Mini Paint Shaker
Shaking paint by hand is no fun anymore. When I was younger it was kind of cool to smack the bottle repeatedly against the heel of my palm, as my father did, in his model building days. After one day smacking my hand numb, I came up with this little beauty of a paint shaker. It works really good, and I hope that if someone puts one together, it works as well for them as it does for me, and that they too giggle with delight, having been freed from the drudgery of shaking long unused paints. Seriously, this thing will completely mix totally separated "thought they were beyond hope" bottles. I prop it up on a pillow in the other room, drop a bottle in and let it run. I didn't have any paints that took more than a couple minutes, but I have forgotten, and left bottles in for hours with no ill effects. Save your strength and muscle control for painting, don't waste it on shaking! Build this drone!
What Works, Works!
1. The first incarnation of this was a pouch made entirely of clear packing tape. It was ugly, but it proved the concept. That a pouch, taped to the head of a shoulder massager, was a good paint shaker. The paints not only vibrate at a high rate, but bounce as well. The new one I made out of plain white poster board, it's $1 a sheet at dollarmart, and clear packing tape.
Basic Pattern
2. Pretty basic, a circle, some slits toward the center, some tape, some more tape, a little more tape. Tape the inside too, when you go to cut out the paint hole slot you will be glad you did.
All Taped Together
3. Here it is taped together, and with the paint hole slot cut out.
Alternate Angle
4. Just trying to provide a clear view from another angle. Your massager may be larger or smaller or of a different design or model, you may have to make some adjustments as you proceed.
Pouch Meets Massager
4b. Tape pouch to head of massager. I used really sticky construction tape from Lewe's, but the packing tape will work ok.
No More Hands Shakey From Paint Shakey!
5. Prop it up on a pillow or towel, drop a bottle in and let er rip. Mine has two speeds, I use the low speed, but your end design may favor the high speed. It's a little noisy, but not THAT noisy, plastic bottles of folk are quieter than the little glass bottles of enamel paint for models, which is mostly what I use, and boy do thay rattle around in there, (one at a time) but it sure beats whap whap whap whap whap whap whap whap....