Stick blender for paint

[Jacob]

Is there a trade type non-culinary stick blender for paint i.e. small enough to stick in a tin?
Yes I could make something up with a flat bit or whatever but the kitchen stick blenders are mega efficient. Perhaps I'll just get a cheap kitchen one.

 

[AES]

Here some suppliers just give you what looks like a big flat wooden lolly stick, free -but many others don't.

Personally I find whatever the type of paint, varnish, etc, very VERY good stirring is essential, so I bought a couple of the "twisty propeller thingies" that you can chuck into an electric drill to thoroughly stir the paint. One's a "big" one for 5 & 10 litre& up tins, the other's a little one for smaller paint tins (I even have a little very gimmicky battery powered "cocktail mixer" for small, modeller's size paints etc.) They all work very well and if used carefully, make less mess that any traditional hand stirrer - quicker, and MUCH more thorough.

Doubt that such modern gimmickry will appeal to you Jacob, but IMO, one of those modern gadgets that's a definite improvement on traditional stirring stick methods.

 

[Jacob]

No I want a modern gadget - old paint can really need a thorough blast. Thats what I meant by "stick" blender - not just some sort of stick!
I might as well get one of these as they are cheap.

 

[AES]

Well I don't know about UK prices these days Jacob, but here you can get a "plastic propeller on a metal stick thingy" to go in any drill for roughly one third of the price of that Russell Hobbs mixer.

You're right though, especially if there's a load of "sediment" (i.e. pigment) + oils which have separated out of the mix down in the tin on top of the pigment, then a "gadget" is IMO the only answer. Suggest you have a look on the Axi web site, just as an example - the things I'm talking about look pretty much like the self-powered mixers that plasters, etc, use, just not self-powered and a lot smaller.

 

[ColeyS1]

I saw this the other day

Picked these up from the co-op for a few quid

Haven't tried them yet. I've found a slim stick (40-6mm ish) with a series of holes up through gets the job done a bit quicker.


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[ColeyS1]

This was linked to the whisk idea.

A bolt with some cable ties attached. Seems easy enough to try.

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[Rorschach]

I have found these for as little as £1. I keep one for filler/plaster, another for paints.
Cordless drill works great for light mixing, or a mains drill when you need some oomph

https://www.screwfix.com/p/power-paint-mixer/61617

 

[mbartlett99]

Isn't the point of a whisk to put air into a liquid? Not what I want with paint.

 

[Bm101]

I have found these for as little as £1. I keep one for filler/plaster, another for paints.
Cordless drill works great for light mixing, or a mains drill when you need some oomph

https://www.screwfix.com/p/power-paint-mixer/61617

I use one like this too on slowest speed. It folds the paint fine without noticeably adding too much air. Certainly, no bubbles if used submerged not on the surface.
(A tip I picked up recently for using older paints was using tights as a strainer. Works a treat if you haven't seen it done before.)

 

[thick_mike]

The stick blenders are high shear and as such wont be suitable for waterborne paints. The shear can flocculate the emulsion resin and turn it into cottage cheese. It’s not a problem for solventborne paint, but it’s a bit over the top.

In the paint industry we use shakers like they have in the DIY sheds.

To be honest, if the paint has been formulated properly, the pigment shouldn’t need redispersing. The settlement should be reincorporated with a slower agitator like the spiral mixers linked above.

 

[Rorschach]

I have found these for as little as £1. I keep one for filler/plaster, another for paints.
Cordless drill works great for light mixing, or a mains drill when you need some oomph

https://www.screwfix.com/p/power-paint-mixer/61617

I use one like this too on slowest speed. It folds the paint fine without noticeably adding too much air. Certainly, no bubbles if used submerged not on the surface.
(A tip I picked up recently for using older paints was using tights as a strainer. Works a treat if you haven't seen it done before.)

Yes I have never had any problems with air either except when the tin is getting too low to submerge the mixer.

 

[AES]

Wow chaps, this is all getting a bit "technical" for me! The big stirrer I have looks exactly like the one from screwfix that someone linked to above. I'll take a pic of the smaller one I use and post it tomorrow.

I don't know much about paint formulation, but have never had a problem with aeration that I've noticed - never tried the cooking whisk-type thingy though, so "dunno".

Even if used straight from the shop I always give the tin a very good shake with the tin upside down (before removing the lid!) followed by an electric drill stir before using. But if the tin's been stored for a while, even upside down and/or with a round bit of polythene sheet on top I find I do get skin on top quite often, and/or separation of pigment.

If skin and/or pigment separation I try to get most skin off with an old screwdriver followed by straining (+1 for tights, or a paper coffee filter if I have time) but in any case, always followed by a good long electric stirring.

Works fine for me.

 

[Jacob]

Very interesting and thanks for all the info!
I might try the wife's stick blender whilst she's not looking. Should be able to clean it if I do it straight away. :shock:
It's for old linseed oil paint - it keeps brilliantly but settles very densely after a year or so and is difficult to stir.

 

[Turbo]

An piece of thick steel wire bent into a triangle shape with a tail to go into a cordless drill is all I ever use to mix paint. I use tig welding rod but an old wire coat hanger would work too.

Another alternative is beaters from a scrap food mixer but they are harder to clean.

 

[Jacob]

I hadn't got the point about not incorporating air. Hence the paint shop tin shaker, which does it with the lid firmly on.

 

[Simou1]

I bought one of these Cyklone mixers a couple of years ago and have to say that it is brilliant. Mixes all paints superbly, has a rounded bottom to protect the tin and cleans up quickly. I thought it expensive at first for a bit of alloy but it has paid for itself over and over.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/CYKLONE-Multi- ... aint+mixer

 

[Phil Pascoe]

An piece of thick steel wire bent into a triangle shape with a tail to go into a cordless drill is all I ever use to mix paint. I use tig welding rod but an old wire coat hanger would work too.

Another alternative is beaters from a scrap food mixer but they are harder to clean.

Likewise with an old piece of 4mm threaded rod.

 

[ColeyS1]

I think I like it !

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[Jacob]

.....
I think I like it !......

Yep. Me too.
I've settled for the coach bolt plus cable ties. Cost zero, 2 seconds to set up!
Round bolt head and soft ties means no damage to the tin. The ties can be over long and scour nicely around the inside of the tin.
Still gets air bubbles - but all methods will except the lid-on tin shake method. Fix paint tins to bike wheels perhaps?

Incidentally - the two year old half full tin of linseed paint was in excellent nick. No skinning over, just firmly settled and in need of a good stir.
If it had been normal modern paint it would have been a solid lump.

 

[AES]

I find getting air into the paint is not a problem. You start off before opening the tin with a bigger empty tin standing by. After the shaking, remove the lid, remove skin and strain (if necessary) then slowly lower the stirrer into the tin with the drill running at slow speed. When it reaches the bottom speed up the drill and keep it down on the bottom. You see "fresh" paint rising up to the top. Do NOT lift the stirrer off the bottom (or just above it) otherwise you will see air bubbles. When done STOP the drill then raise it, put it into the empty tin and run it at full speed to remove most of the now stirred paint off the stirrer. Clean the stirrer (as you'll see below, I don't always do that last step very well!) then decant the now thoroughly mixed paint into the empty tin.

My "small" mixer:

HTH

P.S. I did try bent wire but not the best result. I find this better.