Vortex Mixer

Tools, Techniques, and Reference Materials Tools
1

Someone posted a link to one of these on another website, on sale on Amazon. The price was good, an IPMS club buddy bought a lab version for north of a hundred bux.

Made for stirring test tubes, this device imparts a vortex spin on the contents mixing the contents of the bottle in a whirling motion. Hold the bottle on the rubber cup for 10 to 30 seconds and the bottle is well mixed. The bottle may be a Vallejo-dropper type or other small paint bottle. Its worked well on Alclad, ModelMaster, Testors Square, and Tamiya. I’ve not tried with a Humbrol tin, but I don’t see why it wouldn;t work. Drop some beads or ball bearings into the bottle for some long sitting hard to mix paint. Similar units are available and have been shown on some fantasy figure painting youtube/websites

It does tend to walk across the bench. Putting it on an old dish towel helps. The paint is well mixed, Alclad stays in suspension longer than hand mixing/shaking

Yes, I know there will be stories of Badger hand mixers or IKEA milk frothers used for paint stirring. I have an IKEA, see the background of the first picture. This mixer works without removing the cap, prying the spout off, putting the mixer in & spinning before remembering to stop the spin before removing the blade and flinging paint across the room.

There may also be stories of the guys with jig saws or reciprocating saws which have been jury rigged with a paint cup. They are heavy, not stored on the bench top, and require setup time. This mixer is within arms reach on the corner of the bench. Select the paint, spin it up, and resume work.

Search Amazon for tatoo ink mixer, less than 30 bucks. It wasn’t prime so I had to pay shipping, still less than 35 bucks delivered. It shipped 4PX, which is a Chinese shipping conglomerate. They said at time of order that it would take 3 to 6 weeks, it arrived right on schedule in 3 weeks ( having sat in a warehouse 10 minutes from me for a week). Last mile delivery was USPS. I’m happy with it.

2

I have used this minimixer from micromark for years with excellent results. It is only $11

https://www.micromark.com/Cordless-Mixer-for-Model-Paints

3

Thin wood coffee stirring sticks is what I use. Simple and efficient.

4

me too

5

I got this a few years ago , nail polish stirrer , on ebay for about $5 .

6

I use either wooden skewers or my Badger paint mixer, depending on the type of paint. I’m not sure any kind of shaking or swirling action would mix decanted Tamiya primer, but I mostly like stirring because it keeps paint from getting up into the cap and fouling the threads on the bottle.

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[Y]

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I have one of the “lab grade” ones and it’s friggin AWESOME. I mix a bunch of different stuff other than modeling paint too.

9

Okay, I have to ask.

What kind of creature is that in green next to your Link Sign? On the wall?

Next, the Vortex mixer is a neat idea. I will have to look into that.There is a place here I can get stuff like that, Well cared for used! That’s where I got my Heat Box! Do you remember going to or taking someone to an eyeglass place? And they kept dipping the Earpieces in this box full of fine sand to bend them? That’s what it is. Great for bending or forming small Plastic and Nylon parts.

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Its a mouse from the old ‘Mouse Trap’ board game that the kids had growing up. Stuck a button magnet in the depression on the belly. I have some hardware framing mending plates screwed around the work bench that allows me to stick notes, etc where they are easily visible

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Didn’t take long for that point to prove out…[proplr]

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I use this exact same machine…works great and it is relativly quiet!