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Hi Jay, I'm hijacking your comment to tell you about circumstances where a paint rack can become an actual necessity. I have ADHD, and for me a paint rack/holder has been a crucial tool in making painting a less daunting task to start. I can get exhausted by just the thought of having to rummage through all of my paints in one big pile to find what I need. It also means I would have to spend a disproportionate amount of energy thinking ahead with my paint scheme, and to remember which colors I own. To me personally , your point about knowing your collection better by looking through it simply doesn't apply. It works much better for me to have a decent amount of it out in plain view, but in a neat and structured fashion. A rack also works as a reminder for me to keep the table tidy - it's more surmountable to pop a single bottle back on the rack (when I remember to) than having the whole mess to clean at once when I'm done with a session. Conversely, you bring up some great points, so I will probably stick with a middle ground: keep the one rack I have, add at most one more. Then store my currently favorite and most used paints in plain but tidy view. Supplement that with a number of smaller, jumbled boxes with broad categories and labels. Could be "metalics and mediums" "washes and effects" "blues and oranges", "textures" and so on. Boxes with two or more categories should contain bottles that are easy to tell apart at a glance (no "camo shades" box for me). That way, I will never rummage through more than what I can feasibly manage. I will have enough of an idea about what color I want to pick a box. And I will still get some of the mixing effect you're mentioning. Finally, I won't have so much paint out on display to make THAT the exhausting factor instead. :) I know I am in a narrow niche, and I never expected your advice to take me directly into account. I just wanted to share my perspective with you, and anyone else reading this, to maybe point you towards why a paint holder might be an actual necessity (as far as anything is a "necessity" in a hobby, but I digress). I'm very fond of the Hobby Zone modular system, even if it is one of the most expensive choices available to me. I have pretty limited means for my hobbying, and even so I find it well worth the money. I simply try to keep it down to a minimal setup, both because of cost and my tendency to get overwhelmed. I'm experimenting with adding some compatible modules I've designed and laser cut myself, but that's mostly for the fun and challenge. The bought modules are among my favorite "tools" I have, only topped by my Speedpaints and budget kolinsky Sable brushes. That turned into a novella, but whatever. Love all the work that you guys do, and you've given me plenty of fantastic ideas with this video. Cheers!
So the best tip I've heard that works amazing, is you don't screw the lid back on tight. Just place it on top. The glue doesn't set. Blew my mind once I started doing that.
EOB has such a weird thing going when it comes to time. Keeps a bucket of water around to save 10 seconds of airbrush cleaning time, but keeps all his paint in a giant tub causing him to search 10 seconds longer for the right colour every time he needs something.
Plus the people that don't paint every single day are still going to have to shake their paints. It's also vertical storage rather than horizontal storage so you could utilize your walls if that's an option for you.
Best paint holders are: nail polish displays. You can get really good ones for way cheaper than anything I've seen on hobby stores. Perfect size for our paint bottles.
Agree. I love my nail polish paint stands. Each one holds 48 bottles of paint. I have then organized by color shade and it's super easy to find the right paint.
Not sold on rummaging through a bin of paints every time I need a colour!! I'll stick with my lovely tidy bottle racks, no matter how stratified the paint 😉
Honestly, I'm just getting back into the hobby after a break of several years, but I always used a box and just rummaged through and I found it worked well. Never took that long to find what I was looking for, but to each their own I suppose.
@@cyberdaikaiju I think part of this is a reflection of the uncontrolled obsession with acquiring new paints in a "grass is always greener" kind of way. This is by no means a new phenomenon, but as it always has done it results in collections of many dozens, to perhaps more than 100, paints. As Jay rightly says, _nobody_ with that many paints is using 'em all all of the time; and I'd go one further and say that virtually everyone (if not actually 100% of them) who own that many paints has at least a dozen colours they _never_ reach for..... no matter how beautifully and neatly arranged they are!
I like to have enough organized storage for the primary palate of my current project, plus all my effect paints (an obsession), and the rest stay in a bin.
For the paint handle. I use the 3m tape but instead of cubes I use an old prescription pill bottle. inside I store toothpicks, pins, magnets and other small tools as well. Gives me a good sized grip and when I need to I can take the lid off if I need to get a closer grip to the models
A lighting idea that's been working for me is one of those Selfie Ring lights you can put your phone in. I have a mic arm for streaming, so I connect the ring light to that and I can angle it and look through whilst assembling a model or painting
As a painter, I approve of all your opinions. I practice most of them. I run to the sink every time I airbrush. The bucket idea ain't bad... I'll ponder it! Great video.
I personally have found my lasercut paint storage display as one of the best things that has helped my painting. I'm always shaking my paint whenever I start to use it, so worrying about it standing isn't that big of a deal. The biggest help for it is that I organize it by colors, going from reds to oranges to yellows, etc. This helps me visualize and see all my various paints so I can plan for what I need, or I can figure out how I want to mix paint together to get the color I'm after. When my paint was in a giant tub, I frequently forgot that I had a certain paint, or would grab three greens and later realize I had the perfect green hidden under some other colors and didn't need to agonize over mixing.
I disagree with the brush price. I bought a pair of Windsor and Newton series 7 sable brushes (a size 1 and a size 2). And they were my best investment in the hobby. Not only are they far superior to any synthetic brush. They'll last you a loooong time. I paint for at least 4h every day, and by cleaning my brushes once a week, they still hold a perfect tip after almost 2 years of constant use. So, by investing in really good brushes, it actually saved me money. Recently, after 2 years, I decided to buy a size 3 now.
I can tell from the "best tools" that this is a guy who paints a lot and has a specific workflow. Those tools speak to that specific workflow a lot, the bucket, the rubber thing at the bottom of the water mug. There is nothing wrong with that. The dude knows what he likes. I do agree with most of the tips, especially the paint in a big tub/box and the lamp-thing. Great stuff! But there is one aspect of the helping hand that I would like to highlight. I know of a few painters with very shaky hands, and they all tell me that they tend to use both hands to stabilise the brush when doing some fine detailing, and at this point having your model/part suspended in a helping hand seems like a very useful thing 🙂
The GamesWorkshop paint cup is actually a good deal. It has texture to rub paint off your brushes, a way to lay your brush down while your hands are occupied, slots to align bristles, and when you're done a place to set your brushes to dry (cup upside down). For $10 it's one of the best mini painting purchases I've made and I use it every time.
A cleaned sour cream container is the best paint cup ever imo. The ridge at the top is great for knocking drybrushes against to get paint out, the lid is a free dry palate, throw the lid on to stop evaporation, having the lid on the metallic cup keeps you from using it with non-metallic brushes, and the best part is they're free.
If you want to get a tip refreshed on larger things of super glue, then just let it get as gross as you want, take some needle nose pliers, squeeze the top and twist. It’ll all break off relatively cleanly! I use it every day at work at do this at least once a week.
Keeping your super glue in the fridge makes it not clog up the spout. An engineer friend of mine told me and I haven't had a clogged superglue since I started keeping it in the refrigerator.
@@tonydiazist Superglue sets in the presence of water molecules, and fridges (and more so, freezers) are a drying environment. Bonus tip: you know every time you mix up some epoxy putty you mix more than you need? If you halve the mixture and put the second blob in the freezer you can come back to it the next day and it'll be good to go soon as it warms back up to room temp. With luck you can store mixed putties this way for days.
@@tungsten_carbide i ran into some trouble with those tubes. Every time i use them somehow the glue seeps out of the seem of of the tube and cap. I screw it in right but yeah i just ended up taping the seem
I finally got a bag of wood cubes a couple bucks and I'm a believer, only downside is poster tac really doesn't like to stick to it so eventually will need some 3M tape, normal double sided is cheeks. I'm a big fan of using old cough or cold medicine bottles as painting handles but I'm only sick so often. I've got most of my votann on wood blocks though. To hobby supplies in general, I think of Adam Savage's advice. When you want a new tool, buy the cheapest one you can find. Use it, learn it in and out, and see how it fits into your work flow. Then when it breaks and you know you will use it, go and buy the best version of that thing that is within your means to do so.
I've started using Liquitex craft paints from my local art shop again, as their so much cheaper than buying a tiny pot/dropper bottle of paint, come in some glorious colours, and are in squeezable tubes, so don't dry up on me. I also use an old bread knife as a saw for certain jobs, along with other, "improvised" tools that have evolved from junk into something useful over the years :-) I started into the hobby just over 50 years ago, and we didn't have all the fancy gadgets and tools they have today, so we had to make our own tools (And amusement, as we also didn't have a TV in the house until after I'd left home in the 1980's), and mix paints from either the enamels made by Airfix, or from cheap paint sets that we should have used for watercolour painting in art class at school. I still make most of my own sculpting tools from matchsticks/kebab skewer sticks and so many more, saving myself a HUGE amount of money that I can then spend on buying more minis :-) i also use bulldog clips still, to hold a mini while painting, despite being given a rather expensive trademark holder by someone, but I prefer the old and trusted ways I used for decades. Sometimes "Old School" outstrips the modern tools we have today, and it also boost your imagination and tool-making skills along the way :-)
About 10 years or so ago, I did a little experiment. I painted two versions of the exact same mini. On one I used GW or Vallejo paint. On the other I used those cheap kids' watercolor sets. There certainly were differences, but at arm's length you really couldn't tell them apart.
what I did for paint storage was get some wall mounted nail polish holders, keeps them right where I need them, didn't eat my pockets, and keeps my paint out of the Texas sun.
I find that those tiny detail brushes can be REALLY good if you strictly use inks in them. I do a teeny bit of white in mine and it makes painting marine eyes so easy
I also find that if you are doing a very tiny edge highlight. The very tiny brushes are useful because of how little paint they hold. I'm less likely to make the highlight too wide
I like modular 3d printable paint storage. You can make what you need, so you can maximize the space of a tote or box. I'm going through that again after a six month break and I'm finding models I forgot I had along with paints, new brushes and other things I forgot I had because those never made it to the main paint boxes. If I make it and like it, I'm more likely to use it more, being more organized through repetition. Since I'm like an avatar of special interests, it gets too easy to stuff things in wide open boxes to clear for space when I prioritize another hobby for a bit.
A couple of years ago, my wife got me an abs plastic desk organizer with a cutting mat and trays for organizing parts and storage for files and sandpaper and whatnot. That thing has been AMAZING.
On the topic of MDF paint racks i can say, that I had a "mobile" painting setup and it felt like sort of a task to get everything on the table, paint a little and then stor it away again. I quite enjoy the painting racks because they "feel good" for me. In a weird way they help me to get into this headspace of painting for hours and hours. That beeing said, I agree that you dont need them. But they feel good. For me at least.
Agreed on the super tiny tip brushes. The smallest I'd go is a 00 round brush and even that might be pushing it at times. Any further than that would just dry up.
Very much agreed on not getting gw hobby products. Also on the paint organizer. I just keep my paints in a shelf on my desk, and I take out the paints I am going to use for the project at hand.
Just wanted to say, your intro music and manner are absolutely spot on and make me feel really relaxed! Nothing better than watching an EoB video after work when I get my painting stuff out!
a tool I recently discovered are berna clamps - its a little more of a scale modeller thing but they're designed specifically to replicate finger tightness and strength rather than brute force. They also have really soft jaws so don't do any damage to the surfaces you're clamping.
Some really good hints and tips. It's creators like you that have inspired me to start up my own channel, focusing on budget DIY hobby hints and tips, hobby gear reviews, hobby shop supplies alternatives, budget wargaming reviews and unboxings, budget terrain painting miniatures using DIY layer and contrast paints, DIY glazes and washes (oil and acrylic), inks (Alcohol and Acrylic),mica and fingernail powders and pastels. I will also be reviewing and recommending budget 3d printing miniature providers and will be doing miniature and terrain casting.
EOB crew, I've been watching you guys for a month now, and a huge thanks for the whole show. Although, I'm not into 40k the whole talk about miniatures, painting, what works and what doesn't etc. etc. Really helped me get back into working on my Napoleonics and try new things. Again, super huge thank you for the show!
I love all these tips and have one for lighting: I got a cheap "makeup influencer" type light at a yard sale and it's great for minis. The temperature and brightness are adjustable, and it's on a great gooseneck style arm. Also if you want to be extra it has a built in phone holder, so good for looking up references I guess
Been watching for a while, been painting for years and honestly I never thought of these until I moved to painting miniatures, a lot of these are true even for normal painting and stuff like that but some of these I’d have completely missed, it’s always good to see other artists helping newer people out with tips and tools of the trade, and in my opinion Warhammer is such a backwards fandom in the best way. “in the grim darkness of the far future, there is only war” and i yet damn near everyone I’ve met in the fandom is so nice and so helpful and I love it
My wife bought me a clamp to desk LED light that effectively is a ring around the outside with a magnifier in the middle. I’ll be honest - I’ve rarely used the magnifier but that light source has been great for working on minis.
You can make your own paint bottle holders with some cardboard and hot glue so you can save some cash that way. Pill bottles are also great for mini holders aswell!
Another great video. I agree with pretty much everything you say - I do keep my most used paints and washes in a couple of Acrylic nail varnish stands and I found that for me a great lighting set up is resting a light box panel (the flat light box) on the sloped top of my portable airbrush booth. This gives me an adjustable even light source using equipment I already own. The biggest issue I have had with this is the light is from above and behind which is fine when you can angle the model, but I also have a daylight led strip desk lamp so I think I will be using this to give me the front lighting I need. The spray booth also means the lighting is a perfect distance from the mini and when I bought mine and the light box it basically cost me about £50. Perfect if your space is limited but unfortunately the cost is now over £100.
The one tool I love is the DSPIAE ES-P - it's a tiny pen-sized cordless rotary tool you can fit with any 3mm bit, it charges off USB-C. Amazingly useful for cleaning up models, taking material out for conversions or most importantly, making recesses for magnets. Genuinely surprised more big channels haven't done reviews of it.
Have to half disagree about the MDF paint organizers. I agree with a lot of your premise, but I think it only holds up if you're looking at multiple MDF organizers or the giant ones that hold like 100+ bottles. Really, the issue is that they're advertised wrong. They aren't for paint storage, they're for painting organization. An MDF organizer for like 24-46 bottles is an excellent tool for keeping the paints *you are currently painting with* at hand, readily accessible and organized. Keep your paints in tubs out of direct light, pluck out the ones you plan to use for that project, and stick those and only those in an MDF organizer. Plus, this way, it helps keep "the purple I want for these Tyranids" separate from "the other 17 purples I own."
My favorite handle for models; Hobby Lobby wooden candle holders, the wide and short ones, with some around 1 inch magnets glued onto them. Then glue some dirt cheap washers to the bottom of your minis in the recess of their bases, which will both weigh them down to prevent tipping and the like and allow them to magnetize to your handle(s). You can get around a 5 pack of the wooden candle holders for about $3 or so, the magnets for about the same cost for around a dozen of them, and a bag of washers for about a buck. My go to for handles and I'll never look back.
When GW first started selling hobby tools I was satisfied to see that everything they offered was already in my tool set sourced from elsewhere. I will sometimes browse railroad hobby shops or the cosmetics section at Wal-Mart seeing what's new in the realm of small tools.
I use a pin vise for every model, but also have arthritic hands. Although pricey, I found the wowstick drill very useful. My regular hobby tool was way too bulky and high speed for miniatures. Very cool toy.
about helping hands: idk, i found great use of them. they're not to hold the perfect angle, but to hold the mini up while i use my other hands to place pieces and glue. then the helping hand holds up the model upright while it dries. i only use the alligator clip with rubber tips to protect from damaging the models.
I don't have too much time to paint so when I do get the time, I would prefer not having to rummage around a bin for paints. I'm currently using a cheap nail polish rack to hold my paints but maybe I'll toss them in a bin when I have too many for the rack to hold.
I wish you would show more of your airbrushing tips and tricks. I know you use vallejo surface primer that pretty much sprays out of the bottle but what about the other paints you use? you seem to use a variety of paints. everything from "good" paints to cheap acrylics. I can spray a bunch of paints that range from apple barrel acrylics to actual automotive paints.
The single glues is a great idea, I switched from the big bottles to the brush applicator and I feel it works a lot better for me, I just gotta get the control down of how much I need
Thanks for the video! Jay, can you please make a short video of your 5 gallon bucket airbrush workflow? I am intrigued on how this may work in my own system. In my head it is way messier than useful. Would love to see how it actually performs before taking the plunge :)
Having a specific paint mixing brush is brilliant not only preserves your nicer brushes but using the same size brush for mixing I find allows for greater accuracy in mixing your paints especially across multiple sessions of painting the same scheme
I solved the lighting issue by chance, but it's working wonders for me. I "recycled" an old head lamp I used for hiking: it's much smaller than a table lamp, does not eat up any table space and it's always pointing to the right spot (it's tied to your forehead after all!). Also the distancing is just perfect. For the paints storage, I like to keep them in a drawer away from my work table so that I can take a break from the sitting position from time to time, and by doing this I also get some free extra drying time when looking for the next color.
Painting the dropper bottle cap with adequate paint it refers to is a great way to see exactly what does the paint look like when dries, opposed to looking af wet paint thru the semi transparent plastic. Vallejo bottles have those holes on caps in which you put paint, but they are too small to properly see the color - thats why i paint the whole cap and varnish. If similar color (beige and buff ie) i even write down the initials with CD marker. Storing your paints in an airtight tupperware box assures the pots dry less opposed to being on a shelf wheres there is airflow. Also, when you open the box you would be surprised the fumes acrylics produce.
A free alternative for painting handles is old herb/spice jars. Stick the model to the lids and you can unscrew them for safe travel if you'll be painting elsewhere. Cut up kabob skewers are great to mix paint and get it out of paint pots.
Jay. You need a Tech-Marine pack with lights and extra mechanical arms. Paint bandolier and brush scabbard’s. A glue dispenser in the gauntlet….the mind boggles. Great episode.
Everything you said is on the spot ... But paint holders or racks are soooo good. You can look at all your colours at once. To make good decisions and work out what goes with what. They don't get "tumbled" but just rotate them once a month. I have 90s citadel paints still going strong.
For me the most underrated "tool" was a cheap cutting mat. It's helped me organise my work space and knowing I have a designated area for all the mess rather than scattering everything all over my table. My friend saw it and was like "woah nice setup" it's just a mat! I just got back into Warhammer, got all the essential tools: snips and scraping tool from the GW paints and tool set. Recently got a hobby knife which I didn't think I needed but I've used it nearly constantly. And a cheap IKEA desk lamp that I had in a cupboard for the last 10 years
The mdf is a project organization tool. I have the full ak 3rd gen afv/figure line in a drawer. However my oils and my “ on bench” project paints are in the organizer
Yeah ...not to be that one guy about lamps. But more money can definitely make a difference.. lumen count. 2200 vs 2600 lumles makes a difference.. and then there is also CRI. Colour Rendering index, this does alter the way we see colours .. so painting under a 2200 lumen CRI
Your point on paint in the ferrule opening the bristles to hold more paint for things like a wash is excellent. People should not be afraid of their 'ruined' brushes.
i love my neatfi light, its everything you said is bad in a light but its truly the best light ive ever had for painting minis.. i have been painting minis off and on since 2000 and have used every cheap led and bulb light you can think of and they all work.. but theres something different about the size and the way i can have the light right next to me and get 0 light bleed at me and have it all aimed towards the model. idk just my opinion on that matter.. i also have a vortex mixer thing and idk i get why you say to certain people that they dont need that kinda stuff but those kinda things are incredibly nice.. i have bad wrists so constantly shaking the crap out of bottles isnt ideal.. its not necessary for everyone i get that but you portray the stuff in such bad light.. and idk its some of my favorite hobby tools by far.
I feel like the paint organizer thing is all a matter of workflow preference. I refuse to paint if I don't know where everything is and I have a more organized Mise en Place than just "Well all my paints are in this bin" in place. I do also own a vortex mixer. Granted how much of this is purposely hamstringing myself from buying more minis and investing in organization to keep my pile of shame limited I cannot say xD
Paint storage tip for me; spice racks. Multi-tier flat flat bottomed racks that CAN be mounted have been better for me. I can reach my paints, it's a black mesh and looks nice, and for the price of one mdf setup, I get 2-4 spice racks and a box of minis. :3
I bought a 3 foot long wooden dowel from Hobby Lobby, and have sawed it into palm-sized pieces. A little sticky tack or double sided tape and I’m good to go!
At one point he says you'll know what paints you have better if you need to search for them in a bin. Oddly this reminded me of Lego building. Some folks have neatly organized collections, but I prefer to dig through a big box to fi d pieces. It helps my creativity because I find parts I hadn't considered.
Instead of cutting the nozzle of your super glue bottle, use a pliers to grip the dried stuff and twist it off the nozzle. you can then use a paperclip to clear down the nozzle
For pain handles i use plastic toothpaste containers lifs those almost cup like lids u get from colgate throw some blutack on bottom flip it over and bam nice lengh and thickness handle
Helping hands I suggest Xcel. They work great for me, Hint cover the teeth with tape . They hold but don't gouge. I use them to hold parts while the epoxy glue sets.
I agree with everything you said... except the light bar. I agree they can cost a lot more than they should. However around black friday I got a nice light bar (30 inches wide) for about $50 and I love it. Adjustable light warmth (2500k-6000k) and light intensity. Easy to move and lights up my entire area. I thought it was a good purchase, but I would not have normally bought it at the approx $75-80 it was going for.
I love my led bar desk lamp. Very maneuverable and very low profile. High end miniature painting bar lights are totally unnecessary, but a budget bar desk lamp that clamps to the desk is definitely a worthy purchase
- I use empty spice jars as painting handles though i need to give double sided tape a go as blutac can be hit or miss - for paint water cups I use empty pasta sauce jars because I won't mix them up with drinking cups - superglue in single use packs is useful both because it controls the amount you are wasting after applying you also have spare trash bits to use in terrain scratch bashing
Thanks for this, Jay! Good thoughtful considerations; I'll add my opinion. 3M double stick tape is definitely the way to go. It lasts for 3-5 stick-and-unstick instances. Totally worth it. Disagree with the good lamps. One shouldn't confuse good with expensive, but do think of what you are going to do with the setup. I have a desk lamp that dubs for in-home office use. The ikea lamp proposed would work. I don't like it having close to my head; my overhead bar can be set up 50 cm from the work - and work perfectly. Worth $100? It was for me for sure, worth more than (say) 3 boxes in my pile of shame that are not really going to get painted in joy. And the one I got has a 5-joint arm that can be positioned with great flexibility. Regarding handles - I prefer magnet everything so my most usual paint handles have metal tops, but for times where that's not practical the double stick tape by 3M is the way to go. I did a lot of chemistry labs. The squeeze water bottles are the best. Bonus is that the pressurization also good for flushing and cleaning airbrushes. I have three sizes, and the smallest one holds alcohol. Also the reason I love the vortex mixer! Bulk airbrushing: I use pizza boxes as base trays. No one cares about having sealant, primer or a bunch of teal coloured stains in them.. I am a diligent gluer (and don't mind solvent use). Superglue in mega bottles for the thin stuff, mid-size for the thick application. And the rubber-added one for high wear things like magnets on big miniatures. Less likely to snap off.
Like majority of tips. Apart from the organising of paints and so. Earlier on you talk about having a bucket to save airbrush cleaning times. Works sames with organising the paints imo 👌
i recombed the use of LED desk clamp lamps. different from the light bars, the make some with a lot of movement options such as bendy arms or those microphone arms that give full range they run around the same price (20 or so dollars on amazon) some have added features for a bit more. the problem with light bulbs is 1. you need to buy the bulbs. 2.heat 3.power usage (neglectable but with LEDS you can get more light per buck/cent
I have a challenge for you, make a cheap terrain for kill team in the way DIY without printing on 3d printer, and with things of the diary living like bottles, cardboard boxes, wood boards, foam, pvc tubes, etc
I would offer a small counter to your lamp point - I got a cheap jeweler's loupe style lamp from Canadian Tire (sorry Americans), and it's got a ring LED around a magnifying glass, all on a gooseneck. It has the same advantages as a cheap gooseneck bulb but the magnifying glass feature can also be useful for small details, it can be moved aside and used as a gooseneck light source when you don't need the magnification, and LEDs do have some advantages of generally not going out/needing replacement the way bulbs do. It's a good practical middle ground between LED bars and basic gooseneck lamps.
Let me introduce a game changer for you. Always have TWO cups on your desk. One is for the first wash and becomes very dirty. The second is a quick final rinse in clean water. It means your brushes never get contaiminated, and is especially good if you have used metallic paints with their mica flecks.
I am a convert to storing paints in drawers myself. The racks are not just a waste of money but a waste of space. So much vertical space gets lost with those things and that’s space I need on my hobby desk.
Magnifying glasses with LED lights. Helps when your eyes aren't that good as they used to be. Also takes care of the lighting. Nails air dryer for drying painted minis faster. UV light dryer can also work, but they're much more expensive usually, and wouldn't use them on some plastics.
As I work as a farmaceut, how to store chemicals as optimal as possible is central in my job. One thing is that keeping stuff you don't want to be shaked in a drawer rolling around is a big no no. So I keeps my paints in a drawer lying on the side with wiggle room, every time i open the drawer all the paints gets a shake.
As a fellow messy super glue user, the brand CYAfixed includes extra tips and high detail applicator tips that really let you use it precisely and messily without consequence
On the topic of superglues in plastic containers. If you do not screw the cap back on (or even put it back on the applicator tip) then it will not dry shut. My 18ml bottle has been standing on the desk for couple of months without the cap now and is still good to go.
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what kind of airbrush do you use? :) great content, i love your channel
Hi Jay,
I'm hijacking your comment to tell you about circumstances where a paint rack can become an actual necessity.
I have ADHD, and for me a paint rack/holder has been a crucial tool in making painting a less daunting task to start. I can get exhausted by just the thought of having to rummage through all of my paints in one big pile to find what I need. It also means I would have to spend a disproportionate amount of energy thinking ahead with my paint scheme, and to remember which colors I own. To me personally , your point about knowing your collection better by looking through it simply doesn't apply. It works much better for me to have a decent amount of it out in plain view, but in a neat and structured fashion. A rack also works as a reminder for me to keep the table tidy - it's more surmountable to pop a single bottle back on the rack (when I remember to) than having the whole mess to clean at once when I'm done with a session. Conversely, you bring up some great points, so I will probably stick with a middle ground: keep the one rack I have, add at most one more. Then store my currently favorite and most used paints in plain but tidy view. Supplement that with a number of smaller, jumbled boxes with broad categories and labels. Could be "metalics and mediums" "washes and effects" "blues and oranges", "textures" and so on. Boxes with two or more categories should contain bottles that are easy to tell apart at a glance (no "camo shades" box for me). That way, I will never rummage through more than what I can feasibly manage. I will have enough of an idea about what color I want to pick a box. And I will still get some of the mixing effect you're mentioning. Finally, I won't have so much paint out on display to make THAT the exhausting factor instead. :)
I know I am in a narrow niche, and I never expected your advice to take me directly into account. I just wanted to share my perspective with you, and anyone else reading this, to maybe point you towards why a paint holder might be an actual necessity (as far as anything is a "necessity" in a hobby, but I digress).
I'm very fond of the Hobby Zone modular system, even if it is one of the most expensive choices available to me. I have pretty limited means for my hobbying, and even so I find it well worth the money. I simply try to keep it down to a minimal setup, both because of cost and my tendency to get overwhelmed. I'm experimenting with adding some compatible modules I've designed and laser cut myself, but that's mostly for the fun and challenge. The bought modules are among my favorite "tools" I have, only topped by my Speedpaints and budget kolinsky Sable brushes.
That turned into a novella, but whatever. Love all the work that you guys do, and you've given me plenty of fantastic ideas with this video.
Cheers!
An excellent tip I got from a carpenter; a bit of Vaseline on the length of nozzle of your superglue prevent it from being glued shut.
Damn! You just blew my mind!
Does it need to be a plug of vaseline, or does it work simply by lubing the inside walls of the nozzle?
@@ItsDrMcQuack that’s what she said
Ooh, thats a good tip
@@ItsDrMcQuackI wouldn’t plug the tip. That will probably ruin the super glue. It’s all about lubing up the sides.
So the best tip I've heard that works amazing, is you don't screw the lid back on tight. Just place it on top. The glue doesn't set. Blew my mind once I started doing that.
EOB has such a weird thing going when it comes to time. Keeps a bucket of water around to save 10 seconds of airbrush cleaning time, but keeps all his paint in a giant tub causing him to search 10 seconds longer for the right colour every time he needs something.
Well if he didn't have the bucket would it take more than 10 seconds? Every time he needs to change color.
Plus the people that don't paint every single day are still going to have to shake their paints. It's also vertical storage rather than horizontal storage so you could utilize your walls if that's an option for you.
But it's 10 seconds of shaking all the paints at once. I love this idea.
And that’s where the not fully closed bottle of contrast paint shows it’s true color
@@GS-md1ex actual nightmare fuel
Best paint holders are: nail polish displays. You can get really good ones for way cheaper than anything I've seen on hobby stores. Perfect size for our paint bottles.
I find them all the time at Goodwill for $2-3. Then I spend more money buying paints to fill them.
Agree. I love my nail polish paint stands. Each one holds 48 bottles of paint. I have then organized by color shade and it's super easy to find the right paint.
I just 3D printed my own to attach to pegboard
Not sold on rummaging through a bin of paints every time I need a colour!! I'll stick with my lovely tidy bottle racks, no matter how stratified the paint 😉
It keeps you young, reminiscent of looking through a pile of LEGOs for that tiny little piece you saw 3 steps ago
I just keep my paints in the capartments of my tackle box or in a small contanter all neatly laid out.
Honestly, I'm just getting back into the hobby after a break of several years, but I always used a box and just rummaged through and I found it worked well. Never took that long to find what I was looking for, but to each their own I suppose.
@@cyberdaikaiju I think part of this is a reflection of the uncontrolled obsession with acquiring new paints in a "grass is always greener" kind of way. This is by no means a new phenomenon, but as it always has done it results in collections of many dozens, to perhaps more than 100, paints. As Jay rightly says, _nobody_ with that many paints is using 'em all all of the time; and I'd go one further and say that virtually everyone (if not actually 100% of them) who own that many paints has at least a dozen colours they _never_ reach for..... no matter how beautifully and neatly arranged they are!
I like to have enough organized storage for the primary palate of my current project, plus all my effect paints (an obsession), and the rest stay in a bin.
For the paint handle. I use the 3m tape but instead of cubes I use an old prescription pill bottle. inside I store toothpicks, pins, magnets and other small tools as well. Gives me a good sized grip and when I need to I can take the lid off if I need to get a closer grip to the models
This was my thought getting back into the hobby.
A lighting idea that's been working for me is one of those Selfie Ring lights you can put your phone in.
I have a mic arm for streaming, so I connect the ring light to that and I can angle it and look through whilst assembling a model or painting
As a painter, I approve of all your opinions. I practice most of them. I run to the sink every time I airbrush. The bucket idea ain't bad... I'll ponder it! Great video.
I personally have found my lasercut paint storage display as one of the best things that has helped my painting. I'm always shaking my paint whenever I start to use it, so worrying about it standing isn't that big of a deal. The biggest help for it is that I organize it by colors, going from reds to oranges to yellows, etc. This helps me visualize and see all my various paints so I can plan for what I need, or I can figure out how I want to mix paint together to get the color I'm after. When my paint was in a giant tub, I frequently forgot that I had a certain paint, or would grab three greens and later realize I had the perfect green hidden under some other colors and didn't need to agonize over mixing.
I disagree with the brush price. I bought a pair of Windsor and Newton series 7 sable brushes (a size 1 and a size 2). And they were my best investment in the hobby. Not only are they far superior to any synthetic brush. They'll last you a loooong time. I paint for at least 4h every day, and by cleaning my brushes once a week, they still hold a perfect tip after almost 2 years of constant use. So, by investing in really good brushes, it actually saved me money. Recently, after 2 years, I decided to buy a size 3 now.
I can tell from the "best tools" that this is a guy who paints a lot and has a specific workflow. Those tools speak to that specific workflow a lot, the bucket, the rubber thing at the bottom of the water mug. There is nothing wrong with that. The dude knows what he likes.
I do agree with most of the tips, especially the paint in a big tub/box and the lamp-thing. Great stuff!
But there is one aspect of the helping hand that I would like to highlight. I know of a few painters with very shaky hands, and they all tell me that they tend to use both hands to stabilise the brush when doing some fine detailing, and at this point having your model/part suspended in a helping hand seems like a very useful thing 🙂
The GamesWorkshop paint cup is actually a good deal. It has texture to rub paint off your brushes, a way to lay your brush down while your hands are occupied, slots to align bristles, and when you're done a place to set your brushes to dry (cup upside down). For $10 it's one of the best mini painting purchases I've made and I use it every time.
or i could use a solo cup
I totally agree. I bought one too and I'm impressed.
I use a well cleaned mayonnaise pot and it works, for brush cleaning a paper towel is better as it absorbs moisture
A cleaned sour cream container is the best paint cup ever imo. The ridge at the top is great for knocking drybrushes against to get paint out, the lid is a free dry palate, throw the lid on to stop evaporation, having the lid on the metallic cup keeps you from using it with non-metallic brushes, and the best part is they're free.
If you want to get a tip refreshed on larger things of super glue, then just let it get as gross as you want, take some needle nose pliers, squeeze the top and twist. It’ll all break off relatively cleanly! I use it every day at work at do this at least once a week.
"Ruined to perfection" = my new favourite quote 😂
Also keeping your super glue in the fridge between use helps A LOT
YES
excuse me what????
Keeping your super glue in the fridge makes it not clog up the spout. An engineer friend of mine told me and I haven't had a clogged superglue since I started keeping it in the refrigerator.
@@tonydiazist Superglue sets in the presence of water molecules, and fridges (and more so, freezers) are a drying environment. Bonus tip: you know every time you mix up some epoxy putty you mix more than you need? If you halve the mixture and put the second blob in the freezer you can come back to it the next day and it'll be good to go soon as it warms back up to room temp. With luck you can store mixed putties this way for days.
@@tungsten_carbide i ran into some trouble with those tubes. Every time i use them somehow the glue seeps out of the seem of of the tube and cap. I screw it in right but yeah i just ended up taping the seem
I finally got a bag of wood cubes a couple bucks and I'm a believer, only downside is poster tac really doesn't like to stick to it so eventually will need some 3M tape, normal double sided is cheeks. I'm a big fan of using old cough or cold medicine bottles as painting handles but I'm only sick so often. I've got most of my votann on wood blocks though.
To hobby supplies in general, I think of Adam Savage's advice. When you want a new tool, buy the cheapest one you can find. Use it, learn it in and out, and see how it fits into your work flow. Then when it breaks and you know you will use it, go and buy the best version of that thing that is within your means to do so.
Pill bottles.
Super glue pens are incredible and give you great control. Also you don't ever ruin the nozzle as it only lets glue out when you press 🙂
I've started using Liquitex craft paints from my local art shop again, as their so much cheaper than buying a tiny pot/dropper bottle of paint, come in some glorious colours, and are in squeezable tubes, so don't dry up on me. I also use an old bread knife as a saw for certain jobs, along with other, "improvised" tools that have evolved from junk into something useful over the years :-) I started into the hobby just over 50 years ago, and we didn't have all the fancy gadgets and tools they have today, so we had to make our own tools (And amusement, as we also didn't have a TV in the house until after I'd left home in the 1980's), and mix paints from either the enamels made by Airfix, or from cheap paint sets that we should have used for watercolour painting in art class at school. I still make most of my own sculpting tools from matchsticks/kebab skewer sticks and so many more, saving myself a HUGE amount of money that I can then spend on buying more minis :-) i also use bulldog clips still, to hold a mini while painting, despite being given a rather expensive trademark holder by someone, but I prefer the old and trusted ways I used for decades. Sometimes "Old School" outstrips the modern tools we have today, and it also boost your imagination and tool-making skills along the way :-)
About 10 years or so ago, I did a little experiment.
I painted two versions of the exact same mini.
On one I used GW or Vallejo paint.
On the other I used those cheap kids' watercolor sets.
There certainly were differences, but at arm's length you really couldn't tell them apart.
Superglue is also sold in little bottles with a brush. Nothing beats that, having that little brush makes applying the glue much more precise..
what I did for paint storage was get some wall mounted nail polish holders, keeps them right where I need them, didn't eat my pockets, and keeps my paint out of the Texas sun.
I use a fishing tacklee toolbox the keep them organized while storing them like a tote the paint I use more often get put in the top part
I find that those tiny detail brushes can be REALLY good if you strictly use inks in them. I do a teeny bit of white in mine and it makes painting marine eyes so easy
Acrylic inks are the bomb for so many things.
I also find that if you are doing a very tiny edge highlight. The very tiny brushes are useful because of how little paint they hold. I'm less likely to make the highlight too wide
I love my paint racks! look so good on my desk nice and tidy and in order. No faffing around.
I like modular 3d printable paint storage. You can make what you need, so you can maximize the space of a tote or box. I'm going through that again after a six month break and I'm finding models I forgot I had along with paints, new brushes and other things I forgot I had because those never made it to the main paint boxes. If I make it and like it, I'm more likely to use it more, being more organized through repetition. Since I'm like an avatar of special interests, it gets too easy to stuff things in wide open boxes to clear for space when I prioritize another hobby for a bit.
A couple of years ago, my wife got me an abs plastic desk organizer with a cutting mat and trays for organizing parts and storage for files and sandpaper and whatnot. That thing has been AMAZING.
On the topic of MDF paint racks i can say, that I had a "mobile" painting setup and it felt like sort of a task to get everything on the table, paint a little and then stor it away again. I quite enjoy the painting racks because they "feel good" for me. In a weird way they help me to get into this headspace of painting for hours and hours. That beeing said, I agree that you dont need them. But they feel good. For me at least.
Agreed on the super tiny tip brushes. The smallest I'd go is a 00 round brush and even that might be pushing it at times. Any further than that would just dry up.
Very much agreed on not getting gw hobby products.
Also on the paint organizer. I just keep my paints in a shelf on my desk, and I take out the paints I am going to use for the project at hand.
Just wanted to say, your intro music and manner are absolutely spot on and make me feel really relaxed! Nothing better than watching an EoB video after work when I get my painting stuff out!
a tool I recently discovered are berna clamps - its a little more of a scale modeller thing but they're designed specifically to replicate finger tightness and strength rather than brute force. They also have really soft jaws so don't do any damage to the surfaces you're clamping.
24:00 If that's what works for you in terms of lighting, then I wonder if I could actually just use a headlamp for painting.
The bucket of water for airbrushing is something I learned from Jay fairly recently.... and it's soooooooooooo convenient! Highly recommend
Some really good hints and tips. It's creators like you that have inspired me to start up my own channel, focusing on budget DIY hobby hints and tips, hobby gear reviews, hobby shop supplies alternatives, budget wargaming reviews and unboxings, budget terrain painting miniatures using DIY layer and contrast paints, DIY glazes and washes (oil and acrylic), inks (Alcohol and Acrylic),mica and fingernail powders and pastels. I will also be reviewing and recommending budget 3d printing miniature providers and will be doing miniature and terrain casting.
EOB crew, I've been watching you guys for a month now, and a huge thanks for the whole show. Although, I'm not into 40k the whole talk about miniatures, painting, what works and what doesn't etc. etc. Really helped me get back into working on my Napoleonics and try new things. Again, super huge thank you for the show!
For paint handles, I just use old Gatorade bottle caps with some blu-tack. It holds the base of the miniature securely and is cheap.
I use a stand light LED. Rechargable and not expensive. Helps that it is multi use for... Lighting up my music stand sometimes
I love all these tips and have one for lighting: I got a cheap "makeup influencer" type light at a yard sale and it's great for minis. The temperature and brightness are adjustable, and it's on a great gooseneck style arm. Also if you want to be extra it has a built in phone holder, so good for looking up references I guess
Been watching for a while, been painting for years and honestly I never thought of these until I moved to painting miniatures, a lot of these are true even for normal painting and stuff like that but some of these I’d have completely missed, it’s always good to see other artists helping newer people out with tips and tools of the trade, and in my opinion Warhammer is such a backwards fandom in the best way. “in the grim darkness of the far future, there is only war” and i yet damn near everyone I’ve met in the fandom is so nice and so helpful and I love it
My wife bought me a clamp to desk LED light that effectively is a ring around the outside with a magnifier in the middle. I’ll be honest - I’ve rarely used the magnifier but that light source has been great for working on minis.
You can make your own paint bottle holders with some cardboard and hot glue so you can save some cash that way. Pill bottles are also great for mini holders aswell!
Another great video. I agree with pretty much everything you say - I do keep my most used paints and washes in a couple of Acrylic nail varnish stands and I found that for me a great lighting set up is resting a light box panel (the flat light box) on the sloped top of my portable airbrush booth. This gives me an adjustable even light source using equipment I already own. The biggest issue I have had with this is the light is from above and behind which is fine when you can angle the model, but I also have a daylight led strip desk lamp so I think I will be using this to give me the front lighting I need. The spray booth also means the lighting is a perfect distance from the mini and when I bought mine and the light box it basically cost me about £50. Perfect if your space is limited but unfortunately the cost is now over £100.
The one tool I love is the DSPIAE ES-P - it's a tiny pen-sized cordless rotary tool you can fit with any 3mm bit, it charges off USB-C. Amazingly useful for cleaning up models, taking material out for conversions or most importantly, making recesses for magnets. Genuinely surprised more big channels haven't done reviews of it.
Have to half disagree about the MDF paint organizers. I agree with a lot of your premise, but I think it only holds up if you're looking at multiple MDF organizers or the giant ones that hold like 100+ bottles. Really, the issue is that they're advertised wrong. They aren't for paint storage, they're for painting organization. An MDF organizer for like 24-46 bottles is an excellent tool for keeping the paints *you are currently painting with* at hand, readily accessible and organized. Keep your paints in tubs out of direct light, pluck out the ones you plan to use for that project, and stick those and only those in an MDF organizer. Plus, this way, it helps keep "the purple I want for these Tyranids" separate from "the other 17 purples I own."
My favorite handle for models; Hobby Lobby wooden candle holders, the wide and short ones, with some around 1 inch magnets glued onto them. Then glue some dirt cheap washers to the bottom of your minis in the recess of their bases, which will both weigh them down to prevent tipping and the like and allow them to magnetize to your handle(s). You can get around a 5 pack of the wooden candle holders for about $3 or so, the magnets for about the same cost for around a dozen of them, and a bag of washers for about a buck. My go to for handles and I'll never look back.
When GW first started selling hobby tools I was satisfied to see that everything they offered was already in my tool set sourced from elsewhere. I will sometimes browse railroad hobby shops or the cosmetics section at Wal-Mart seeing what's new in the realm of small tools.
I use a pin vise for every model, but also have arthritic hands. Although pricey, I found the wowstick drill very useful. My regular hobby tool was way too bulky and high speed for miniatures. Very cool toy.
about helping hands: idk, i found great use of them. they're not to hold the perfect angle, but to hold the mini up while i use my other hands to place pieces and glue. then the helping hand holds up the model upright while it dries. i only use the alligator clip with rubber tips to protect from damaging the models.
I recommend fridge sorting trays for holding paints, I also store excess miniatures and basing materials in them.
I don't have too much time to paint so when I do get the time, I would prefer not having to rummage around a bin for paints. I'm currently using a cheap nail polish rack to hold my paints but maybe I'll toss them in a bin when I have too many for the rack to hold.
I wish you would show more of your airbrushing tips and tricks. I know you use vallejo surface primer that pretty much sprays out of the bottle but what about the other paints you use?
you seem to use a variety of paints. everything from "good" paints to cheap acrylics. I can spray a bunch of paints that range from apple barrel acrylics to actual automotive paints.
The single glues is a great idea, I switched from the big bottles to the brush applicator and I feel it works a lot better for me, I just gotta get the control down of how much I need
Thanks for the video! Jay, can you please make a short video of your 5 gallon bucket airbrush workflow? I am intrigued on how this may work in my own system. In my head it is way messier than useful. Would love to see how it actually performs before taking the plunge :)
I've found that a good, cheap lighting solution is an LED headband light. That way the best lighting is on whatever you happen to be looking at.
Having a specific paint mixing brush is brilliant not only preserves your nicer brushes but using the same size brush for mixing I find allows for greater accuracy in mixing your paints especially across multiple sessions of painting the same scheme
I just got MDF cut paint racks. Will hold about 200 for 40aud. So yeah.
I solved the lighting issue by chance, but it's working wonders for me. I "recycled" an old head lamp I used for hiking: it's much smaller than a table lamp, does not eat up any table space and it's always pointing to the right spot (it's tied to your forehead after all!). Also the distancing is just perfect.
For the paints storage, I like to keep them in a drawer away from my work table so that I can take a break from the sitting position from time to time, and by doing this I also get some free extra drying time when looking for the next color.
Painting the dropper bottle cap with adequate paint it refers to is a great way to see exactly what does the paint look like when dries, opposed to looking af wet paint thru the semi transparent plastic. Vallejo bottles have those holes on caps in which you put paint, but they are too small to properly see the color - thats why i paint the whole cap and varnish. If similar color (beige and buff ie) i even write down the initials with CD marker.
Storing your paints in an airtight tupperware box assures the pots dry less opposed to being on a shelf wheres there is airflow. Also, when you open the box you would be surprised the fumes acrylics produce.
A free alternative for painting handles is old herb/spice jars. Stick the model to the lids and you can unscrew them for safe travel if you'll be painting elsewhere. Cut up kabob skewers are great to mix paint and get it out of paint pots.
Something about your Intro puts me into the most relaxed ever, love your videos and they really make my day when they come out.
Jay. You need a Tech-Marine pack with lights and extra mechanical arms. Paint bandolier and brush scabbard’s. A glue dispenser in the gauntlet….the mind boggles. Great episode.
Everything you said is on the spot ... But paint holders or racks are soooo good. You can look at all your colours at once. To make good decisions and work out what goes with what.
They don't get "tumbled" but just rotate them once a month. I have 90s citadel paints still going strong.
You can also suction cup the painting puck to the side so you don’t have to dip the brush in as far
For me the most underrated "tool" was a cheap cutting mat. It's helped me organise my work space and knowing I have a designated area for all the mess rather than scattering everything all over my table. My friend saw it and was like "woah nice setup" it's just a mat!
I just got back into Warhammer, got all the essential tools: snips and scraping tool from the GW paints and tool set. Recently got a hobby knife which I didn't think I needed but I've used it nearly constantly. And a cheap IKEA desk lamp that I had in a cupboard for the last 10 years
The mdf is a project organization tool. I have the full ak 3rd gen afv/figure line in a drawer. However my oils and my “ on bench” project paints are in the organizer
Yeah ...not to be that one guy about lamps.
But more money can definitely make a difference.. lumen count.
2200 vs 2600 lumles makes a difference.. and then there is also CRI.
Colour Rendering index, this does alter the way we see colours .. so painting under a 2200 lumen CRI
I like to use make-up brushes for dry brushing, they're cheap from amazon and you can get good mileage from them if you take care of them!
Your point on paint in the ferrule opening the bristles to hold more paint for things like a wash is excellent. People should not be afraid of their 'ruined' brushes.
i love my neatfi light, its everything you said is bad in a light but its truly the best light ive ever had for painting minis.. i have been painting minis off and on since 2000 and have used every cheap led and bulb light you can think of and they all work.. but theres something different about the size and the way i can have the light right next to me and get 0 light bleed at me and have it all aimed towards the model. idk just my opinion on that matter.. i also have a vortex mixer thing and idk i get why you say to certain people that they dont need that kinda stuff but those kinda things are incredibly nice.. i have bad wrists so constantly shaking the crap out of bottles isnt ideal.. its not necessary for everyone i get that but you portray the stuff in such bad light.. and idk its some of my favorite hobby tools by far.
I feel like the paint organizer thing is all a matter of workflow preference. I refuse to paint if I don't know where everything is and I have a more organized Mise en Place than just "Well all my paints are in this bin" in place. I do also own a vortex mixer. Granted how much of this is purposely hamstringing myself from buying more minis and investing in organization to keep my pile of shame limited I cannot say xD
My favorite solution to the super glue issue has been scotch liquid super glue as it comes with a brush applicator instead of the nozzle tip
Paint storage tip for me; spice racks. Multi-tier flat flat bottomed racks that CAN be mounted have been better for me. I can reach my paints, it's a black mesh and looks nice, and for the price of one mdf setup, I get 2-4 spice racks and a box of minis. :3
I bought a 3 foot long wooden dowel from Hobby Lobby, and have sawed it into palm-sized pieces. A little sticky tack or double sided tape and I’m good to go!
for lighting I have sometimes used a camping headlamp, you really can't get closer to your eyes than that and it moves with your head.
Some people are so anti-superglue but I find it works perfectly. Bonds quickly and leaves no mess if you are careful.
At one point he says you'll know what paints you have better if you need to search for them in a bin. Oddly this reminded me of Lego building. Some folks have neatly organized collections, but I prefer to dig through a big box to fi d pieces. It helps my creativity because I find parts I hadn't considered.
Instead of cutting the nozzle of your super glue bottle, use a pliers to grip the dried stuff and twist it off the nozzle. you can then use a paperclip to clear down the nozzle
For pain handles i use plastic toothpaste containers lifs those almost cup like lids u get from colgate throw some blutack on bottom flip it over and bam nice lengh and thickness handle
Helping hands I suggest Xcel. They work great for me, Hint cover the teeth with tape . They hold but don't gouge. I use them to hold parts while the epoxy glue sets.
I agree with everything you said... except the light bar. I agree they can cost a lot more than they should. However around black friday I got a nice light bar (30 inches wide) for about $50 and I love it. Adjustable light warmth (2500k-6000k) and light intensity. Easy to move and lights up my entire area. I thought it was a good purchase, but I would not have normally bought it at the approx $75-80 it was going for.
I put plastic painting clips gripped on the ends of the metal helping hands. That avoids the metal cutting your plastic.
I love my led bar desk lamp. Very maneuverable and very low profile. High end miniature painting bar lights are totally unnecessary, but a budget bar desk lamp that clamps to the desk is definitely a worthy purchase
My paint handle is blue tac poster putty and 2 ounce plastic sauce containers (which doubles as paint mixing containers).
- I use empty spice jars as painting handles though i need to give double sided tape a go as blutac can be hit or miss
- for paint water cups I use empty pasta sauce jars because I won't mix them up with drinking cups
- superglue in single use packs is useful both because it controls the amount you are wasting after applying you also have spare trash bits to use in terrain scratch bashing
I actually have a wash bottle just sitting empty on the shelf, I never even considered using it for painting!! Great tip
Thanks for this, Jay! Good thoughtful considerations; I'll add my opinion.
3M double stick tape is definitely the way to go. It lasts for 3-5 stick-and-unstick instances. Totally worth it.
Disagree with the good lamps. One shouldn't confuse good with expensive, but do think of what you are going to do with the setup. I have a desk lamp that dubs for in-home office use. The ikea lamp proposed would work. I don't like it having close to my head; my overhead bar can be set up 50 cm from the work - and work perfectly. Worth $100? It was for me for sure, worth more than (say) 3 boxes in my pile of shame that are not really going to get painted in joy. And the one I got has a 5-joint arm that can be positioned with great flexibility.
Regarding handles - I prefer magnet everything so my most usual paint handles have metal tops, but for times where that's not practical the double stick tape by 3M is the way to go.
I did a lot of chemistry labs. The squeeze water bottles are the best. Bonus is that the pressurization also good for flushing and cleaning airbrushes. I have three sizes, and the smallest one holds alcohol. Also the reason I love the vortex mixer!
Bulk airbrushing: I use pizza boxes as base trays. No one cares about having sealant, primer or a bunch of teal coloured stains in them..
I am a diligent gluer (and don't mind solvent use). Superglue in mega bottles for the thin stuff, mid-size for the thick application. And the rubber-added one for high wear things like magnets on big miniatures. Less likely to snap off.
Always nice too see another upload, love watching your vids.
Like majority of tips. Apart from the organising of paints and so.
Earlier on you talk about having a bucket to save airbrush cleaning times. Works sames with organising the paints imo 👌
i recombed the use of LED desk clamp lamps. different from the light bars, the make some with a lot of movement options such as bendy arms or those microphone arms that give full range they run around the same price (20 or so dollars on amazon) some have added features for a bit more. the problem with light bulbs is 1. you need to buy the bulbs. 2.heat 3.power usage (neglectable but with LEDS you can get more light per buck/cent
I have a challenge for you, make a cheap terrain for kill team in the way DIY without printing on 3d printer, and with things of the diary living like bottles, cardboard boxes, wood boards, foam, pvc tubes, etc
I would offer a small counter to your lamp point - I got a cheap jeweler's loupe style lamp from Canadian Tire (sorry Americans), and it's got a ring LED around a magnifying glass, all on a gooseneck. It has the same advantages as a cheap gooseneck bulb but the magnifying glass feature can also be useful for small details, it can be moved aside and used as a gooseneck light source when you don't need the magnification, and LEDs do have some advantages of generally not going out/needing replacement the way bulbs do. It's a good practical middle ground between LED bars and basic gooseneck lamps.
Let me introduce a game changer for you. Always have TWO cups on your desk. One is for the first wash and becomes very dirty. The second is a quick final rinse in clean water. It means your brushes never get contaiminated, and is especially good if you have used metallic paints with their mica flecks.
I am a convert to storing paints in drawers myself. The racks are not just a waste of money but a waste of space. So much vertical space gets lost with those things and that’s space I need on my hobby desk.
So add a little blue tac on the bottom of wash bottles helps pervent spills. Thats been a life saver for me.
Magnifying glasses with LED lights. Helps when your eyes aren't that good as they used to be. Also takes care of the lighting.
Nails air dryer for drying painted minis faster. UV light dryer can also work, but they're much more expensive usually, and wouldn't use them on some plastics.
I'm gonna have go try out that bucket technique. The time it takes to clean definitely keeps me from using it more
As I work as a farmaceut, how to store chemicals as optimal as possible is central in my job. One thing is that keeping stuff you don't want to be shaked in a drawer rolling around is a big no no. So I keeps my paints in a drawer lying on the side with wiggle room, every time i open the drawer all the paints gets a shake.
As a fellow messy super glue user, the brand CYAfixed includes extra tips and high detail applicator tips that really let you use it precisely and messily without consequence
alternative video title: 5 ways to save yourself trips to the sink
Good tip for using ca glue in bottles is instead of cutting off the dried tip is twisting it off with a pair of pliers
Jay, with how you described our lighting needs, the true solution is a head mounted torch
On the topic of superglues in plastic containers. If you do not screw the cap back on (or even put it back on the applicator tip) then it will not dry shut. My 18ml bottle has been standing on the desk for couple of months without the cap now and is still good to go.