitator matter?
what about the size?
and material they are made from?

I've noticed that the smaller ones get stuck in the bottom, even with hard banging on the desk
and the small round ones even worse…

I've started using lead fishing weights,
as the irregular shape seems to get into the corners and mix the precipitate better,
and doesn't get stuck (as much)

I've read the stainless steel agitators are supposed to be the best, due to no chemical reaction,
but shouldn't lead weights be inert also?

any experiences with various makes, materials, etc?

Thanks in advance!
Chris

What type of paint are you talking about?
I have used both enamels and acrylics for many years and have never found any need for paint agitators.

acrylics; GW, Reaper, craft paints

normally I shake the heck out of them,
but elbow bursitis makes that painful,
so added the agitators to save elbow grease

My oldest paints get weak and though shake them by hand need 2 coats, often thought of a real agitator but no ide any are made for little bottles.

I use a cheap electric nail varnish bottle shaker. Seems to work OK with GW and Vallejo bottles.

@Chris: do you have a jig saw?
Best & fastest agitator in the world …

I've heard of the jigsaw method… just worried I'd blow a lid and have a new paint job in the room! :)
(I realize the holder prevents this… just paranoid)

I did get a leftover vortex mixer from work, and it seems to help, just takes more time than shaking

Sawzall attachment that holds the bottle, maybe a bigger bottle than the paints securely attached to a old blade that the paint goes into and a screw on lid to hold it in.

I put a small fishing line weight in my paint bottles.

I bought a bag of stainless steel ball bearings I found on Amazon. They're .25" diameter and they work really well in my Vallejo paints which have a tendency to settle and separate. As I recall, the bearings seemed a bit pricey, but I've yet to use all of them and, once a bottle is empty, it's easy enough to recover and reuse them. I recommend them.

My brother uses an old stepping machine which I can't remember the name of. He puts the paint into drilled out foam blocks which sits inside sandwich boxes taped to the foot pads. He cycles through his stocks of paints regularly.

Another little tip. I store acrylic paints in a plastic box, at the bottom of which there is about a 10 mm plastic liner cell. I pour water to the bottom of the box and close the tight lid. In a box, 100% moisture and paint dries much more slowly.
But remove the paper labels or tape them, otherwise they may become moldy.

I have paints in this way that are 10 years old – and they are still alive (although it thickens a little).

I've read to make sure to use "non-reactive" agitators, so the paint doesn't get discolored over time.

I just buy a half pint sized box of BBs. Five or six per bottle and shake away. Cheap, too.

Shaking is not a very efficient way to mix paint. Stirring is much more effective.

For bottles that are too narrow to stir, like dropper bottles, I use hematite beads as agitators. They are quite dense, and non-reactive. Michael's sells a hematite bead assortment that is a vast supply of every size you can imagine: link

Many many years ago I used BBs (air rifle ammunition not ball bearings) and after a few years there would be a blob of rust in the bottle. Lead air rifle pellets or lead fishing weights shouldn't be used because, well, lead. Even more so if you point your brush by licking it.

A couple of points;

There are specialised agitators – I have used some stainless steel balls and find them superb. They cost more (but can be re-used).

Try not to use fishing weights (or nuts and bolts) they may tarnish the colours.

I'm not sure if the size matters – the weight certainly does. The heavier the better.

I have only ever inserted one stainless steel agitator in each bottle – I'm not sure if it makes a difference if you include more than one?

Jigsaw – I have attached a 'G' clamp to the end of a jigsaw blade (I used wire and 2 part epoxy glue to secure it) – I find that a good shake up every so often (two time a year) helps to mix up your paints.

I hope that this helps.

Tony

I use SS agitators as sold by Mig and others. In extreme cases I have taped the paint bottle or jar to a jig saw blade with duct tape, i.e. 100 mile- an-hour tape. Let 'er rip for about 10-15 seconds.

I use 8mm hematite balls or 6mm ones. For shaking I have both the lab style test tube mixer and a fingernail polish shaker. Both were $100 USD+ each but considering I use them for paint for my models and games and they both handle the thickest paint I've owned the price is right especially when I factor in the amount of years I'll be painting. I've had the Robart mixers since they first came out but now they are up to $50 USD/per and the motor lasts only so long so I've switched. For really thick paint like Army Painter I pop off the top and hand stir before shaking. With both of these mixers I've been able to revive some old paint I was going to just toss. Even my wife agrees they were worth the money.

Lab style vortex mixer – touch control or on/off. I can just reach over with a bottle (usually Vallejo, Mig, AK, Reaper, Scale 75, Andrea) and press the bottle down and it starts, turns off when I lift it.

Nail Polish style – like a mini paint store shaker in that it moves up and down on a wheel. It runs for a minute then stops but you can stop it early if you want, I let it run for the minute.

I used to use agitators but found it quicker to use these stainless stir sticks from Tamiya. Reusable and long enough to reach down into Vallejo dropper bottles.

link

Thanks for the input, Gents!

If the lead weights start to turn I'll pull them,
Will try switching to the hematite beads for my new paints

Don't BBs rust?

BBs do rust

I have used both enamels and acrylics for many years and have never found any need for paint agitators.

Every silver I've ever owned, from more than half a dozen manufacturers, required an agitator- or stirring, or *extensive* shaking- at every session. My FLGS has a pack from Army Painter, so I picked up one of those.

Agitators prevent Vallejo Elbow.