Holding a part to paint

[Super28]

What is the best thing to use to hold a small part to paint

[Brutalform]

I use alligator clips, fastened to bamboo skewers, to using two sided tape on wooden coffee stirrers. Sometimes a hot pin tip can poke into a tiny part in an inconspicuous area. 

Edited February 6 by Brutalform

[Belugawrx]

Yep, all of the above, also blue tak on the end of a stir stick, just not on painted parts...or a clothes pin holding the part's assembly pin. Although that can, and does go wrong more frequently than you would think...

8 minutes ago, Brutalform said:

Sometimes a hot pin tip can poke into a tiny part in an inconspicuous area. 

Good idea Tom, I've been drilling small holes in inconspicuous places, to take a skewer tip, but a hot pin (my carpal tunnel thanks you)!!

Edited February 6 by Belugawrx

[Lunajammer]

I use a tiny dab of super glue on bamboo skewers. Obviously on an unimportant spot.

[rattle can man]

ditto all of the above. I bought some alligator clips mounted on bamboo sticks from HL. If you are pinning a part, you could drill it for the pin, glue in a longer length of wire and use something to hold the wire.

[gman]

Over the years I have tried a number of techniques to hold small parts for painting ranging from putting parts on doubled over masking tape or securing them with dabs of hot glue to popsicle sticks, tongue depressors, but that can be sloppy depending on the amount of paint you intend to spray on the parts as it can build up on the back side where the parts are secured. It also doesn't get the paint on the back side of your parts if it is likely to show.

If you have a supply of old #11 X-Acto blades that still have a sharp tip, they can be poked into the unseen area on small parts. You can insert the part plus blade into the X-Acto handle for painting, or if you have a number of small parts lined up for painting you can cut slits in a piece of cardboard, insert the blades lined up as it suits you and then paint them against the cardboard as a lot. Remove the part/blade when dry, pull the tip of the blade out leaving tiny hole in an unseen area. I have also drilled holes into small parts, inserted a piece of Evergreen styrene rod in an unseen area (secured with liquid glue like Tenax) to act as handles for the parts for painting in a similar fashion. You can line up a number of parts again by poking holes in a piece of cardboard to secure them for painting and letting them dry. Rather than leaving a hole in the part, you trim off the excess rod when you are done and clean up with a hobby blade. Both of these techniques work well when you have to paint all surfaces on a small part.

If painting and detailing a larger assembly (like an engine/transmission you are in the middle of detailing), I'll stick a round toothpick or a pair of flat ones deep in the end of the transmission where the driveshaft mounts and secure it in a hobby vise to minimize handling on painted parts. A hobby vise is a valuable tool for detail painting and for holding attachments to small parts while they dry- I have a few of the plastic ones with suction cup bottoms from the local hobby shop that stick nicely to a table top or piece of glass. If I was rich & famous, there are metal-bodied versions of those vices available that work in a similar way but hold better.

[bobss396]

I like using old butter tubs and similar plastic containers. Usually I impale a part on a toothpick. 

Sometimes I add small holes where they will not be seen later.

I also glue short pieces of tubing to the inside of parts and break it off later.

On the tubs, save the lids. I tape something heavy, like small stones, to the inside of the lid so the wind doesn't blow it over outside. 

[slusher]

I put small parts on doubled over masking tap in soda case cardboard step out and spray paint..

[Chris V]

To hold small parts I usually drill a shallow 0.5 mm hole in the part and attach it to a loop of metal wire.

[Old Buckaroo]

I'm a fan of popsicle sticks with scotch double stick tape or use my clampy tweezers.

[peteski]

Here is an example how I hold bunch of small parts for painting. I use whatever item is convenient as a holder (clothespins plastic spoons, popsicle sticks, etc.).  Some parts themselves are often pinned (drill small hole and glue in a thin brass rod). I also use various diameter insulation stripped from wire or heat shrink to hold round cross-section parts. This can also double as masks to leave areas unpainted. The flat clear plastic box visible in the background on the right holds a collection of various pieces of insulation and heat shrink tubing. I then stick the "mounts" to pieces of Alien Tape (or similar clear 3M adhesive tape). Or mount them with masking tape.  Some parts which have small holes are skewered onto the tip of a cut down round toothpick.  Doing this gives me the ability to easily hold the parts when airbrushing, and later to place them down so they can dry without getting stuck to the workbench or dehydrator.

Edited February 12 by peteski

[Deathgoblin]

popsicle sticks with a loop of tape, alligator clips on skewers, skewers pushed through holes in parts.  Might have to pick up some blue tac.