Awesome Paint Shaker - Professional Tools For Modelers
The first step in getting the perfect paint job is having a perfectly mixed paint!
There are heaps of different techniques for shaking paint and each of them have their pros and cons however... even with the cons of each method it's still better than having a poorly mixed paint.
There are heaps of different techniques for shaking paint and each of them have their pros and cons however... even with the cons of each method it's still better than having a poorly mixed paint.
Problems that can be faced with poorly mixed paint are:
- Splattering paint from the airbrush due to large unmixed blobs of pigment being pushed through the airbrush
- Uneven color and color variations midway through spraying paint
- Poor color matching when trying to use the same color on different occasions
Below you will find a collection of images with all of the measurements and dimensions that you'll need to know in order to build one of these paint shakers yourself.
You'll also find a list of the materials and links to where they were purchased from and finally at the bottom you'll find the STL files for the 3D printed components.
You'll also find a list of the materials and links to where they were purchased from and finally at the bottom you'll find the STL files for the 3D printed components.
The 3D printed files were printed on the Anycubic 3D printer however they could just as easily be printed on an FDM printer which is more commonly used in the 3D printing community.
Video Tutorial
To make sense of the build process I recommend watching the tutorial video first to pick up on some of the basic tips and techniques for constructing the paint shaker.
Additionally, I used a speed controller to enable the speed of the paint shaker to be adjusted, this step can easily be omitted and you'll still have a fantastic paint shaker that thoroughly mixes paint.
Additionally, I used a speed controller to enable the speed of the paint shaker to be adjusted, this step can easily be omitted and you'll still have a fantastic paint shaker that thoroughly mixes paint.
Materials & Components:
Photo Guide
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5A 12VDC PWM Motor Speed Controller Kit
https://www.jaycar.com.au/5a-12vdc-pwm-motor-speed-controller-kit/p/KD6102 470RPM HIGH TORQUE WORM GEAR MOTOR
https://www.iot-store.com.au/products/470rpm-high-torque-worm-gear-motor-wg58-17k |
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M4 Hexagon Bolt
www.bunnings.com.au/pinnacle-m4-x-20mm-zinc-plated-hex-head-set-screw-10-pack_p2310598 10mm M4 Screws (Motor Mounting Screws)
www.jaycar.com.au/10mm-x-4mm-steel-screws-pk-25/p/HP0450 |
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Just be sure to check the center hole diameter, the hub I used had a 6mm center hole however the DC motor had an 8mm drive shaft which meant I needed to dill out the center hole to enable it to fit over the drive shaft.
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Polycarbonate Sheet
www.bunnings.com.au/suntuf-400-x-400-x-10mm-clear-palsun-polycarbonate-sheet_p1010484 Clear Acrylic Sheet
www.jaycar.com.au/clear-acrylic-sheet/p/HM9509 Aluminium Flat Bar
www.bunnings.com.au/metal-mate-12-x-3mm-1m-aluminium-flat-bar_p1064249 |
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29mm Numbered Knob
www.jaycar.com.au/29mm-numbered-knob-skirt-with-number-0-9/p/HK7788 Mini Rocker Switch
www.jaycar.com.au/spst-mini-rocker-switch/p/SK0984 |
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2.5mm DC Power Connector
www.jaycar.com.au/2-5mm-bulkhead-male-dc-power-connector/p/PS0524 If you need the female connector as well here is the link:
www.jaycar.com.au/2-5mm-dc-metal-line-plug/p/PP0532 |
Measurements & Dimensions:
Photo Guide:
Core Measurements:
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Internal Component Measurements:
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3D Printed Components:
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6mm Diameter drive wheel, designed to fit with the aluminium mounting hub. Just remember that the drive shaft for the motor I used is 8mm and the center hole on the aluminium hub is 6mm, if you build this shaker to the exact same specifications and use the same components you'll need to drill out the center of the aluminium mounting hub with an 8mm drill bit.
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This paint bottle holder is specifically designed to hold the Scale Modellers Supply 30ml bottles however it also fits Vallejo, Tamiya and citadel paints as well, not perfectly but they do fit ok.
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This spacer is used to limit the amount of wobble that the aluminium arm experiences as the paint shaker operates.
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These clips are good for all sorts of different applications!
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All of the information contained above should be enough for you to fully replicate the paint shaker I demonstrate in the video, just remember that the aluminium mounting hub I used didn't fit the DC motor drive shaft and I had to drill a larger hole (8mm) in the middle of the mounting hub. If you don't have a drill press then getting the hole exactly center can be very difficult, if I had more time to build this project I would have ordered an 8mm mounting hub instead which I highly recommend if you do try and build this paint shaker with the same DC motor I used.
If you have any question feel free to ask the below and I'll do my best to get back to you with an answer.
