Painting small parts

[Super28]

What does everybody use to hold small parts to a stick for painting?

Thank You in advance

[Ctmodeler]

I use alligator clips on a metal stick commonly used for paint stands.  Works great

[Modelbuilder Mark]

I use the small clips, tooth picks of there are holes, (like tie rods) tape ball on a stick, whatever it takes for the part at hand. 

 

[bill-e-boy]

If it has a hole taper some sprue and wedge it in there

If it has a tab that wont be seen or an unseen area such as a seat glue on a piece of sprue

Then you can hold with an alligator clip on a stick - this keeps you hands out of the way of the paint stream

Or you can hold part on a tab by the clip sick

I use a piece of waste wood with many holes drilled in it to hold the alligator clip sticks while paint dries

As in pix

In my case the sticks for the clips is bronze welding wire that I had at the time but a wooden skewer works just as well and is cheaper

 

[Super28]

What if you can't use clips?

 

[Misha]

I’ve started using blue tac to hold certain parts where I need to airbrush an entire surface without a clip in the way or if there isn’t a hole to push a toothpick in. Then it gets attached to a popsicle stick.

Cheers Misha

[JollySipper]

For most small parts, I remove it from the sprue by all but one attachment point, then cut the chunk of the tree that it's still attached to... You can then hold it however you like, I usually use a clothes pin. Once painted, just clip the one gate holding it to the tree scrap, then touch up if needed.....

[Miatatom]

I use double sided foam tape stuck to shish kebob skewers. Did I spell that right? ?

[Dpate]

1 hour ago, Super28 said:

What if you can't use clips?

 

If you're not able to use clips than you have a few options.  You can use blue tack to hold parts and use bamboo sticks for large parts and tooth picks for small parts or cut the bamboo sticks to smaller sizes.  Pop sickle sticks work good too along with blue tack or double sided tape.  You can even glue the tip of the toothpick or bamboo stick to the part of an area that'll never been seen and it'll hold, and than little twist afterwards and it'll pop loose.

[slusher]

I use regular masking tape  and make a circle and put it down on my cardboard. Then I put my parts down on the tape and paint.  After drying some parts need both side so I repeat. I do it this way so I can carry them out side and carry them back inside. My cardboard is empty coke cases the cans have been in.

[Venom]

2 hours ago, Super28 said:

What if you can't use clips?

 

Something not yet mentioned that works well if you’re careful are your used X-Acto blades. You can stab them into the plastic part in an area that won’t be visible after assembly. You can then tape the blade to any other object or stick it into a piece of styrofoam. I’ve done this numerous times on very small pieces... I guess the trick is to push hard enough for it to stay stabbed in, but not so hard that you split the part, and be careful not to slip and the part flies across the room!

Pic shows an X-Acto blade taped to a toothpick ... This method allows you to paint all the way around the part without anything partially covering it like a clamp.

Edited August 4, 2021 by Venom

[Plowboy]

I glue all parts to scrap sprue with a small drop of crazy glue. Most times it's possible to glue the part where it will attach. After primer and paint, I just snap them off and clean up any excess. 

 

[Zippi]

Same as Roger but I glue my parts to a small dowl rod.  It only take a small drop of glue and holding it in place for a few seconds.  Like mentioned, snap it off when parts are dry and touch up.   

[Super28]

Thank you for all the suggestions. I heard somewhere that wax or bee's wax works. Anybody else hear or use that?

 

[Foghorn Leghorn]

I don't use sticks. I jam a heated sewing straight pin into small parts and hold the pin with a hemostat. I spray nearly everything so i have many hemos. More than i need, in fact.

[vintagerpm]

I also use Pic-n-Stics. Small plastic sticks with a bulb on wax on the tip.

https://www.micromark.com/Pic-n-Stick

 

[Super28]

On 8/5/2021 at 8:25 AM, vintagerpm said:

I also use Pic-n-Stics. Small plastic sticks with a bulb on wax on the tip.

https://www.micromark.com/Pic-n-Stick

 

Know of any other place besides Micro Mark. They're always too expensive

[Miatatom]

I wound up using Pic n Sticks with a small glob of museum putty (I think that's what it's called) stuck on the end. The Pic n Sticks lose their stickum.

[Dave G.]

I use a couple of things. One and I even shoot bodies with this, is an empty bottle ( aclipse chewing gum bottle, tums bottle, I've used inverted party cups hand held etc),maybe put a little dirt or some stones in the bottom of the bottle for ballast, course that won't work for the cup . I form a circle of blue tape sticky side out and tape that to the top, then stick the part to that. The second is wooden barbecue skewers with parts attached by various means to include my circle of tape method to the side of the end of the stick ( dirt cheap at the grocery store, but there is a bag of them in two sizes in my kitchen anyway.).. I use the skewers as paint mixing sticks too.

Edited August 15, 2021 by Dave G.

[vintagerpm]

On 8/13/2021 at 8:36 PM, Super28 said:

Know of any other place besides Micro Mark. They're always too expensive

I actually bought my last batch of these at Amazon.