Beardie Posted August 30, 2015 Share Posted August 30, 2015 Just a wee tip I thought i would share with anyone wanting to mix small amounts of paint or thinning paints for airbrushing. Ink cups designed for tattooists are very handy and come in various sizes readily available on ebay and pretty cheap. My favourites of the moment are this type: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/321486306871?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT This is a UK tattoo equipment supplier so the price is a bit more than if you import from Chinese sellers but on the upside you get 'em quicker. This particular size will give you plenty enough paint mix to spray say the upper surfaces of a 1/48 scale spitfire with some left over and the wide flat base helps avoid spillage. Smaller sizes are ideal for tiny amounts of paint or for putting out CA for use with an applicator. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Denford Posted August 30, 2015 Share Posted August 30, 2015 Just a wee tip I thought i would share with anyone wanting to mix small amounts of paint or thinning paints for airbrushing. Ink cups designed for tattooists are very handy and come in various sizes readily available on ebay and pretty cheap. My favourites of the moment are this type: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/321486306871?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT This is a UK tattoo equipment supplier so the price is a bit more than if you import from Chinese sellers but on the upside you get 'em quicker. This particular size will give you plenty enough paint mix to spray say the upper surfaces of a 1/48 scale spitfire with some left over and the wide flat base helps avoid spillage. Smaller sizes are ideal for tiny amounts of paint or for putting out CA for use with an applicator. Poundland have 12 x 'Shot Glasses' at, wait for it.... £1. For smaller amounts I use the screw on covers for milk containers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sinnerboy Posted August 30, 2015 Share Posted August 30, 2015 The Works periodically have 12 little Nylon pots on a sprue ( they can be broken off ) with snap shut hinged lids for as little as a quid. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
viscount806x Posted August 30, 2015 Share Posted August 30, 2015 Individual single shot champagne bottle plastic caps work fine for me or crown tops which are available cheap here: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/100-RED-Crown-Cap-Bottle-Metal-Lid-Tops-PET-Glass-Home-Brew-Beer-Bottles-/231290560353?hash=item35d9fddf61 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beardie Posted August 30, 2015 Author Share Posted August 30, 2015 I used to use the shot glasses but found that they were too large for the amounts of paint I would generally use at one time. At 200 for £7 including postage that works out at 3.5p each or around 30 for a pound so I reckon that works out pretty cheap and if you buy in from China it works out at about a penny each. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Posted August 30, 2015 Share Posted August 30, 2015 Cravendale milk bottle screw tops are free (included in the price of the milk) and if you're like us and go through a fair amount of cow juice, there's an endless supply 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bootneck Posted August 30, 2015 Share Posted August 30, 2015 I usually work to quite small scales, either 1:144 or 1:350 and with acrylics, so don't need much paint to mix. I find that milk bottle tops are the ideal size for mixing paints, plus I keep a spare one at the side, the red one, with water for cleaning the brush. The tops are normally thrown away with the empty milk bottles so they are a free source for me. Mike This setup is just laid out to show what I mean. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mitch K Posted August 30, 2015 Share Posted August 30, 2015 I buy 15ml disposable plastic centrifuge tubes ("Falcon Tubes") from fleabay. I make up a mix, add a couple of glass beads and the stuff is stable for weeks/months as the tubes seal well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bhouse Posted August 30, 2015 Share Posted August 30, 2015 Individual single shot champagne bottle plastic caps work fine for me Never buy anything less than a jereboam, dear boy... 😊 (Edit to add that my phone's spell check tried to correct jereboam to Jerry Boat. Maybe it's context-sensitive? ) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theplasticsurgeon Posted August 30, 2015 Share Posted August 30, 2015 I use small jam pots from hotels, collected whilst away on business. Do have to eat lots of toast for breakfast. Being glass they scrub up well when the next colour is needed. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beardie Posted August 30, 2015 Author Share Posted August 30, 2015 The problem I find with things like the wide milk bottle caps and shot glasses is that the large surface area means that there is a significant amount of paint I can't take up with the pipette to load the airbrush which was why I sought out the 20mm ink cups as the wasteage is minimized. I am a die-hard enamels user and I generally only use each cup once and dispose. I have to admit that I have a head start here as, having been a practicing tattoo artist a number of years ago I already have a supply of several thousand ink cups of various sizes in my arsenal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CurrantBunbury Posted August 31, 2015 Share Posted August 31, 2015 Thanks, Beardie. I use the milk bottle tops and mini jam (or chilli sauce) jars, but these look useful. Sort of like the little pots you get with some kits, but more stable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
azureglo Posted September 1, 2015 Share Posted September 1, 2015 Never buy anything less than a jereboam, dear boy... (Edit to add that my phone's spell check tried to correct jereboam to Jerry Boat. Maybe it's context-sensitive? ) Ahh the pedant in me can't resist, your phone wasn't trying hard enough...its spelt "jeroboam" and I actually consume said nectar while styrene bashing... Anil The Orthographically Refreshed 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nigel Heath Posted September 1, 2015 Share Posted September 1, 2015 I thin paint directly in the airbrush cup; first put some solvent in the cup, do a test spray to make sure all is OK and then add the paint. Mix them together either by swooshing it around using the plastic pipette used to transfer the paint out of the tin or by blocking the nozzle with a piece of tissue and bubbling the paint with a little applied pressure. No need for separate containers, less clean up and less paint wastage. I do use milk bottle tops for other mixing jobs and dispensing CA. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bhouse Posted September 1, 2015 Share Posted September 1, 2015 Ahh the pedant in me can't resist, your phone wasn't trying hard enough...its spelt "jeroboam" I can't blame the phone. Entirely my fault for failing to pay attention! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beardie Posted September 1, 2015 Author Share Posted September 1, 2015 Nigel do you not find a risk of the heavy pigment sinking in the cup and blocking the nozzle? I was trained never to mix paint in the airbrush. My airbrushes of choice are those that don't even have a cup as such and only take a drop or two of paint at a time so pre-mixing in a separate container is neccessary although I do have various larger cup airbrushes as well. Believe it or not I was originally trained to mix paint and then strain it to ensure no lumps or large grains and only then put it in the brush. It made airbrushing a huge chore. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Watcher Posted September 1, 2015 Share Posted September 1, 2015 http://www.amazon.co.uk/Disposable-Medicine-Cups-Box-100/dp/B0008G1YGA Plastic pill pots are my preferred option. Discovered when I spent nine hours in hospital last week! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nigel Heath Posted September 1, 2015 Share Posted September 1, 2015 Nigel do you not find a risk of the heavy pigment sinking in the cup and blocking the nozzle? If the paint is very thick then this may be problematic, this is fairly easily sorted by thinning the paint in its original container so that it will mix easily. It works for me anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terrain Safe Posted September 1, 2015 Share Posted September 1, 2015 I use shot glasses from Poundland. 40 for the said squid. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lasermonkey Posted September 1, 2015 Share Posted September 1, 2015 I currently use the inner "tray" from the packaging for laser mirrors. The trays are vac formed polystyrene and are about 3" square and have four, 1" circular depressions, around 1/2" deep. They are perfect for mixing paint. I used to rescue them from the bin at my previous job, but unfortunately I'm beginning to run low. I ought to see whether I can find more. Cheers, Mark. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duncan B Posted September 14, 2015 Share Posted September 14, 2015 I thin paint directly in the airbrush cup; first put some solvent in the cup, do a test spray to make sure all is OK and then add the paint. Mix them together either by swooshing it around using the plastic pipette used to transfer the paint out of the tin or by blocking the nozzle with a piece of tissue and bubbling the paint with a little applied pressure. No need for separate containers, less clean up and less paint wastage. I do use milk bottle tops for other mixing jobs and dispensing CA. How many times have I told you never to mix paint in your airbrush Nigel? All that 'swooshing' is very undignified and as Beardie says you will one day come a cropper with a blocked nozzle and splattered paint finish. I too used to be lazy about mixing paint but spent more time unblocking the nozzle than painting (and I also found that even with 'swooshing' I had a variable paint mix in the airbrush with the thicker paint in the nozzle) so that I took advice and started mixing the paint in empty Tamiya style glass jars for larger quantities (advantage being that you can store the paint mix until the end of the build or beyond for future use) or mixing smaller amounts in the plastic shot glasses. Control of the paint to thinner ratio is the most critical part of airbrushing so why risk a poor finish by trying to cut a few minutes off the process? Duncan B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nigel Heath Posted September 14, 2015 Share Posted September 14, 2015 I don't know Duncan, it seems to work for me and I don't have that many disasters. I always test spray and start spraying off the model and agree that it would not work so well if the paint was really thick. I think maybe the key is putting neat solvent in the cup first. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duncan B Posted September 15, 2015 Share Posted September 15, 2015 I think maybe the key is putting neat solvent in the cup first. I used to do it that way too but more often than not the neat paint would sink right through the thinners and settle in the bottom. I also found that I couldn't guarantee an even mix and it would start off too thick (due to said sunken blob) so I'd add more thinners only for it to end up too thin as the blob got sprayed out. All very messy and unsatisfactory so external mixing I did go. I'll be trying a new to me brand of paint out when I get home that is premixed, Mr Paint. I'm looking forward to that. DB 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EnglishLion Posted September 8, 2016 Share Posted September 8, 2016 I know this is an old post but found it while looking for something else... I wear daily contact lenses and the little plastic 'bubbles' that they come in are ideal for small amounts of paint. They've only contained saline so just need a quick rinse, the ones I have are perfectly smooth inside so the stirrer doesn't catch anything and splash me/the model with paint and they wipe out easily after I've finished painting. Because I wear dailies, I get 2 new ones every day so have a stack of them. It's only for larger quantities that I need to buy anything. Regards, Tony 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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