If you are a miniature painter, you’ll eventually want to store your paint. Sure, you can just throw the paint bottles in a shoe box, but that’s not very helpful when you need to find a specific color. Recently, I purchased a Painting Station for 26mm bottles from GameCraft Miniatures. The 26mm part is important as that describes the size bottles this particular painting station is designed for. GameCraft Miniatures sells a 34mm version and a mixed version (26mm and 34mm holes) as well. Since I primarily use Vallejo paints, the 26mm version is perfect for me.
The Painting Station is made from 1/8” MDF and arrives unassembled and is packed flat. The pieces are laser cut so the Painting Station will have burn marks and it does smell like burnt wood. I happen to like this smell so for me it isn’t an issue. Assembling the Painting Station isn’t too difficult and GameCraft Miniatures has an online assembly video which is helpful. All together, I think it took me about fifteen minutes to put together the Painting Station. I dry fitted all of the pieces before applying the glue, which isn’t a necessary step, but helps ensure all the pieces are in the right place.
The Painting Station holds 20 bottles of paint, has a hole for a water cup, and 28 holes for paint brushes, files, and other such items. These smaller holes come in two different sizes so your thick handled brushes shouldn’t be a problem. The paint bottles are stored upright and are staggered between two rows, which means you’ll always be able to easily see the paint bottle you’re looking for.
I decided to get the Painting Station because recently I’ve been doing most of my painting basically anywhere other than my painting table. I’ve used the dining room table a few times so that my son can paint beside me while I supervise. I’ve also painted on the living room coffee table while others are watching television. Painting in these areas has been cumbersome. I have to decide which bottles of paint I’ll need and carry them downstairs along with my paint tray, paint brushes, water cup, and the actual miniatures I’m going to paint. Usually, I have to make more than one trip and when I’m done I have to bring everything back upstairs.
Luckily, I found the Painting Station. Now I can carry everything I need all at once and it is conveniently organized. The best part is, the Painting Station isn’t just a paint bottle holder, but it has a painting surface built in. So not only am I able to easily transport my paints, but it is like I have a portable painting table too. Now I don’t have to worry about getting paint on the coffee table.
Overall, I couldn’t be more pleased with my purchase. My only complaint, and this is a very minor gripe, is that my normal rinsing cup is too big to fit in the cup holder. I got my Painting Station from Amazon. If you are looking for a paint holder and/or a portable painting station, I don’t think you can find a better solution.