Another bright Idea that has turned around and bit me on the backside.

I got an idea at work the other day to make myself a better paint stirrer, for those hard to stir paints... got a bit of welding rod at work and took off the flux, made a couple of bends in the end and got ready to test it out..



Turned it own low (7500 rpm) and went to stick it in the bottle of paint. But it seems I underestimated the amount of vibration in the end of the paint stirrer and wasn't holding the bottle tight enough. and sure enough it whipped out of my had spun around the end of the dremal a few times and zoomed off the wall of my workbench. I never knew a third of a bottle of half ounce paint could make such a mess.

another day another lesson.

Delbert

Live and learn I guess. Years ago my wife got som mini stirrers they ran on one AA battery and were supposed to mix a 'shake' powder into milk or water. They had a plastic 'psddle' that was split and as it spun, the two halves would fly out and mix the stuff. I've kept one to try it on stubborn paint, no I may never try it.

I use my mini-dremel to stir paint, but you're right, you do have to be careful. I test the little "L" shaped piece of sprue I put into it to make sure it turns true, and I start out very slowly when I turn it on...I've only had one real accident, when I tried to hurry things, and the paint slopped out over my workspace, but I usually have it covered with paper towels when I mix paint, so ... no real mess. I won't turn it on until I have the sprue down into the paint jar.

Keep practicing with it - I won't use anything else now that I'm used to it...works great.

i have a little battery powered milk frother that i picked up for about 10 bucks

i cut the spring off the bottom so it would fit in a paint jar then away i go.

u just gotta keep a hold on the jar

Well the idea is quite interesting.

At work, I am working in paint business. We use different mixing tool that you can adapt to your Dremel.

If you can firmly attach your bottles to the solder rod with a kind of grip and then to the dremel, you can easily mix the paint bottles.

HTH
Cheers
Seb

I just use a 3mm drill in my Dremel. It creates a little vortex that mixes everything well without splattering. And no, you won't drill a hole in the paint jar

Matthijs

Now THAT'S a cool way to do it. Not that I'm going to try it! I'll stick to hand and toothpick method.
Cheers!
Rick

I've just gone back to my old method. take a cotton swab with a wooden end like you find in a Dr. office and cut to the proper length.. take my modeling knife and flatten the two sides that go into the paint so it makes a small blade and use it for a stirrer.. though after a while they tend to break.

and no vibration problem lol

Delbert,

As soon as I got to "7500rpm" I could see where it was going! Even triple digits is way too fast outside a food blender...

Tom

hey guys go to a craft store get a box of popcicle sticks for less than $4.00 these work great no muss no fuss. ACESES5

Been there...cleaned up that! I use a nail with a slight bend in it...gets into the corners and stirs too...need to remember to shut it off before starting to pull it out...a momentary contact "on" wouldn't be a bad thing for the dremel instead of the slide switch...

ya know i'd think if ya had a lid that fit, drill a hole in it and screw back on the bottle and should help prevent the sprays around the room...
just saying

reb

Ha! I've been doing that for years. I simple stick a craft stick in the end and crack open the power. Toss the stick when done.

The same craft sticks I use to mix epoxy and use with a cheese box to hold things while I work...cheap available in large bags from the craft store.

Same as that!
I use match sticks to stir Humbrol paints. Works OK and no risk.

Mates;
Ah the mixing DEBACLE. I've been toiling this shortfall for awhile now.
I have some RTV that is still sealed, and not open, but it has started to separate in the bottle. The cap is about 1/2" in DIA. and I have considered finding some type of metal stir stick like these to remedy the problem.
I have a variable speed mototool that will supply the power, but Im not too CONFIDENT in the SPINNING rubber goo outcome. I think the longer the rod,(which has to be more than 6") to fit the bottle, the more of a potential problem, I face. ALL I can see is RUBBER splattered all over the MAN CAVE

I actually broke over and bought one of the Badger battery powered paint stirrers. Dang thing works great! Lets me get a vigorous stirring around the bottoms and sides of both glass jars and metal paint tins. It stirs the stuff up so thoroughly that even after a couple of days the paint is still well stirred up. I'm not really big on buying "modeling gadgets", I usually try to adapt something I already have or buy a non-hobby specific tool that I can get a lot cheaper. In this instance it paid off and in my experience was well worth the money.

Bob