How to: Easy to make paddles for model parts when spray painting

[Joe Nunes]

Today I was looking around the shop for some wooden paint stir paddles to use for holding model parts while spray painting and found only one to use.  While thinking about this I walked into my model room and saw a stack of cardboard stock that matched the wood paddles thickness.  I don’t recall where the cardboard pieces came from but I thought I could put them to use.  
 

The cardboard pieces are, in this case, 9.5 x 7.0 inches in size. I laid the wood paint paddle on one cardboard piece using the longer length and traced the wood paddle sides consecutively.  I then did the same thing on another cardboard piece, running the paddle layout on the short length.  This gives me two sizes of cardboard paddle; 15 pieces and one additional narrow piece to use when spraying paint. I don’t have to use the wood paddle and can just toss the cardboard paddles when I need to.  A recycling effort that sure works for me.  Note:  I used a brand new X-Acto #11 Z blade for cutting the paddle lines and cut each “hand grasp” ellipse out first while the blade was sharpest, then cut the cardboard paddle separating lines; the cuts were made on a hobby cutting mat.  It took about twenty minutes to do the actual project…and somewhat longer to get it ready to post!  ☺️  Now I just need to get back to actually working on my model project!  ?

Joe

Edited February 7, 2023 by Joe Nunes
Needed it

[ctruss53]

Great idea!