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Hi everyone, I'm new here and I have done a search. I'm looking at getting some suggestions for a specific tool.

I want a painting handle but don't want to spend much money. What does everyone recommend, assuming you use one?

I use this at the mo http://fauxhammer.com/reviews/free-miniature-painting-handle/

when i attended a Siege Studios course (https://www.facebook.com/siegestudios/) recently we were advised just to use plastic disposable glasses from Poundland with blutak. They're light, so don't cause hand cramp if doing a long session, & you can get a load for £1 so you can mount your whole squad at the same time. I was tempted by the GW one but will probably try the Poundland method 1st.

Im using the gw one. cheap and nice not having to use blue tac

otherwise its cork and paper clips on pinned bits for sub assembly painting.

The GW handle. I like it a lot actually. It was an impulse buy that I assumed Id regret, but I do use it every time I paint now. So its kinda awesome.

 Purifyingflame_7 wrote:
The GW handle. I like it a lot actually. It was an impulse buy that I assumed Id regret, but I do use it every time I paint now. So its kinda awesome.

And impossible to get........

I use my pin vice. I''ve pinned the foot (sometimes feet) anyway and I already have the vice,

I bought the GW one. The downside is you can’t swap out minis single handedly. So doing an entire squad with it is a PITA. It it’s perfect when you are just focusing on one mini start to finish.

Champagne corks and blu-tak if it's on a sacrificial base.

If it's still got the tab attached, then a foldback clip attached to a piece of 25mm dowel.
It sits in a test tube rack between colours.

Corks and double sided sticky tape.

I used to hold the base like most people back in the day, you get cramps and painted fingernails

I have a load of old paint pots but ended up getting GW paint handle as it was cheap fit for purpose.
When I undercoat, I use a length of wood with double sided tape and tooth picks

I use either an old pill bottle with poster tack or mounting tape or a Rathcore handle I got through their Kickstarter.

I use the GW one. It was reasonably priced and on the shelf. GW so rarely has something that’s in the impulse buy range.

I’m honestly thinking of getting 1-3 more of them. I often paint minis in pairs or groups of 4, so having a handle for everyone would be nice.

clively wrote:
I bought the GW one. The downside is you can’t swap out minis single handedly. So doing an entire squad with it is a PITA. It it’s perfect when you are just focusing on one mini start to finish.

I suspect they had single model focus in their minds when they designed the spring loaded deathtrap handle.

I also have one of these http://www.greenstuffworld.com/en/working-tools/292-universal-work-holder.html

I have five of the GW painting handles so that I can paint five models at a time in the assembly line method. I love it! The downside is that it can't handle bases larger than 40mm. Considering I hope to run Stormcast as my main AoS Army and Beastclaw Raiders as my secondary army, this is a bit of a downside as there are several models in the Stormcast and Beastclaw Raiders range that have bases much larger than 40mm.

That said, I have used them A LOT for my 40K armies and love them!

SG

I love the GW painting handle. I was skeptical at first, but since it wasn't too expensive I went ahead and got one, and now I'm thinking about picking up four more.

I just use my mitts, and hold the base. On the rare occassion I need to use a handle, I have a few 3/4 inch wood blocks I blu-tack the underside of the baso onto.

 AegisGrimm wrote:
I just use my mitts, and hold the base. On the rare occassion I need to use a handle, I have a few 3/4 inch wood blocks I blu-tack the underside of the baso onto.

Nothing beats four fingers and a thumb.

You guys make feel like some sort of painting caveman.

 Mr Nobody wrote:

 AegisGrimm wrote:
I just use my mitts, and hold the base. On the rare occassion I need to use a handle, I have a few 3/4 inch wood blocks I blu-tack the underside of the baso onto.

Nothing beats four fingers and a thumb.

You guys make feel like some sort of painting caveman.

Oh, I don't use the handle all the time. Since I only have one, it isn't very practical for batch painting squads (which is most of what I've done lately). I usually just grip the base with my hands. The handle does make things easier for something like a character, though.

I've never seen a painting handle like the OP links to in his blog. Like most here, I use the Citadel paint handle.

I super glue a foot to a cut sprue piece, and after I paint I attach the model to the base. I've hears great things about the GW handle though.

Mentos gum has a container that is perfect if you use Blutak. It costs like 3 bucks and you get a messload of gum too.

Seems like most people here use the GW handle.
I was thinking about it too but since I usualy paint 75mm miniatures I think its not for me. At least for now.

So I searched for a painting handle for me on the internet but didnt really find anything I like so I ended up with this.



A small pepper mill with a cork screwed on top of it. I haven't really used it much since I have it for about a month or something but so far I really like it.

Recycled pill bottle, with painter's tape to hold it in place.


Bottles come in a variety of sizes; for larger models, think vitamin bottles. The bottles are effectively free (they were just going to be recycled anyway, might as well re-use them). I also add a few coins or sand to the bottle before gluing the lid shut. This helps prevent me knocking over my WIP models when I set them down.

I've tried poster tac in the past but it wasn't sticky enough for me, models kept falling off. I switched to painter's tape and haven't looked back. I probably use too much of it to be honest, but it is pretty cheap (less than $5 per roll) and the models never fall off. Removal is easy and leaves no visible residue in my experience.

I use a Hobby Holder I picked up from KS. It works very well- it has one of those grips with the bar on top that can be used to support your brush, can be dunked in simple green and such to remove paint, and has a simple design so there isn't anything that can break or get gummed up and stop working.

It is more expensive than the GW one (can't believe I just typed that) but I do think it's a better tool- available at gameenvy.net

I use the Rathcore holders, I was part of the Kickstarter for them. More fancy then most, but very light weight, and being wood they will last a long time, only thing that needs to be replaced would be the cork and I'm sure that would last a long time as well if treated right. Nice thing is the bar can be removed if you don't need it, but provides a nice stable place for that fine detail.

https://www.pk-pro.de/Miniature-Holders-Grips-V3

The GW butt plug is fantastic and cheap. Loads better than blu tac on a timble.

My hand. And I often paint for 3/4 hours plus and have never got cramp. Am I doing something wrong?