Paint Can Shakers

[finn]

Anyone using the Astro Pneumatic paint can shaker in a home shop, ie non professional environment?

I wanted something for occasional use, but not badly enough to spring for a $489-3500, and up professional unit.

The Astro was $155 at Summit Racing, with free shipping.

That’s a little more than the HF at $149, but it’s worth the extra $6.00 to not have to drive to town.

Ok? Junk?? Super handy and durable???

My neighbor is a bodyman, so I suppose I could use his well seasoned professional shaker, but he works out of town four days a week, plus my shop is a mile from his, so it’s not exactly convenient.

Comments?

 

[JerseyBoatBuilder]

Hmm In for the info

 

[CGarage]

Ask @zmotorsports

He has one I believe.

 

[txvwnut]

I’ve got the HF version and it hasn’t let me down yet. Gets used rarely but when it’s needed it does the job.

 

[The Cobbler]

I have the astro pneumatic one . I bought it off ebay not working due to bad seals. shout out to @Astro_Pneumatic_Tools for their great customer service and selling the repair parts.
It works as expected .
A lot of times I just use my home made stirrers/ mixers in a cordless drill

 

[alwaysFlOoReD]

I have the Canadian version of harborfreights air operated paint shaker. It works.

 

[swsman]

A homemade special for something used infrequently?
Lots of how to on YT academy.

 

[Junkman]

Check with some small independent paint stores to see if they have a used one that they will sell. The paint companies give the machines to the stores for free based on sales, so when they get a new one, the old one gets relegated to the back room.

 

[kabinenroller]

I would think for home use a shaker that will accept aerosol cans in addition to larger sized containers would be preferred. Does the HF and Astro have this capability?

 

[finn]

A homemade special for something used infrequently?
Lots of how to on YT academy.

Not going to work on gallon cans, is it?
We’re talking quart and gallon cans of automotive epoxy primers, base coats, etc

Those spray bomb sawsall kits are all over Amazon

 

[finn]

Check with some small independent paint stores to see if they have a used one that they will sell. The paint companies give the machines to the stores for free based on sales, so when they get a new one, the old one gets relegated to the back room.

I’m ok with spending $150 or thereabouts.

most automotive paint is sold through a couple of parts stores. Hardware stores and the Sherwun Williams store plus Walmart also sell paint.
I really don’t want to make a career of this. I live 12 miles from town, and try to stay away during tourist season. Spending two days chasing nickels isn’t going to happen, and I don’t need a pro shaker. Just something to mix maybe five gallons per year, max.

Of course my wife could use it, too, for paint and stain around the house.so there’s that.

 

[whateg01]

I've thought about those but would need one so rarely it's hardly worth the expense for me. Not that I've let that stop me in the past. For rattle cans I stick them in the lathe. I still don't really understand how spinning the can mixes the paint since it doesn't seem to rely on the ball. But it does seem to work. I wonder if it would work with gallon cans, but what a mess if the lid came off!

 

[The Cobbler]

Just something to mix maybe five gallons per year, max.

I would have never bought the pneumatic shaker but it was cheep , and the parts were under $20 If I recall . I thought I would use it more than I do , and In all seriousness, to mix a few cans here & there, I would recommend a mixer in a cordless drill . no issues for storage, no set up issues, and doesn't take up a lot of space

 

[dnschmidt]

I have the ASTRO and it works fine. The only thing I will tell you about these types of paint shakers is that you must BOLT THEM TO A CONCRETE FLOOR if you're shaking gallon cans or even heavy quarts they will walk all over the place. I use the 3/8" Simpson concrete screws going through a plywood subbase and that gets the job done. One thing they do great is shake up cans of shaving cream, and yes I really am that lazy.

 

[scooterbum46]

Those spray bomb sawsall kits are all over Amazon

The type Swsman shows is simple, no farting around with a sawzall. On the ones I've made, the base has a 3/8 bolt shank sticking out of the center, which you chuck in the drill. The tube is larger than the spray cans, which allows the can to go off center and really shakes it. 15 seconds right side up and another 15 seconds upside down to thoroughly shake a spray can.

Components are a plug of wood fit in the base of the 3" PVC pipe and a 4" 3/8" NC bolt threaded into the center hole in the plug. The hole is tapped - yes, threads in wood - the bolt threads are coated with CA glue and threaded in to the plug, then the bolt head is cut off. Ready to use! You can hear the ball racing around in the can once you've shook it for a few seconds.

I've never used a shaker for gallon or larger cans, I like a 4 blade stirrer used with a drill, it always seemed to me the shakers at the paint stores always introduce aeration into the paint.

 

[alwaysFlOoReD]

I use the short 3" tube and a rag in the air paint shaker for the spray cans. But making one strictly for spray cans is a good idea. Next time I have 20 minutes I'm making one.
And my shaker is screwed into a 4x8x3/4" ply on sawhorses. Doesn't walk...

 

[Wamsutta]

What somebody needs to come out with is a rattle can shaker.

 

[drokihazan]

What somebody needs to come out with is a rattle can shaker.

that's what @zmotorsports built as a shop project, it looks dope

 

[whateg01]

What somebody needs to come out with is a rattle can shaker.

Yeah that's a good idea. Maybe somebody should. Smh

 

[txvwnut]

I have the ASTRO and it works fine. The only thing I will tell you about these types of paint shakers is that you must BOLT THEM TO A CONCRETE FLOOR if you're shaking gallon cans or even heavy quarts they will walk all over the place. I use the 3/8" Simpson concrete screws going through a plywood subbase and that gets the job done. One thing they do great is shake up cans of shaving cream, and yes I really am that lazy.

I clamp mine to the workbench when its needed. Doesn't move a bit and I can stick it on a shelf when done. I also don't run it wide open, just enough to get it moving the paint around is all you need.

 

[zmotorsports]

Ask @zmotorsports

He has one I believe.

Yes, I do have the Astro Pneumatic version of the paint shaker (Model # 4550A). It works as advertised, but I need to make a removable base to mount it to my workbench as it walks around the workbench too much if not secured. I've only used it once when I was doing some paint work on the wife's car a couple of weeks ago, but I am pleased with it so far. I don't do a ton of paint work these days, but for the occasional use I think it will work well.


As for aerosol paint cans, I fabricated a shaker that I have mounted on my wall in my shop and I use that one quite a bit. It also works great, but it won't work for quart or gallons, pints are small enough in diameter to work with it though.

 

[finn]

I ordered the Astro from Summit last night. Order confirmed but no delivery schedule yet.

I see there are bolt down steel bases online for ~$108, but with radiant in floor heat, I’m reluctant to drill more holes in the floor. It gets a little more involved when you have to fire up the boiler and find the thermal imager to locate the tubes. I think the outdoor reset may override the thermostat in the summer heat.

I’m leaning towards mounting it on the wall hung mini workbench I have my antique farm / blacksmith / stump vice bolted to.

It’s close to the paint supply cabinet.

 

[rlitman]

I’ve got the HF version and it hasn’t let me down yet. Gets used rarely but when it’s needed it does the job.

I bought the HF one for around $70 when it had a club coupon (a LONG time ago). It's held up for me very well, with two caveats.

1) I installed an inline lubricator on the in-port, so it gets oiled automatically, and
2) The air gets from the in-port to the moving piston via a short length of hose that eventually failed on me, because it was being vigorously bent too tightly up and back. When I replaced the tube, I was able to fit in a loop-de-loop that spread the bend over a full coil turn, and I expect many more years out of it.

For my install, it bolted it to the foot plate of my floor standing drill press, and it will walk the drill press around the floor like an unbalanced washing machine. So long as the vise is clamped down and nothing is loose on the table, I get away with a piece of twine tying the column to the wall so it won't completely walk across the garage.

 

[zmotorsports]

I ordered the Astro from Summit last night. Order confirmed but no delivery schedule yet.

I see there are bolt down steel bases online for ~$108, but with radiant in floor heat, I’m reluctant to drill more holes in the floor. It gets a little more involved when you have to fire up the boiler and find the thermal imager to locate the tubes. I think the outdoor reset may override the thermostat in the summer heat.

I’m leaning towards mounting it on the wall hung mini workbench I have my antique farm / blacksmith / stump vice bolted to.

It’s close to the paint supply cabinet.

I have 2" receiver tube welded to my workbench at either end. I plan on making an adapter in which to merely slide into one of those for when in use. I don't plan on using mine that often so I don't want something too permanent that I have to work around. This way I can store it under the workbench and only pull it out and slide it into the receiver tube when needed and then put it back out of sight and out of the way when not using.

 

[matt_i]

Along the way probably 20 years ago, I bought a Harbil "vortex" gallon (or quart) paint mixer, used. Does not shake but spins on an axis which also rotates the can causing a tornadic vortex to form inside. Its clunky to move around, is frequently in the way due to no permanent home, but has been used quite a bit along the way. Paint has gotten considerably more expensive over the years.

 

[finn]

I have 2" receiver tube welded to my workbench at either end. I plan on making an adapter in which to merely slide into one of those for when in use. I don't plan on using mine that often so I don't want something too permanent that I have to work around. This way I can store it under the workbench and only pull it out and slide it into the receiver tube when needed and then put it back out of sight and out of the way when not using.

Good idea. I have a HF 2” receiver bolted to a mobile workbench.

That might work for me.

 

[rlitman]

Good idea. I have a HF 2” receiver bolted to a mobile workbench.

That might work for me.

It doesn't really matter if it's intended to be or not, that workbench WILL turn out to be mobile when you turn this thing on.

edit: and that may be fine. Just don't stack your finest china on it until you see it move.

 

[finn]

It doesn't really matter if it's intended to be or not, that workbench WILL turn out to be mobile when you turn this thing on.

I think I have some rope and an old boat anchor lying around.

Plus a couple pieces of railroad track.