Folks,
You will greatly lessen your chance for a "spray" if you use the stirrer with your forefinger placed against the shaft to regulate the speed. I've done this for years, and it works just fine. Like I said in an earlier post here, when I'm done stirring the paint, my finger is on the shaft stopping rotation. I then move said tool & finger to the waste basket, lower it inside, and let it spin freely for a short time. Then, dry off with a rag, and go on to the next task.
Mobilman44
ENJOY !
Living in southeast Texas, formerly modeling the "postwar" Santa Fe and Illinois Central
I have one of the Micro-Mark stirrers and I LOVE it. The key is to make sure it's stopped BEFORE you remove it from the jar. I keep a plastic cup of water handy to easily clean it when I'm done.
Marlon
See pictures of the Clinton-Golden Valley RR
I have experienced the splash of the battery powered paint stirrer one too many times. Yes the easy solution is to not fill the jar to full and just give it test blip to see how it is going to work but not being one for the simple approach I too a top from one of my empty paint bottle (I always buy extras when AC Moore has them on sale) and drilled a hole in it slightly larger then the shaft. Slipped the collar back on the shaft and then back on the motor part of the mixer. This way you screw the lid onto the jar of paint your mixing and flip the switch. Only took three or four times of paint flying every where to come up with the idea.
Hows that old saying go try it you'll like it? They work very good I have one and dont know what i would do without it now. sounds like you may have a faulty one on your hands. You can make one your self with an old cassete recorder motor, (one of the smaller ones) and an old AC adapter try to find one of about 3 volts output. I used an old Testors paintbrush handle cut off to a desired length then drill a hole in the end just big enough for a press fit onto the motor shaft. cut off the plug end of the adapter (the end that would plug into whatever device it was originally used for) and solder the wires to the wire terminals on the motor. put a small piece of wire thru the end of the paint brush shaft. And there you have your new paint stirring device. If it spins to fast for your liking you can put a resistor on it to slow the rpms down. I have one like this also that I built many years ago and still use it. I also have one that is attached to a cap that fits my paint jars built in the same manner just attached to an old paint jar lid.
Can you change the end to make it like the Micro Marks? Might able to salvage it- or at least try- before abandoning it. If it breaks it needed replacing anyway. If not the MM's go on slae all time for about 1/2 price
ratled
Modeling the Klamath River area in HO on a proto-lanced sub of the SP “The State of Jefferson Line”
Looking at that MicroMark listing, I think I see my problem - my battery powered stirrer is not really like that. Instead of a (looks like metal) spin disk, it has a 4 inch plastic shaft split at the end, about a inch or so - when you press the on-lever, the split ends of the shaft fly out and makes a wobbly 'stir cone' of about 3/4 inch.I just tried a test using a cup of water in the sink - splatteredthe water around so much, what a mess it would have made with paint. I think I just have a super-cheapo model, and have reason to be dubious about it's effectiveness.
Hi,
Years ago I used a bent paper clip in a Dremel as a paint stirrer, but picked up the Micromart one right after they came out. Frankly, it is one of the "must have" tools on my bench. I learned to place my forfinger on the shaft to slow it down as I withdraw it from the bottle. This way I can spin off some of the paint between the paint level and the bottle top. Then I totally stop it with my finger, move it into the trash can, and let it go full power for a few seconds. Works like a charm!
By the way, other than wiping it with a rag, I really never cleaned it. It still works just fine.
I love mine!!!! I have been using them like 10 - 15 years now.
http://www.micromark.com/CORDLESS-MIXER-FOR-MODEL-PAINTS,7616.html
A MUST have at the paint booth. I place mine in and give it a pulse or two to get it started. A few more if the paint has been sitting a while. Then give it good minute or so of ON while working the business end around - especially in the "corners". When it's on you should see a small vortex in the bottle (if not get a new battery). While running slowly start to pull it up. Just when you are about to splash - stop and just pull it up.
If its a new bottle I drip some of the paint from the mixer onto the top for a sample of the color. Then place on a paper towel. I use to do a styrene stick too for the paint sample, I need to start that again.
I use those Testors bulbs to take paint from the paint jar to a mixing jar. After adding thiner and the colors I want I use the mixer for about a minute again the same way. When done I just loosely place a paper towel around it and turn it on. If need be, dip in thinner one more time and repeat with a little pressure. If there is a little "color" on it I'm ok with that.
Be sure to strain the paint before use since this will definitely kick the particles that will clog your sprayer or mess up the paint job.
These, or anything, won't work for thinned Scale Coat II after it's been sitting a while. It just drying really slow and you'll need to start over or use it that day.
Looking at the "Using tools properly" thread...A while back I purchased one of those battery-powered stirrers from MicroMark (to fill up the order and get free shipping I think). Seems to be some sort of repurposed coffee stirrer or something.OK, at the time I considered the idea of putting this into a bottle of, say, Floquil or Tamiya, and immediately thoughts of model paint flying across the workbench in a wonderful spray pattern. Not cool, Stopped me cold, so I haven't tried it, instead just manually stirring the paint w/ a thin metal rod like I have always done (alas, my fingers still cramp after stirring, which still sucks after all these years).So, how do you use such powered stirrers (if anyone does) and not make a mess? - did you make some sort of makeshift lid (an old bottle cap with a hole punched in it; a small plastic baggie across the opening with the stirrer pushed in? how. (and how do you clean the stirrer rod portion - the metal rods I use are easy to dip in thinner and wipe off, but this plastic stirrer w/ the split end, doesn't seem as easy.Thanks...