Reddit reviews Elmer's Tac 'N Stik Reusable Adhesive

Get some of those reusable tac strips. They’re used for hanging posters and aren’t supposed to leave a residue.

https://www.amazon.com/Elmers-Tac-Stik-Reusable-Adhesive/dp/B001CEMCXQ

Here's some ideas:

• Lights/garlands around walls with command hooks to get this look. If your decorations are heavier, get bigger hooks. These are temporary and very easily removed and put up.
  
• Decorating around the TV looks so cozy.
  
• Sticky Tack to put up things like snowflakes on walls or doors (also very easily put up and removed!)
  
• If you don't have space for a tree, you can try things like this or get a little tabletop one.
  
• This wreath hanger might work (depending on how thick your door is). Does no damage, I use one just like it!
  
• Window decals don't take up any space and are temporary.
  
• Hanging ornaments on cabinet handles (surprisingly hard to find pictures of this, I do this all the time, just have to make sure you don't use ornament hooks and tie things with string or they might fall off and break).
  
• Holiday decor for the rest of the house can make a big impact for how your space feels. Things like bedding or bath decor.
  
  I would focus on decorating by area to make the rest of your home feel festive, if you can't focus around a fireplace like you seem to have in the past.
  
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Been painting a few years and lurking here forever, here's my advice:

> Mixing Brush: I am told that you should not mix paint with your primary brushes. Where can I buy a cheap brush for mixing, and anything special I need?

If I'm already using a "larger" brush (1 or higher) I'll mix with my good brushes and just be mindful of how far up the ferrule I am or use the back of the brush. If I'm using a detail brush I'll use a super cheap synthetic 2 or 3. Look on amazon or at a local art chain (Michaels) for cheap student grade packs of round brushes. You'll end up using these for terrain, PVA glue, and all sorts of other things.

> More Brushes: My kit came with a 2 flat and 0 round. What other brushes will I need, and what in your opinion is a good brand to buy? Any set that covers all the basics? Although I am new to painting, I'd like something that will last me and be quality. They sell SoHo brushes in my local store, which look like they are great quality. Any users here?

This topic can get pretty involved. Brushes have a lifespan so if you're new to the hobby I wouldn't recommend dropping money on higher end Kolinsky brushes like W&N Series 7 or daVinci Maestro. For a new painter I recommend Winsor & Newton's University series and Army Painter's Wargamer brushes. The W&N University brushes are higher than average student quality acrylic brushes that can be abused. They're great for basecoating with thicker mixes. The Wargamer brushes are a cheap intro into real sable hair so you can get started at layering with thinned paints.

> Primers: This is a big ? for me --- Spray primers, basic black white and grey? Which ones, what brand, etc... Really unsure what is recommended here, as in a store there are so many, but hoping /r/minipainting can help as we are all painting the same stuff. Would love some specific product recommendations here.

For the most part, you have three options: spray cans, brush-on, and airbrush. I can't really recommend spray primers - they require ventilation, have trouble with humidity, and can only be sprayed at one consistency. Many of the hobby spray cans advertised for basing your minis aren't actual primers. Brush-on primers are the most economical but run the risk of losing detail on the mini if applied heavily. Airbrushing is my preferred method using either Mr. Hobby's Mr. Surfacer 1500 thinned with Mr. Color Leveling Thinner for highly detailed minis, or Vallejo Primer for tabletop quality minis. Vallejo Primer's are acrylic and polyurethane so they're more protective but can sometimes take away detail.

> Finish: I saw a few videos where they spray some 'protective' finish on a product, I believe there are matte finishes as well as gloss finishes? Can I get any 'matte/gloss finish' product, or are there certain ones for miniatures?

Same three options as priming. If your minis are going to be handled often, I recommend a glossy coat then a matte coat. Glossy varnishes are stronger than matte varnishes, so this combo will give you the most protection. You are more likely to lose some detail this way. If your minis are for display only you can skip the varnish and just be careful. Dried acrylics are basically thin plastic so they have some durability on their own. Brand-wise I airbrush using Liquitex Professional gloss and matte varnishes, thinned with Vallejo airbrush thinner and a drop or two of Vallejo flow-improver. Vallejo varnishes are also good but Liquitex offers the best bang for your buck.

> Mini Holders: I found this product which looks amazing, but is not available until late 2017 since the Kickstarter has ended. Are there any similar products that someone could recommend, or should I just go with something very simple? Would love to hear some ideas.

I use an old Citadel paint pot and white poster tack to stick to the bottom of the base. If you want to paint individual parts, heat the tip of a needle/pin with a lighter, press it gently into the glue joint of the mini (the hole will be hidden later), then press the other side of the needle into a wine cork or similar.

> Brush Care: I got a "masters" paste from a store that I was told to rinse and swirl my brushes in after painting. Any other tips or is this okay?

Master's is the best option, just make sure you follow the directions and use warm water for best results. You can also get a small bottle of W&N Brusher Cleaner and Restorer to have on reserve if you accidentally let paint dry on one of your better brushes. If it's a cheap or synthetic brush you can clean it with original Windex (WITHOUT Ammonia-D) or Vallejo airbrush cleaner, followed by a wash with Master's.

> Carving/Scraping tools: I know some minis need to be cut from a sheet and some have mold lines that need to be cleaned. How is this done and what tools are needed?

Get a decent pair of sprue cutters - I recommend these. You should be able to find these for $10 at a local hobby store. For plastic minis you should be fine with just an X-acto or similar knife for getting rid of mold lines - just run the blade mostly perpendicular to the line and "shave" it gently.

> Storage Box: For all the little things that come along with painting, what do you use/recommend to store everything in?

A coffee mug works fine as a brush holder. You can try a hardware store for all sorts of containers if you're traveling with paints. Otherwise desk space and some imagination (spice racks) or money (official paint stand) are all you need.

> Paint Agitators: I was told to get some steel balls and put them in every paint bottle I have. It's okay to leave them in there. Would these work, or any concerns?

Please do not use steel ball bearings. You can attempt to buy "marine grade" ball bearings but unless it's reputable and expensive they are still likely going to rust and ruin your paint. I use hematite beads for necklaces for my paints. 4mm for dropper bottles and 6mm for pots. You can get them cheaper at Michaels w/ a coupon and they're inert so they won't stain your paints.

> Flow Improver: Thoughts? I was told to mix this into my washes. How much should I add, one drop? Is this product okay, or is this only for airbrushing?

Flow improver is generally used for airbrushing to extend the drying time and prevent clogs. Fluid retarder in the form of actual art supply from W&N or Liquitex, Vallejo's Glaze Medium, or Games Workshop's Lahmian Medium are what you're looking for. These can all be used to turn a normal paint into a wash (heavy dilution), or can be used to extend drying time for wet blending (light dilution). I can't give you exact ratios as each paint company, each color, and the age of your paints will dictate that. Trial and error is the only method here.


One thing that hasn't been mentioned yet is a wet palette. It will save you a lot of headache when learning to wet blend and will let you save mixed paints for many days. You can get one for cheap and use either the papers that come with it or kitchen parchment paper. Both will yield different results so play around with both. Be sure to use distilled water or you're likely to get some funk from mold after a couple days.

I've started using putty tack, like this. No residue, very reusable, conforms to different component heights. It's worked out very well so far.

> Am definitely thinking contrast paints are the way to go for starters. Do they come in inclusive sets?

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Depends on if you remember how to paint, really. It's another way to do things. No sets, AFAIK, but they are intended to replace base, shade and layer paints with one paint, so they're overall either cheaper or better value for money, if you didn't do highlights before contrast paints.

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Supplies:

--Razor knife

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--Cut mat

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--plastic glue

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--*thick* superglue

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--Spray primer of choice

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--cheap arts & craft store brushes

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--sticky tac

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--gatorade caps

No, it's not messy, it's not like gum, it's made to be reusable. It never really dries out but it's not very sticky. The one I have isn't even actually blue, like this one: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001CEMCXQ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_1qceBbVGTJTQ3

https://www.amazon.com/Elmers-Tac-Stik-Reusable-Adhesive/dp/B001CEMCXQ

https://i.imgur.com/fbPUCDG.png

I'm interested in how well it saved the print! I've never seen that before. Do you think some Tac 'N Stik would work as well?

The slightest nudge will send her flying! I put a little poster putty under the feet of the Star Wars Pop!s that can't stand on their own (K2S-O Maz, IG-88, Hera, Sabine, ME-809) and firmly place them down on a shelf. I have also used it to place some Stranger Things literally upside down on the bottom of a shelf. The putty starts to warp and dry, so it needs to be replaced every few months or so. I take all my Star Wars Pop!s off the stands so they better match my other lines.

https://www.amazon.com/Elmers-Tac-Stik-Reusable-Adhesive/dp/B001CEMCXQ/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1500529294&sr=8-2&keywords=poster+tack

I use this for all my warriors, Tyrants, ect, way less time consuming than magnets

If you can, grab some poster putty at an office supply store. It'll hold the big gear steady. Have fun!

I've been using kneaded erasers to tack my sample bottles down to the work space, but I imagine sticky-tack would serve the same role.

I use Elmer's Tac 'N Stik https://amzn.com/B001CEMCXQ

I have the same figure.

While it does come with some white tack, it sounds like yours is missing, but this still will do the trick: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001CEMCXQ/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

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But the museum wax @suddenly_ponies mentioned looks awesome as well and will probably stick better.

i just really really want to use this sticky tack in order to combine the "my neighbor totoro" blu-ray and dvd together to create the greatest movie experience ever, all while ruining my blu-ray player! :D:D:D:D please oh please Schmad on my add on :p