Mixing Paint On A Tote Bag

A great way to show off your creativity and style is with a hand-painted tote bag. This DIY project is easy and fun and will let you create a unique, one-of-a-kind bag that is sure to be the envy of your friends. To begin, choose a tote bag that you would like to paint and gather your supplies. Then, set up an easel and get to work. You'll need paint, brushes and a drop cloth or newspaper to protect your work surface. Start with the lightest colors and work your way to the darkest, painting long, even brushstrokes. Allow your work to dry completely between coats. Once your painting is complete, you can seal it with a clear coat to protect the finished product from wear and tear.

Mixing Paint

While there are many different kinds of paints, acrylics and textile paints are the best types to use for this project. Mixing 2 year old paint are specially formulated to adhere to canvas, and they will not crack or peel when washed. To make your paints more fabric friendly, add a little fabric paint medium to the acrylics. You can find fabric paint medium online or at any art store.

For larger projects, a 55-gallon drum is often the appropriate storage container for traffic paints and other liquids. These intermediate bulk containers (IBCs) are cubic in shape and feature an integral shipping pallet base that allows them to be easily moved with a forklift. However, the cube-like shape of these containers can make them less than optimal for mixing paints or resuspending settled solids.

To improve this process, a heavy-duty pail mixer can be used to mix a wide variety of liquids and solids. These heavy-duty mixers attach to the outside diameter of the IBC or drum and offer high torque mixing with 9" two-bladed impellers. They are available in either a portable electric or pneumatic model for on-site applications, and they provide a convenient solution to the difficulty of manually mixing a large volume of product with a standard paddle-type stirrer.

Heavier and more viscous traffic paint products, with densities of 1.4-1.6 (up to 11.7-13.4 lbs/gallon) and viscosities of 600-1,700 centipoise require more powerful and larger-diameter mixers to achieve thorough mixing and resuspension. The specific gravity of a product and its container size directly influence the mixer power rating, RPM range and torque that is required to successfully suspend all solids and prepare the product for application. A thorough pail mixing experience will also reduce the potential for product degradation or settling during transport or storage. Fortunately, there are many different types of pail mixers to choose from for this critical step in the process. Depending on the product's characteristics and specific requirements, there will be a mixer that is a perfect fit.