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Greetings!

I'm new to the painting hobby and got a question about painting when having very few fingers on one of the hands (in this case, a condition called ectrodactyly). Imagine having like a small thumb and nothing else (tried to post an image of it, but it won't be permitted since it's my first post). Do you have any solutions how to "hold" the figure in an effective way?

The best thing I can think of right now would be something similar to a thimble and attach the miniature with poster putty (if that's the English word for it). But I'm hoping you guys can come up with better solutions to the problem? I'm appreciating any help and ideas!

Best regards,

There are a lot of painting handles for miniatures on the market. I’m not 100% sure about the latest one from GW, but I have one for their last generation (which I think is the same, just with a chonkier grip)

One thing I noticed is that the grippy part the hold the mini screwed off the handle part, and looked to use the same size threads as a mini tripod I had for my camera. A set up like that might give you a stable setup to hold the mini while you paint.

Sticking models onto assorted things like corks, pill bottles, etc. with poster tack is a long time honored tradition for getting a comfortable grip while painting. Some people will actually glue them to a temp base and snap them off when done with the painting step, especially when painting things in parts.

I’m sure you can find something that works for you.

Nevelon already hit all the high points.

My suggestion to start with is to find something you CAN hold comfortably and firmly, and use blu-tak (also called fun-tak and mounting putty) to stick the mini to it. Might be a section of broom handle, a bottle cap, a thimble, a popsicle stick, random bits of discarded packing material, whatever works FOR YOU. You might even want a couple different options for getting at different angles while painting.

That'll get you started on the cheap. As you gain experience you can seek out other possibilities that might cost more but work better. But you really do need the experience so you'll know what sort of thing does work, and what most pointedly does NOT work, for you. So grab some minis, some blu-tak, and some potential handles and get started, because that's the only way you'll really be able to figure it out.

Another option which removes the need for a second arm/hand completely is a desk/table vise more or less like this: https://www.amazon.com/Universal-Electric-Grinder-Woodworking-Drilling/dp/B0BX7S4KT5

They can get more expensive the more stable and weighty you go, but something like this should do the trick. It might be a bit more stable than the tripod mentioned above.

I'd stll blu-tack the model base to a piece of cork or something, and vise that.

Another thought is to get a high table. One big thing that helps steady your arms (And thus makes holding things easier) is to have them raised up and rested. A lot of regular desks/tables are very low and this tends to end up with you hunching over with your body whilst trying to use a table for support.

So a raised table to bring your arms up with rests on it for your arms can make a huge difference for anyone. IT means a better posture, less fatigue and easier holding even before you get to handles and vices.

Welcome to Daka!!!!
Glad to have you here!

I don't know if it will help, I would imagine, if had to hold a mini on my hand and not with it I would try 3M double-sided tape
https://www.3m.com/3M/en_US/bonding-and-assembly-us/double-sided-tape/
That stuff is super strong. I use it to keep my minis on painting handles. In fact, next time I will try to paint a mini by mounting it on top of my hand.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
It is possible.


Holds metal minis



Pre-prime the tape before cutting off a piece, it will be difficult to peal the red strip after. When attached to hand, I used pencil and chin to hold the corner in place.



Wash hands to remove hand grease, when dry apply tape and apply pressure and work the tape into skin to max grippiness.




It holds Thorondil of Kragmar and his bear.



When I paint him, I will use tape to hold him on hand to see if it is a reasonable option.
Hope this helps. Have a good and productive day!



Automatically Appended Next Post:
Also, there are (Hand Stabilizer s)
I never tried them.before, but it might be a reasonable option to consider.
https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256804533331171.html?spm=a2g0n.productlist.0.0.51515674MxW07H&browser_id=e7e3b92f78b44ff7bd3e659892f97b68&aff_platform=msite&m_page_id=shvhduocaawqmrux18f3711df2a14483b78f1f9bed&pdp_npi=4%40dis%21USD%2125.07%2124.41%21%21%2125.07%2124.41%21%402101ec1a17146158692126611ea676%2112000030223949103%21sea%21US%210%21AB&algo_pvid=cb5d59fc-7c3b-4bea-97ce-7eab90baa5e2

I have one of those "third hand" helper clamp setups, but they're less than ideal since you can't easily turn the model as you work. It's very helpful to have at least some range of motion/mobility while actually painting.

I have two (mostly) functional hands so I haven't had to solve this problem myself, but the first thing that comes to mind is a glove or wrist band with a magnet, and supergluing magnets on the bottom of the mini's bases. A cheaper DIY version might work with thick elastic bands.