Jay, you're using accelerator wrong! Unscrew the cap, and dab the end that sits in the liquid against one of the two surfaces you're going to glue. Then put glue on the other, then fit them together. You waste WAAAAY less accelerator, the smell doesn't spread, and it creates a much stronger bond.
100% For me, I treat accelerator like a tack weld to hold things long enough to make it more secure later...or when the majority of the CA glue bead is visible and I cannot hold the joint stable enough.
One trick with superglue accelerator is to spray it on one surface and put the superglue on the other surface. Then when you put the two together, you'll have accelerator on the entire surface.
I've heard of baking soda being used to strengthen a CA bond for sure, not sure if it accelerates it or not though. Adam Savage has lots of thoughts on glue lol I think there's a whole video on Tested about CA glue@@MrDeadmoss
The only problem (for me at least) is that I always seem to have to wiggle joints around to get them just right and having the accelerator in place already cuts that wiggle time down too much.
I bought a shop to turn into a hobby and gaming store! Definitely the best purchase I made this year - but also the hardest! Second would be a cheapo portable airbrush perfect for terrain and basing
Due to health reason shaking paints properly can be difficult for me, so a couple of years ago I bought a cheap vortex mixer and it was terrible. A few months later I got a proper lab vortex mixer as a gift and it’s been amazing, it makes painting so much easier for me and I could never go back to be honest. Highly recommend for anyone who struggles with mixing their paint.
I have bad enough arthritis that it can be excruciating to shake paints well. I bought a $100 vortex mixer and was utterly underwhelmed. It does struggle with thicker paints to the point it’s useless.
I'll always remember some of Adam Savages advice from tested. When look at a new tool, buy the cheapest option first. Use it, see if it fits in your work flow, learn it's ins and outs, and when it wears out and you know you want it, go and buy the best version that is within your budget to do so.
I have no idea why but this gave me the thought of taking a vacuum outside, to the beach. Then I wonderd what would happen if you had a hypothetical vacuum cleaner that has infinite storage and never clogs, and brought it too the beach. Would it just keep vacuuming deep into the ground?
Jay! I bought an onilab mixer, and mine works fine. It'll even mix the citadel paints if they're at layer paint consistency. For the thicker paints I add a mixing ball and a few drops of lahmien medium. . . works well.
For a vacuum you want a pneumatic one, they have lots of suction and are very simple and hardy. I don't know if they have it in the US but a henry hoover is £100 and its very durable, if they can survive construction yards they can survive a hobby desk!
@@luketfer absolutely, they are amazing for simple work like this. Gritty and harsh particulates absolutely ruin bagless vacuums, it's best just to get a bagged one.
I don't know if anyone else has mentioned this, but a nice alternative to super glue accelerator that I learned about from Adam Savage Videos is baking soda. You only need to spray a little on the super glue and it will react and cause it to cure pretty fast. It also appears to add strength to the joint if you use a decent amount of baking soda. Funnily enough, the oils on your skin are also an accelerator which is why super glue almost instantly dries when you touch it.
I _highly_ recommend putting the super glue accelerant into small needle-tip applicator bottles. You waste a lot less, it's more precise, and it doesn't get the stinky oil everywhere.
I also bought a Jucoci case awhile ago and it's been a big help. I'd recommend as a good sturdy travel case. Nice handle and metal trays with adjustable height options
9:42 If goopy and separated paints are a hurdle for you to even get paint to model, and you don't want to shake every paint you need for 15 minutes, a vortex mixer is a much better hobby purchase than more grey plastic to stuff in the back of a cupboard.
Jay's enthusiasm is infectious. I'm tempted to pick up half of the things he recommends. Hopefully he isn't wiping Goob Goo off the whiteboard at the end of the day.
Good and big paintbrushes with a good tip actually can do everything. From basecoat to detail. I use the Newton ones. They are expensive but last much longer than the GW or Armypainter ones.
Appreciate the videos Jay, in case people don't know massage guns can work really well as a paint mixer! I picked one up to help with a back injury I got at work several years ago, and had some vallejo green and corax white that was globbed up like nothing I had seen before. No amount of hand work was getting this stuff smoothed out, and I had started looking at paint mixers online, idlily using the massage gun on my leg until it dawned on me! I threw a ball bearing into the pot, and put a flat end on my massage gun and let it get to work. Results were amazing, to the point where I knew this was what I would be doing for all my paints. Very easy budget friendly alternative, and its use extends well beyond helping with my hobby!
With the superglue activator, spray on the join on one part before you put them together or dip that part into some of it before putting together. The stuff has been a life changer.
Great video! Stop spraying the accelerator, just unscrew the lid, and just touch the straw part on whatever part needs it. So much better than spraying it and getting it all over.
The vortex mixer is a great solution for those who don’t paint often. Especially contrast paints. You can see the pigment collect on the bottom of the bottle, and no way just shaking it gets those to mix back in. I’ve tried, and it took even my vortex mixer a couple of minutes to get those to mix. I’d be lifting weights before I would be able to mix seldom used contrast by hand.
Got a Jucoci case after you first mentioned them. Good cases. Now im magnetizing everything so they stick to the trays. Also getting a second one or two.
Added a cheap desk from IKEA which I love. Simple desk with a big drawer that I cram my tools in, and grass tufts/terrain stuff for bases. Also, AWESOME video and thank you for your candid honesty as always. Love it!
I have the same vortex mixer and I've been using it for a year now and I love it! You probably used it more in the 5 months than I have in the 12 but so far it is going strong and I never wanna have to shake paints manually again
I still use my first paint mixer, Step 1 Buy a cheap Jigsaw ($10-20), step 2 buy a small vice grip from harbor freight ($2-10), depending on the connection between grip and jigsaw you can either connect the grip directly (old 1980s-2010 model) or you need to take a blade and connect it to the vice grip either with soldering of a ton of heavy duty take and epoxy. Now you have an amazing paint shaker.
Jay, regarding your handheld vacuum I use a small 1.5 gal Hyper Tough wet/dry vac you find at Wallyworld that's not too big or heavy and cleans up a lot more than your previous vacuum. It comes with the attachments you'd expect and a bracket so you can hang it close to where you'd be using it most. Also, videos like these can really use some affiliate links in the info as I always seem to find something that I could use, and knowing it helps the channel out a bit is always a plus.
I added the Harder and Steenbeck Ultra to my hobby desk and it's amazing. Easy to use, accurate and with 5 presets I can easily get the results I want. Highly recommend!
I ordered one in October, the Squidmar special edition, it’s shipping this week. But I currently use 2, I use a Master brush I got for $35 off Amazon with a .5mm nozzle for priming and varnishing and some base coating. My Iawata with a .3? mm nozzle is used for highlighting and detailing. I was able to spray a Defkopta around an already painted Ork without over spraying the Ork. Once I get the H&S Ultra, the master will be relegated to varnish only. Varnish is a BITCH to clean out.
If it makes you feel any better, I've been using that same vortex mixer for the last 4 years without issue. Hopefully it continues to perform admirably for years to come.
I have a badger Patriot 105 and I have a handful of needles I switch between. I’ve had this airbrush for over a decade. I had it back when I had no idea how to take care of it and it’s still performing really well now that I do know what I’m doing. I do everything from primer coat to very fine detail airbrushing.
The absolute best hobby purchase I made this year was a 72" Kobalt workbench and six 16"x32" Wall Control metal pegboard panels. Totally leveled up my workspace.
Everyone commenting about how to use the accelerator is correct. 2 additions: 1) I built a little stand to store my accelerator in while the cap is loose because it's easy to knock over like the tall Nuln Oil bottles. Highly recommended. 2) the reaction between the two fluids is not 'instant,' if you are breaking the bond after use you need to give it a few seconds. Goobertown hobbies has a great video explaining the chemical functionality of CA glue and accelerators. If the lighting is right, you can see the wave of CA catalyze across an area touched with accelerant. Careful: this reaction is exothermic! You can burn your fingertips, it gets HOT!
The accelerator isn’t that much of a pain if you get it in a pump- bottle instead of a rattle can. Smell is still kinda meh but it doesn’t get literally anywhere
I have nerve issues in my hands. A vortex mixer helps me out a lot. It mixes my paint better then I can by hand and I don't send as many bottles flying across the room as much either
How I use accelerator is with a disposable pipette (I reuse it as much I can). I open the cap, dip the pipette and get a tiny amount. Then I place a drop on the joint after putting glue on and holding it in place. It soaks in and sets most of the glue. I've only done this on resin models so far. Other way is to use a cotton swap to apply on one side of the joint first then put the glue on the other side. Bonds pretty fast when pressed together.
I’m glad those size 10-12 are work. It’s a little comical to see the mini and a giant paint brush. Lol. As long it works keep rocking it man!! Thanks gents!! Fantastic as always!!!
I use one of those massage hammers as my paint mixer. Works just so damn well, because it really packs a punch AND I can use it to hammer my shoulders after painting 😂Way better than those more expensive paint shakers and more uses too, not to mention it's cheaper and much more powerful.
For superglue accelerant, using the applicator like a dropper, putting just one drop on one surface, superglue on the other, works wonders. I never spray it, it gets everywhere and stinks, but use a drop on the one side and superglue on the other and you avoid the fumes and you get pretty much instant curing, good enough to set down and move on to the next thing and great after 30 seconds or so.
For superglue, I get mine at Dollartree. They have a thick version, regular version, and a thin version and they're only a buck so if they dry up no biggie. For the toothpicks, I have a spice jar with holes so you only get one or two toothpicks at a time and it has a lid. For mini storage, I bought some Ikea metal office drawers, They're metal, stackable, and have six drawers for about $15. They are not big enough for some of the bigger minis though, each drawer is about 12 x 24 x 5 inches. At Hobby Lobby I found 1" square magnets that are chonky and make nice bases for Mordheim or the like.
I hear ya about the grots and the sand, every time I touch paint to a mini I almost immediately want to quit and just build more... Really falling behind on the painting this way...
A couple of super glue tips: super glue accelerator is literally just 70% isopropyl alcohol. Also vinegar will debon super glue so if you stick your fingers together you can soak in vinegar for 20 minutes and it will unglue them. Not the most convenient solution but it does work.
I got a vortex mixer (knock of brand) and glad I did as speed paint white needs it big time. Also got silicon brushes for sculpting. Makes life a lot easier.
You can contact her to fix your airbrush. I did that when my badger 200’s Teflon tube wore out (it’s a part you can’t replace yourself). They charge around $25 plus shipping, so it’s pretty reasonable. Keep in mind I did this back in 2012 😂
The best purchase i made this year(although i started in january) are the modular hobby zone storage boxes. Now everything has its place and i really feel that im into the miniature painting hobby forreal
I love superglue accelerator. The way I do it is I spray one side, dab glue on the other and then once you connect them it bonds basically instantly. You have like 1-2 seconds to adjust the position but then, thats it. That is one of the downsides of it but also an upside. And yeah, the fumes are rough. I can open the balcony door and turn on a fan to blow the air out and I need it every time I use it. So that I understand but the stability it brings shouldn't be an issue.
Hey Jay, I think you can fix the broken air brush with beeswax. I have a really crappy airbrush where I had a similar problem. I used beeswax and slightly melted it into the places where the tightness issues were present, and it works like a charm.
Super glue accelerator: I think you’re doing it wrong. The tech is to add superglue to one piece and pre-spray the point of contact that that super glue will be hitting. You are correct on one point: dat smell tho. I find a small fan works that out if I’m in a properly ventilated space.
Regarding the accelerator: Im not really sure if we are talking about the same kind of glue but i have heard that you could also spritz some water on the glue to have it cure faster. Put your glue on the part, spritz some water on it and put both parts together. It should cure significantly faster.
Hobby purchases I love from this year: Cuttlefish Colors, Pro Acryl and Speed Paints 2.0 and game envy exemplar wet palette. Less impressed with Warcolours, too much messing about with it to get paint consistency right. Also, bought a beginners airbrush, guess I am not happy with it.. as I have yet to use it.. cant blame the product though.
I've got that same Lab Genius mixer. Got it a few months ago and it's absolutely fantastic. Pretty affordable all things considered. I've only had problems with it when it comes to crazy thick paint like Dirty Down Rust. That stuff requires something in it to mix it, but you should be using those for that kind of paint anyways. Do you need it? No. Will your arms thank you for using one when you're 50+? Most certainly. They're also just fun to use lol, so totally worth it.
Vortex mixer works well and just add stainless shakers in the paint and its a dream. Mixes everything properly, and far better than hand mixing. I bought one for 100 bucks in Aus and had 12 months so far out of it. So if it burns out, no big deal. for less than 10 bucks a month for good mixing, that is good enough value for me. lol
That seems super smart! I want to try speedpaints for the tyranids in the leviathan box, seems like a neat way to use them and not have to buy too many colors
What are you thought on the Redgrass R9 desk lamp? I'm surprised you didn't pick that up this year. It cost a small fortune but it's amazing!! I'm really happy with it.
I use wooden toothpicks to scrape or push dirt off of work-in-progress paint models. The soft wood won't damage the plastic material without purposeful effort.
Is there any way that you could include the names of these products in the video description in the future? The CC and transcript don't always get the names correct.
I think 2 of my best purchases were: 2 $20 airbrushes from harbor freight. They require way less messing with than my Iwata EVER did, and work like a charm every time. A cheap paint cup from the Dollar tree. I dripped hot-glue globs in the bottom to give it texture. Way better than using the plastic Solo cups I've been using for 15 years. 20 years into this hobby and I still find new tools or tricks that make me say "Why tf did I do it different before?"
A trick taught by Uncle Atom: Keep your airbrushes soaking in isopropyl alcohol when you aren't using them. Just drop the whole thing right into a container of alcohol. Paint doesn't build up as fast and it's really easy to wipe out quickly right before you start painting.
Toothpicks as brushes are underrated (silicone nubby brushes too). I paint chaos trim regularly and it always seems to be that I can fit a toothpick into the nooks and crannies of the detailing to touch up overages on the trim.
An ultrasonic cleaner works by creating cavitation sites at the surface of anything solid. The resultant mini-explosions literally blast the grime/paint off.
Need a video on using an ultrasonic cleaner yips, what you can use with it. Like do you use it to strip models by the sounds of it is that using normal water?
I use a ton of speed paint as a base. I feels like a vortex mixer would make my life way easier. Speed paint really sucks to shake up. Anyone else tried to shake up a bottle of Holy White? 🤣
Maybe a cool cross-channel challenge would be to paint a mini to a good quality with the largest brush possible. Id say a size 10 would be hard to beat.
For your brushes get the GW water cup. It’s so useful. It has ribs at the bottom to scrape off paint from you bristles while washing it in water. It has slots on its sides on the inside to rinse the water out the bristles and make a fine point again. And the top of the cup has notches to hold a brush or two when you need to set it down. I feel like people overlook exactly how useful the cup really is and think ohh it’s just a water cup. It’s such a great, cheap tool for fantastic brush maintenance. A must for paint brush users!
Try baking soda as a superglue accelerator, either sprinkle on before applying the glue or use a pinch sprinkled after. Takes a bit of experimenting but it creates a super fast and strong bond.
Bill Making Stuff mixed baking soda and water in a spray bottle and said it worked well as an accelerator, but I don't know how long that lasts and how well it works 🤷
If you have paints that look like campbell soup it's easy to give them life. Keep the lid above the water and put them on the ultrasonic cleaner. The ultrasounds will blend and mix the ink back. No need to add anything just let the ultrasounds do the magic for you. Beware that the lid must not be underwater and always above (use a basket if you need).
Try soaking those minis in simple green overnight, it will take that primer off. Even works on plastic, the simple green won’t dissolve it. With the accelerator look into siringe bottles. It lets you apply a drop rather than spraying it. Just be super careful not to touch glue with it or you’ll clog the needle.
Challenge idea: Use the biggest brushes you own ie the size 12 and try to paint a model start to finish with only that brush and see if detailed you can get
I don't know what to do about the super glue accelerant stink (though some brands are probably work better than others), but you should try spaying the kicker on one surface and gluing the other and THEN put them together. This should cause the kicker to touch more of the glue and accelerate the curing process across the entire surface.
I think you need to try an aerosol can based accelerant instead. My hobby group swears by the Instant Bond Accelerator (available at hardware stores), and it works amazing. I use mine with both Gorilla Gel Super Glue, and the purple cap bsi ca glue.
Had my hands in a sonic cleaner as it was running and it was fine(tickled) but would probably be bad on your ears lol For instaset I've used superglue with instaset on a metal lathe to turn parts taking cuts 2.5mm deep(slow feed though on aluminum) and had to use a hammer to remove it
I also bought a Renegade Krome. The one I got pulsates and refuses to give me a steady flow, even if I put nothing but water in it. I was very disappointed. My Badger 105 works just fine.
Re the vortex mixer, I recommend a massage gun instead. They go on sale for cheap and mix the crap out of a bottle of paint. Plus u get a massage gun to boot.
The only reason I use a vortex mixer is for my Tesseract Glow. I have no idea why, but it forms a solid layer of just green at the bottom with a yellow oil on top. It’s super annoying because I can’t mix it by hand…
Jay, you're using accelerator wrong! Unscrew the cap, and dab the end that sits in the liquid against one of the two surfaces you're going to glue. Then put glue on the other, then fit them together. You waste WAAAAY less accelerator, the smell doesn't spread, and it creates a much stronger bond.
I came here to say this too!
I came here to say this as well. Lol
Me too!
Who's Jay?
100%
For me, I treat accelerator like a tack weld to hold things long enough to make it more secure later...or when the majority of the CA glue bead is visible and I cannot hold the joint stable enough.
One trick with superglue accelerator is to spray it on one surface and put the superglue on the other surface. Then when you put the two together, you'll have accelerator on the entire surface.
I was going to say the same thing. That way all of the CA glue makes contact with the accelerator instead of just the edges.
Apparently a solution of water and baking soda works too. But i havent tried it yet. Maybs worth a shot.
I've heard of baking soda being used to strengthen a CA bond for sure, not sure if it accelerates it or not though. Adam Savage has lots of thoughts on glue lol I think there's a whole video on Tested about CA glue@@MrDeadmoss
This is what I came here to say too. User error here.
The only problem (for me at least) is that I always seem to have to wiggle joints around to get them just right and having the accelerator in place already cuts that wiggle time down too much.
I bought a shop to turn into a hobby and gaming store! Definitely the best purchase I made this year - but also the hardest!
Second would be a cheapo portable airbrush perfect for terrain and basing
👏👏👏👏👏
Good luck. Its cause of folks like you that we can game
Due to health reason shaking paints properly can be difficult for me, so a couple of years ago I bought a cheap vortex mixer and it was terrible. A few months later I got a proper lab vortex mixer as a gift and it’s been amazing, it makes painting so much easier for me and I could never go back to be honest.
Highly recommend for anyone who struggles with mixing their paint.
I bought a lab vortex mixer as well and they help so much!
I have bad enough arthritis that it can be excruciating to shake paints well. I bought a $100 vortex mixer and was utterly underwhelmed. It does struggle with thicker paints to the point it’s useless.
depends on the paint i find but i have had good luck with mine so far!
@@DukensteinA1
I have the cheap one he hated, but it's worked great for me.
I needed to remix some paints that have been in storage for 10 years
can you share the brand or model please? Thank you!
I'll always remember some of Adam Savages advice from tested. When look at a new tool, buy the cheapest option first. Use it, see if it fits in your work flow, learn it's ins and outs, and when it wears out and you know you want it, go and buy the best version that is within your budget to do so.
You can take your vacuum filter outside and blast some air through it and it should work for a good while after that
I have no idea why but this gave me the thought of taking a vacuum outside, to the beach.
Then I wonderd what would happen if you had a hypothetical vacuum cleaner that has infinite storage and never clogs, and brought it too the beach.
Would it just keep vacuuming deep into the ground?
You can probably do this using your airbrush (no paint in it).
@@YanniCooper lol that’s exactly what I was thinking when i made the comment
Jay! I bought an onilab mixer, and mine works fine. It'll even mix the citadel paints if they're at layer paint consistency. For the thicker paints I add a mixing ball and a few drops of lahmien medium. . . works well.
For a vacuum you want a pneumatic one, they have lots of suction and are very simple and hardy. I don't know if they have it in the US but a henry hoover is £100 and its very durable, if they can survive construction yards they can survive a hobby desk!
Yeah those Henry Hoovers (and the smaller Henrietta) are god damn workhorses. There's a reason why they're so common place in industrial settings
@@luketfer absolutely, they are amazing for simple work like this.
Gritty and harsh particulates absolutely ruin bagless vacuums, it's best just to get a bagged one.
I don't know if anyone else has mentioned this, but a nice alternative to super glue accelerator that I learned about from Adam Savage Videos is baking soda. You only need to spray a little on the super glue and it will react and cause it to cure pretty fast. It also appears to add strength to the joint if you use a decent amount of baking soda. Funnily enough, the oils on your skin are also an accelerator which is why super glue almost instantly dries when you touch it.
I _highly_ recommend putting the super glue accelerant into small needle-tip applicator bottles. You waste a lot less, it's more precise, and it doesn't get the stinky oil everywhere.
I also bought a Jucoci case awhile ago and it's been a big help. I'd recommend as a good sturdy travel case. Nice handle and metal trays with adjustable height options
I feel like ultra thin superglue should have sponsored this video. 😂 love your videos, such enthusiasm and excitement about the hobby!
9:42 If goopy and separated paints are a hurdle for you to even get paint to model, and you don't want to shake every paint you need for 15 minutes, a vortex mixer is a much better hobby purchase than more grey plastic to stuff in the back of a cupboard.
Jay's enthusiasm is infectious. I'm tempted to pick up half of the things he recommends.
Hopefully he isn't wiping Goob Goo off the whiteboard at the end of the day.
Good and big paintbrushes with a good tip actually can do everything. From basecoat to detail. I use the Newton ones. They are expensive but last much longer than the GW or Armypainter ones.
same, i sometimes do trim with a big basecoat brush, they keep their tip very well which is far more important than the actual size
Appreciate the videos Jay, in case people don't know massage guns can work really well as a paint mixer! I picked one up to help with a back injury I got at work several years ago, and had some vallejo green and corax white that was globbed up like nothing I had seen before. No amount of hand work was getting this stuff smoothed out, and I had started looking at paint mixers online, idlily using the massage gun on my leg until it dawned on me! I threw a ball bearing into the pot, and put a flat end on my massage gun and let it get to work. Results were amazing, to the point where I knew this was what I would be doing for all my paints. Very easy budget friendly alternative, and its use extends well beyond helping with my hobby!
With the superglue activator, spray on the join on one part before you put them together or dip that part into some of it before putting together. The stuff has been a life changer.
Great video! Stop spraying the accelerator, just unscrew the lid, and just touch the straw part on whatever part needs it. So much better than spraying it and getting it all over.
A massage gun is lifesaving for mixing paints. I also use it on my back during paint sessions to ease the aching as well as my wrist & arm
The vortex mixer is a great solution for those who don’t paint often. Especially contrast paints. You can see the pigment collect on the bottom of the bottle, and no way just shaking it gets those to mix back in. I’ve tried, and it took even my vortex mixer a couple of minutes to get those to mix. I’d be lifting weights before I would be able to mix seldom used contrast by hand.
try adding stainless steel balls as agitators
I've successfully revived my Vallejo and Citadel that were in storage for ten years with a VM and steel balls
Got a Jucoci case after you first mentioned them. Good cases. Now im magnetizing everything so they stick to the trays. Also getting a second one or two.
Added a cheap desk from IKEA which I love. Simple desk with a big drawer that I cram my tools in, and grass tufts/terrain stuff for bases. Also, AWESOME video and thank you for your candid honesty as always. Love it!
I have the same vortex mixer and I've been using it for a year now and I love it! You probably used it more in the 5 months than I have in the 12 but so far it is going strong and I never wanna have to shake paints manually again
I still use my first paint mixer, Step 1 Buy a cheap Jigsaw ($10-20), step 2 buy a small vice grip from harbor freight ($2-10), depending on the connection between grip and jigsaw you can either connect the grip directly (old 1980s-2010 model) or you need to take a blade and connect it to the vice grip either with soldering of a ton of heavy duty take and epoxy.
Now you have an amazing paint shaker.
Jay, regarding your handheld vacuum I use a small 1.5 gal Hyper Tough wet/dry vac you find at Wallyworld that's not too big or heavy and cleans up a lot more than your previous vacuum. It comes with the attachments you'd expect and a bracket so you can hang it close to where you'd be using it most. Also, videos like these can really use some affiliate links in the info as I always seem to find something that I could use, and knowing it helps the channel out a bit is always a plus.
Check out the new Ravaged Star Minis! gamefound.com/projects/miniwargaming/ravaged-star-tabletop-miniature-wargame?refcode=NzPRiINjx0m1pJ4pNt9I_g
Posted three days ago? You’re holding out on us son!
great minis for gamers
I added the Harder and Steenbeck Ultra to my hobby desk and it's amazing. Easy to use, accurate and with 5 presets I can easily get the results I want. Highly recommend!
I ordered one in October, the Squidmar special edition, it’s shipping this week. But I currently use 2, I use a Master brush I got for $35 off Amazon with a .5mm nozzle for priming and varnishing and some base coating. My Iawata with a .3? mm nozzle is used for highlighting and detailing. I was able to spray a Defkopta around an already painted Ork without over spraying the Ork. Once I get the H&S Ultra, the master will be relegated to varnish only. Varnish is a BITCH to clean out.
If it makes you feel any better, I've been using that same vortex mixer for the last 4 years without issue. Hopefully it continues to perform admirably for years to come.
I have an Onilab mixer and I think it works quite well, you just have to make sure to drop in a mixing ball.
I have a badger Patriot 105 and I have a handful of needles I switch between. I’ve had this airbrush for over a decade. I had it back when I had no idea how to take care of it and it’s still performing really well now that I do know what I’m doing. I do everything from primer coat to very fine detail airbrushing.
The absolute best hobby purchase I made this year was a 72" Kobalt workbench and six 16"x32" Wall Control metal pegboard panels. Totally leveled up my workspace.
Everyone commenting about how to use the accelerator is correct. 2 additions:
1) I built a little stand to store my accelerator in while the cap is loose because it's easy to knock over like the tall Nuln Oil bottles. Highly recommended.
2) the reaction between the two fluids is not 'instant,' if you are breaking the bond after use you need to give it a few seconds. Goobertown hobbies has a great video explaining the chemical functionality of CA glue and accelerators. If the lighting is right, you can see the wave of CA catalyze across an area touched with accelerant. Careful: this reaction is exothermic! You can burn your fingertips, it gets HOT!
The accelerator isn’t that much of a pain if you get it in a pump- bottle instead of a rattle can. Smell is still kinda meh but it doesn’t get literally anywhere
I have nerve issues in my hands. A vortex mixer helps me out a lot.
It mixes my paint better then I can by hand and I don't send as many bottles flying across the room as much either
Exactly! Wrist issues with sharp pains make it hard to shake. Vortex Mixer? A blessing
How I use accelerator is with a disposable pipette (I reuse it as much I can). I open the cap, dip the pipette and get a tiny amount. Then I place a drop on the joint after putting glue on and holding it in place. It soaks in and sets most of the glue. I've only done this on resin models so far. Other way is to use a cotton swap to apply on one side of the joint first then put the glue on the other side. Bonds pretty fast when pressed together.
I’m glad those size 10-12 are work. It’s a little comical to see the mini and a giant paint brush. Lol. As long it works keep rocking it man!! Thanks gents!! Fantastic as always!!!
I use one of those massage hammers as my paint mixer. Works just so damn well, because it really packs a punch AND I can use it to hammer my shoulders after painting 😂Way better than those more expensive paint shakers and more uses too, not to mention it's cheaper and much more powerful.
For superglue accelerant, using the applicator like a dropper, putting just one drop on one surface, superglue on the other, works wonders. I never spray it, it gets everywhere and stinks, but use a drop on the one side and superglue on the other and you avoid the fumes and you get pretty much instant curing, good enough to set down and move on to the next thing and great after 30 seconds or so.
For superglue, I get mine at Dollartree. They have a thick version, regular version, and a thin version and they're only a buck so if they dry up no biggie. For the toothpicks, I have a spice jar with holes so you only get one or two toothpicks at a time and it has a lid. For mini storage, I bought some Ikea metal office drawers, They're metal, stackable, and have six drawers for about $15. They are not big enough for some of the bigger minis though, each drawer is about 12 x 24 x 5 inches. At Hobby Lobby I found 1" square magnets that are chonky and make nice bases for Mordheim or the like.
I got a Jucoci case (after converting everything to magnetic cobalt keep bases) and i will absolutely be buying a second one. Love the thing.
I hear ya about the grots and the sand, every time I touch paint to a mini I almost immediately want to quit and just build more... Really falling behind on the painting this way...
A couple of super glue tips: super glue accelerator is literally just 70% isopropyl alcohol. Also vinegar will debon super glue so if you stick your fingers together you can soak in vinegar for 20 minutes and it will unglue them. Not the most convenient solution but it does work.
I got a vortex mixer (knock of brand) and glad I did as speed paint white needs it big time. Also got silicon brushes for sculpting. Makes life a lot easier.
Totally feel you on the vortex mixer. I caved to the hype... just shake your paint. I did buy some ProAcryl this year, and I love these paints.
You can contact her to fix your airbrush. I did that when my badger 200’s Teflon tube wore out (it’s a part you can’t replace yourself). They charge around $25 plus shipping, so it’s pretty reasonable. Keep in mind I did this back in 2012 😂
The best purchase i made this year(although i started in january) are the modular hobby zone storage boxes. Now everything has its place and i really feel that im into the miniature painting hobby forreal
I love superglue accelerator. The way I do it is I spray one side, dab glue on the other and then once you connect them it bonds basically instantly. You have like 1-2 seconds to adjust the position but then, thats it. That is one of the downsides of it but also an upside. And yeah, the fumes are rough. I can open the balcony door and turn on a fan to blow the air out and I need it every time I use it. So that I understand but the stability it brings shouldn't be an issue.
Hey Jay, I think you can fix the broken air brush with beeswax. I have a really crappy airbrush where I had a similar problem. I used beeswax and slightly melted it into the places where the tightness issues were present, and it works like a charm.
Super glue accelerator: I think you’re doing it wrong. The tech is to add superglue to one piece and pre-spray the point of contact that that super glue will be hitting. You are correct on one point: dat smell tho. I find a small fan works that out if I’m in a properly ventilated space.
Regarding the accelerator:
Im not really sure if we are talking about the same kind of glue but i have heard that you could also spritz some water on the glue to have it cure faster. Put your glue on the part, spritz some water on it and put both parts together. It should cure significantly faster.
Hobby purchases I love from this year: Cuttlefish Colors, Pro Acryl and Speed Paints 2.0 and game envy exemplar wet palette. Less impressed with Warcolours, too much messing about with it to get paint consistency right. Also, bought a beginners airbrush, guess I am not happy with it.. as I have yet to use it.. cant blame the product though.
I've got that same Lab Genius mixer. Got it a few months ago and it's absolutely fantastic. Pretty affordable all things considered. I've only had problems with it when it comes to crazy thick paint like Dirty Down Rust. That stuff requires something in it to mix it, but you should be using those for that kind of paint anyways. Do you need it? No. Will your arms thank you for using one when you're 50+? Most certainly. They're also just fun to use lol, so totally worth it.
Vortex mixer works well and just add stainless shakers in the paint and its a dream. Mixes everything properly, and far better than hand mixing. I bought one for 100 bucks in Aus and had 12 months so far out of it. So if it burns out, no big deal. for less than 10 bucks a month for good mixing, that is good enough value for me. lol
The Jacoci case is frigging phenomenal. I want 10 of them.
I am absolutely loving white ink.
Mix it with some speed paints and you instantly got a highlight color of that same speed paint. Its pretty sweet
That seems super smart! I want to try speedpaints for the tyranids in the leviathan box, seems like a neat way to use them and not have to buy too many colors
I always enjoy your videos, but that White Board bit just killed me today. Thanks for the laugh!
What are you thought on the Redgrass R9 desk lamp? I'm surprised you didn't pick that up this year. It cost a small fortune but it's amazing!! I'm really happy with it.
You could try putting a prefilter on your vacuum. That may help with keeping the paper filter from getting clogged so quickly.
I use wooden toothpicks to scrape or push dirt off of work-in-progress paint models. The soft wood won't damage the plastic material without purposeful effort.
That's funny, because I have the Onilab vortex mixer and it works fantastic for me. Did you add agitators to your paint?
Is there any way that you could include the names of these products in the video description in the future? The CC and transcript don't always get the names correct.
I think 2 of my best purchases were:
2 $20 airbrushes from harbor freight. They require way less messing with than my Iwata EVER did, and work like a charm every time.
A cheap paint cup from the Dollar tree. I dripped hot-glue globs in the bottom to give it texture. Way better than using the plastic Solo cups I've been using for 15 years.
20 years into this hobby and I still find new tools or tricks that make me say "Why tf did I do it different before?"
6:15 mark. Army Painter primers from about 8 years ago. You can not get that stuff to lift. Evil in an aerosol.
A trick taught by Uncle Atom: Keep your airbrushes soaking in isopropyl alcohol when you aren't using them. Just drop the whole thing right into a container of alcohol. Paint doesn't build up as fast and it's really easy to wipe out quickly right before you start painting.
Toothpicks as brushes are underrated (silicone nubby brushes too). I paint chaos trim regularly and it always seems to be that I can fit a toothpick into the nooks and crannies of the detailing to touch up overages on the trim.
An ultrasonic cleaner works by creating cavitation sites at the surface of anything solid. The resultant mini-explosions literally blast the grime/paint off.
Tell us more about these river rocks for mixing?!?!? also How do you go about adding water to your older paint?
Need a video on using an ultrasonic cleaner yips, what you can use with it. Like do you use it to strip models by the sounds of it is that using normal water?
I use a ton of speed paint as a base. I feels like a vortex mixer would make my life way easier. Speed paint really sucks to shake up. Anyone else tried to shake up a bottle of Holy White? 🤣
It sucks! That's why I got a vortex mixer!
I added a metal mixing ball to all my xpress colour and that really sped up the mixing process.
Dropping hints for the holidays... I see you
Maybe a cool cross-channel challenge would be to paint a mini to a good quality with the largest brush possible. Id say a size 10 would be hard to beat.
For your brushes get the GW water cup. It’s so useful. It has ribs at the bottom to scrape off paint from you bristles while washing it in water. It has slots on its sides on the inside to rinse the water out the bristles and make a fine point again. And the top of the cup has notches to hold a brush or two when you need to set it down. I feel like people overlook exactly how useful the cup really is and think ohh it’s just a water cup. It’s such a great, cheap tool for fantastic brush maintenance. A must for paint brush users!
Try baking soda as a superglue accelerator, either sprinkle on before applying the glue or use a pinch sprinkled after. Takes a bit of experimenting but it creates a super fast and strong bond.
Bill Making Stuff mixed baking soda and water in a spray bottle and said it worked well as an accelerator, but I don't know how long that lasts and how well it works 🤷
For the superglue accelerator, try spritzing the accelerator on one surface and glue on the other, then put them together.
Good boy JayJay! 🫶🍻
If you have paints that look like campbell soup it's easy to give them life. Keep the lid above the water and put them on the ultrasonic cleaner. The ultrasounds will blend and mix the ink back. No need to add anything just let the ultrasounds do the magic for you. Beware that the lid must not be underwater and always above (use a basket if you need).
At what heat do you bake your minis exactly?
Dissolve about 1 teaspoon of Baking Soda, in about 1/2 cup of water in a spray bottle. Works the same as accelerator without the smell.
There are some great tips in here. I might have to find a nice shot glass for my tooth picks.
Vortex mixers are the best. Specifically for contrast paints, get rid of all that sediment build up.
I just saw a video for the H&S Ultra 2024 air brush and it looks really good.
Try soaking those minis in simple green overnight, it will take that primer off. Even works on plastic, the simple green won’t dissolve it. With the accelerator look into siringe bottles. It lets you apply a drop rather than spraying it. Just be super careful not to touch glue with it or you’ll clog the needle.
Challenge idea:
Use the biggest brushes you own ie the size 12 and try to paint a model start to finish with only that brush and see if detailed you can get
Think you could use the ultrasonic cleaner without liquids to shake up the paint?
I don't know what to do about the super glue accelerant stink (though some brands are probably work better than others), but you should try spaying the kicker on one surface and gluing the other and THEN put them together. This should cause the kicker to touch more of the glue and accelerate the curing process across the entire surface.
I love your list but I got one of those voxter mixers from Amazon, works great for me.
I think you need to try an aerosol can based accelerant instead. My hobby group swears by the Instant Bond Accelerator (available at hardware stores), and it works amazing. I use mine with both Gorilla Gel Super Glue, and the purple cap bsi ca glue.
I got a nail polish Shaker from Amazon for like $20. Does a pretty good job with some mixing balls in the bottle
Where did you get Rosemary & Co brushes in the USA?
Had my hands in a sonic cleaner as it was running and it was fine(tickled) but would probably be bad on your ears lol
For instaset I've used superglue with instaset on a metal lathe to turn parts taking cuts 2.5mm deep(slow feed though on aluminum) and had to use a hammer to remove it
Which type of rosemary and co synthetics are those? Is it the acrylic line?
I also bought a Renegade Krome. The one I got pulsates and refuses to give me a steady flow, even if I put nothing but water in it. I was very disappointed. My Badger 105 works just fine.
I feel this video so much. Ive made some of these exact mistake purchases
Baking soda is by far the best accletrator for ca glue, also it builds up and fills gaps if you want it too
ever use a jig saw to shake your paints? you can 3dprint holders
Re the vortex mixer, I recommend a massage gun instead. They go on sale for cheap and mix the crap out of a bottle of paint. Plus u get a massage gun to boot.
The only reason I use a vortex mixer is for my Tesseract Glow. I have no idea why, but it forms a solid layer of just green at the bottom with a yellow oil on top. It’s super annoying because I can’t mix it by hand…
Technically you can also use your ultrasonic cleaner as a mixer instead of a vortex mixer. It will probably do a much better job too
The white board 🤨 😆
Links to the products would be amazing! I'd love to get that paint stirrer that you say is actually good.