Hi everyone here’s a little look at one of the problems that plagues my house. If you’re anything like me then you will find that the piles of paints, brushes, bases and projects in various stages of completion quickly begin to overwhelm you. However recently my hobby cave has been forced to evolve. Building work at home and two sprogs has meant me giving up my hobby corner and seeking a more merger existence wherever I can find a place to put my brushes. This has had the knock on effect of forcing me to be more….Considerate to those I live with!! Here a few of the ways I’ve found that helped.
- Buy a bin,
This may sound as obvious as stop smoking and eating more fruit and veg mantra but it is also been the most helpful for me. Many a time I have been fixated on painting and lost sight of the half dried out paint pots, pallets pads and frayed brushes. The detritus of painting has in the past easily won the battle against cleanliness given the thought of trekking out of my cave to the nearest bin was just too much. Buying a cheap bin and placing it next to my paint station means I have got into the habit of just binning things straight away and it has made it much easier to keep things in control.
2. Spring clean routine
No matter how close your waste receptacle is you will steadily gather a following of items that are no longer needed/wanted. Having a monthly sort of this not only provides a chance to give the area a good clean but also a chance to reflect on your hobby plans. The reason that the “latest hotness” model has not been painted 3 months down the line is probably because you don’t want to…but some one else might! Getting stuff on eBay provides a much better alternative to the rubbish heap and may even net you some money for future projects. Conversely it may also rekindle a flame passion. A number of times I’ve found a model that is so close to being finished but had been delayed by lacking paint or the general universe conspiring against me. It provides a chance to finish a few models and start the next month a fresh.
3. Get a painting rack
Having your stuff more organised in the first place is part of the key to staying tidy. Paint racks are a great way of doing this. They don’t need to store all your paints, but having enough for one project will help keep everything together and keep you focused. Storage is part of this and plastic baskets like these can store the rest of your paints away elsewhere along with basing materials and general conversion parts. Games workshop also have you sorted with this which I have and can’t rate highly enough. It is tough enough to have survived traveling around the world with me, has enough space for minis, appropriate paints, bases and material and tools…with a bit of a squeeze.
the citadel project box
4. Shout out to the significant others
Finally I have realised that i am essentially a messy individual. Praise must be heaped at times on our significant others. My wife is indeed long suffering and tolerates my messiness with the patience of a saint!
Thanks for reading and if you have any thoughts or tips yourself then please comment below. In the meantime here are a few shots of what I’ve been working on recently.
John
Jimmi Waz 'Ere 