Do you like to shake paint bottles?

khier · January 20

I am not sure if this is the right section for this topic. I leave it to the moderator to decide,

Do you like to shake paint bottles? I don't.... therefore, I bought a vortex paint shaker that worked well, but I hat holding the bottles and vibrating my finger. I read also somewhere it is not a healthy practice. I needed a shaker that I can fix on the table.

Besides....

My almost new Anycubic Chiron sat there collecting dust for years since I was busy with resin printing. So I was looking for a project to make it warm again.

I am not done yet with motor speed control and display. There will be a 10 segment led to display the motor voltage/display and a driver board to handle the current.

No adapters are needed for different paint types. you will need the following hardware parts in addition to the print parts included here:

1- JGA25-370 Geared motor-I picked up the 500 rpm/12V variant
2- 12V power supply - of 2A rating or higher
3- M4 threaded rods. 3 to hold the paint bottles and 3 to join the shaker body parts.
4- 6xM4 flat head hexagon socket sleeve nuts
5- 6xM4 butterfly or sleeve nuts
6- 3mm steel rod to be cut in 10-12 mm rods.
7- 3x3x8x4zz bearings
8- LM3914 10 Segment 12V Battery Capacity Indicator
9- 12V DC Motor Speed Controller Module
10- 40PIN 20CM Dupont Line Male to Female wires.
11- Female DC Power Supply Jack Socket.
12- C-Type Clamp to hold the shaker.

The 10 Segment display has to be separated from the board socket and connected via the male/female connectors. The potentiometer in the driver board must also be disouldered and connected via wires.

Here is short video link of the mechanical test using a 23 ml Tamiya acrylic paint glass:

stavanzer · February 2

Interesting Project.

slusher · February 3

I bought a paint shaver used off eBay….

Skip · February 9

I have two shakers one is a small hobby shaker that works great for enamels, lacquers and anything oil based. The other is a Vortex Test Tube shaker which works really good with acrylics like the small Vallejo dropper bottles, it has enough oomph that it will stir up the big squeeze bottles of hobby acrylic paints, both are small enough that they don’t get in the way, that’s what matters!

StevenGuthmiller · February 9

Why bother shaking paint bottles?

Seems to me that it’s a LOT easier to stir.

I just use the handle of an old Testors plastic paint brush that I’ve had for 3 or 4 decades.

Open the jar, give it a stir, and you’re done in a few seconds.

I could maybe understand a shaker for larger containers or spray cans, but I certainly wouldn’t waste shop space on a machine for shaking 1/4 oz to 2oz. jars.

Could be just me, but I don’t get it.

Steve

Edited February 9 by StevenGuthmiller

Bills72sj · February 10

After watching this video, I converted an old jig saw, from my grandpa, into a paint shaker. I had to spend $1 for the clamp from Harbor Freight. Every once in a while, I shake up every bottle in my racks for general principle. Warning: Do not put a BB in a glass bottle if you are going to use this. Ask me how I know.

Rich Chernosky · February 10

I have to agree with Steven on this one. Stirring is the best way to " thouroughly " mix bottle paints. Hobby paints have pigments (the solid part of the paint) that are very finely gound. They sit like heavy mud on the bottom of the jar after a period of time. No amount of shaking will mix all of this with the liquid. I have some of Tamiya's metal stir sticks and they work just fine. One swipe through a paper towel and they are clean as a whistle. The biggest problem with shaking, however is it gets paint up into the cap where it dries and breaks the seal. This shortens the life of the paint very quickly.

Belugawrx · February 10

1 hour ago, Rich Chernosky said:

The biggest problem with shaking, however is it gets paint up into the cap where it dries and breaks the seal. This shortens the life of the paint very quickly.

And shaking paint into the cap is the lead cause of those caps you need a pair of slip joint pliers to get off,.... Pain in the you know what !#!*^

1972coronet · February 10

3 hours ago, Rich Chernosky said:

I have some of Tamiya's metal stir sticks and they work just fine. One swipe through a paper towel and they are clean as a whistle.

I finally invested in a set of those - best investment I've made in a long time. The angled tip is perfect for reaching the edges under the top and deep in the bottom.

Lunajammer · February 12

On 2/9/2025 at 4:00 PM, StevenGuthmiller said:

Seems to me that it’s a LOT easier to stir.

I always wondered why so many coffee kiosks stocked model paint stir sticks. 🤔

Rodent · February 12

On 2/8/2025 at 9:12 PM, Skip said:

I have two shakers one is a small hobby shaker that works great for enamels, lacquers and anything oil based. The other is a Vortex Test Tube shaker which works really good with acrylics like the small Vallejo dropper bottles, it has enough oomph that it will stir up the big squeeze bottles of hobby acrylic paints, both are small enough that they don’t get in the way, that’s what matters!

On 2/9/2025 at 2:00 PM, StevenGuthmiller said:

Why bother shaking paint bottles?

Seems to me that it’s a LOT easier to stir.

I just use the handle of an old Testors plastic paint brush that I’ve had for 3 or 4 decades.

Open the jar, give it a stir, and you’re done in a few seconds.

I could maybe understand a shaker for larger containers or spray cans, but I certainly wouldn’t waste shop space on a machine for shaking 1/4 oz to 2oz. jars.

Could be just me, but I don’t get it.

Steve

Not sure how you can stir Vallejo, Mission, or the other acrylics in the squeeze bottles, but go ahead and try. I for one am experimenting with these for brush painting small parts. My LHS carries them, so I will give them a shot, although I am not thrilled with them.

slusher · February 12

I have one micro mart paint shakers it was less rhen 20 bucks shipped. Used some Christmas money for it..

Edited February 12 by slusher
Added link

StevenGuthmiller · February 12

12 hours ago, Rodent said:

Not sure how you can stir Vallejo, Mission, or the other acrylics in the squeeze bottles, but go ahead and try.

Unscrew the cap.

Steve

NOBLNG · February 13

20 hours ago, Rodent said:

Not sure how you can stir Vallejo, Mission, or the other acrylics in the squeeze bottles, but go ahead and try. I for one am experimenting with these for brush painting small parts. My LHS carries them, so I will give them a shot, although I am not thrilled with them.

The Vallejo nozzle is just a press fit and comes out quite easily…after you unscrew the cap. My battery operated mixer doesn’t quite fit so I had to grind the tip down a bit to fit.

Edited February 13 by NOBLNG

Rodent · February 13

2 hours ago, NOBLNG said:

The Vallejo nozzle is just a press fit and comes out quite easily…after you unscrew the cap. My battery operated mixer doesn’t quite fit so I had to grind the tip down a bit to fit.

Thanks Greg.

khier · February 13

Why bother shaking paint bottles?

Seems to me that it’s a LOT easier to stir.

Because stirring IS a mess I want to avoid.

NOBLNG · February 13

8 hours ago, Rodent said:

Thanks Greg.

You are probably better off using a stir stick with Vallejo paints than the mixer though because getting the mixer out without getting paint everywhere is near impossible. I do use the mixer every time with Tamiya and Mr.Hobby jars. If the jars are quite full I put them inside a section of TP tube to keep the paint from getting flung around while withdrawing the mixer.

Edited February 13 by NOBLNG

peteski · February 13

Of course the alternative is to take the mixing head out after turning the mixer off, but then a lot of paint is still left on it.

StevenGuthmiller · February 13

8 hours ago, khier said:

Why bother shaking paint bottles?

Seems to me that it’s a LOT easier to stir.

Because stirring IS a mess I want to avoid.

I can't imagine what "mess" you're talking about.

Unscrew the cap, insert the stir stick of your choice, give it a stir, and wipe the stir stick clean with a paper towel.

No mess.

A stir stick will get the settled pigments out of the corners of the bottle much quicker, and then after a few stirs, replace the lid and give it a few shakes by hand to finish the process.

The only thing that might create a mess is if your paint bottle is full all of the way to the top, in which case shaking isn't going to get a lot done either.

Far be it from me to tell you what you can or can't do, but it just seems to me that another piece of equipment using up space in the shop when a simple stir stick will do the same thing in a fraction of the time, is unnecessary.

Should you end up with a leak of some sort while mechanically shaking, then you'll find out what a "real" mess is.

But hey, we all have our own thing.

You do you.

Steve

Mothersworry · February 13

Haven't shaken a paint bottle fer many years, been using a paint mixer. Works perfectly, no mess, no fuss.

Beans · February 13

1 hour ago, StevenGuthmiller said:

Should you end up with a leak of some sort while mechanically shaking, then you'll find out what a "real" mess is.

I resemble that remark. Had to repaint a closet door because of it.

StevenGuthmiller · February 13

58 minutes ago, Beans said:

I resemble that remark. Had to repaint a closet door because of it.

I’ve had it happen just shaking by hand.