"Easy Grip Tools" Topic

My arthritis is making it harder for me to grip my figures and tools when painting or modelling. So I would like suggestions as to things to help with my grip. That is tools with chunkier grips, handles to add to tools and (particularly) brushes for better grip.

Today it was particularly bad (hence the post). I have started putting together a new army and had pretty serious problems gripping the brushes and the super glue.

Any suggestions would be most welcome.

x42

On the super glue side of things, they make super glue now in squeeze bottle applicators. The bottles look like they have blue plastic heat sinks on the side. They'd probably be easier to handle than a regular tube, but you do have to squeeze fairly hard by the time you get to the end of the tube. I love the bottles because they give me a lot more control over the glue.

They used to make dense foam tubes that you could jam over the head of a brush or pen to give it a larger, softer grip surface. You could probably still find them in an art store or an office supply place. I think they called them "snugs" or something equally sacharine.

Another thing you could do with your brushes would be to just mold some putty around the shafts to make the larger and easier to handle – I'll bet Sculpy would work well for it and if you didn't bake it, it would stay soft and mould to the shape of your grip. I've never tried it – just brainstorming with you.

BTW – I'm not far out from being in the same boat with you. I've used my hands too hard for too many years and the amount of time I spend on computers in my jobs doesn't help. A brush or tool manufacturer out there might take notice of folks like us, at least one can hope!

There's some sort of goop you can buy to make grips on tools. I wish I could remember what it's called.

As I recall, it comes in a small can like a paint can. The sort you pry the lid off of with a screwdriver. Anyway, you dip the handle of a tool in it and it dries on leaving a grippy layer. Kind of like the rubbery grips you see on pliers and such.

What about the rubber grips I've seen used for pencils? Three sided and "spongy" to help with holding it…. supposed to be more ergonomic I think. A school supply or art store I would think might have them.

Ah ha!
eg.
link

Thanks for the suggestions. I have the pen/pencil grips (NHS supply) but they dont work well with the brushes. I'll visit the local art store tomorrow to see if they can get them sised right for brushes.

x42

Try winding some of the foam from figure packs around your brushes and finishing off with masking tape.

At least you won't have to prise them off when the brush gets old.

Contact riogrande.com

They sell a product that works like a light-wieght putty that you can shape in any form and fit on to a tool end afterwhich it hardeneds and serves as a handle. Jewelers use it to create custom pistle grips for their needle files. Just take a ball of the stuff, squeeze it in the palm and shove in the file. Sorry I cannot recall the name and my catalog is somewhere. You can order their huge catalog on line for $5 USD (refundable on first order) and they have tons of specialized tools to fit your needs.