Do you like to shake paint bottles?

[khier]

"I can't imagine what "mess" you're talking about......."

I had enough of the simple sticks, especially the fun when I try to re-activate older paints adding thinner. 

My life became much better after I bought a vortex mixer. I hated, however, the need to hold vibrating bottles with fingers (it is dangerous by the way for those who do it four hours in labs). I wanted a mixer that sits firmly on the table and holds the bottles by itself. The above design outperformed my vortex mixer by light years. It is running at 500 RPM, something like 10 times stirring. I am working currently on a second variant with less moving parts and simpler design. 

[Wickersham Humble]

I believe that putting B-B's into a jar of paint as agitators affects the composition of the liquid; after having to toss a plethora (Jefe!) of Testors jars with B-B's, I stopped the practice, especially when the Daisy pellets emerged without their copper plating!  Wick

[peteski]

Wick, again some logical thinking is helpful.  B-Bs are probably steel balls with copper plating. If used in water-based paints, there will be chemical reaction taking place. But if used in petroleum based paints they are probably safe to use.  Lead shot can also be affected by long exposure to water-based paints.  Personally I borrowed the idea from spray can agitators and started using glass beads as my agitators in paint bottles. Glass is not affected by water or solvents. Just make sure to get glass (not plastic) beads.

[Sandboarder]

Hobby shops sell stainless steel mixing balls or glass. 
 

Also be careful of mixing balls in glass paint bottles. 
 

You can also get magnetic paint mixers. No vibrations, just drop the magnetic bar into the paint and the base unit will spin the magnet around mixing your paint.

[Wickersham Humble]

Okay; makes sense.  I never use water-based paints; no use starting a new system at my age and stage of development, tho.  My B-B pack might be old enough to be lead; I'll check.  But, think I'm off B-B's. now.  Thanks a lot!  Wick

[alan barton]

Ive been using the Vortex style paint mixer for about twelve months and it is easily the best tool I have added to my arsenal. My brush paints are Humbrol enamel in  tinlets and Tamiya acrylics in the glass jars.  I use glass marbles out of spray cans and yeah, I know the can says it mustn't be punctured but there is a safe way that I have been using for twenty years or more without drama (or trauma). It is amazing how well any brand of metallic paint is mixed after ten seconds or so on the test tube mixer.  I had a twenty year old jar of Tamiya flat white that I should have thrown out years ago - it was a solid lump with some clear on top.  Every time I used the mixer I chucked the Tamiya white on just for giggles.  After a week or so it was usable again. Amazing!

For me the most obvious benefit was no more messy popsticks and way less waste.  You dig up a lot of paint when you only want to, say, touch the tips of spark plugs with white or bolt heads with silver. The ratio of paint used to paint wasted on the popstick is terrible. I predict that I will get most of my paints to completely empty before discarding, something that almost never happened with my previous efforts.  In other words, the reduction of waste will pay for the mixer in a few years.  At $80 Aus it was expensive ( the price of a new Revell kit here in Western Australia) but I have no regrets at all. If you have the budget to buy one I would definitely recommend it. It sits on the front left corner of my bench and takes up minimal space for the benefits it provides.

Cheers

Alan