In the hobby world, it isn't all sweetness and light.  There are things that confound and annoy the hobbyist (and the hobbyist's significant other--but that's the subject of another blog) just as in any other endeavour.  For me, among the many, at the top of my list is paint.

I need paint for my models.  I need paint that is easy to brush on, and easy to airbrush on.  I need colours for cars, tanks, planes, and train buildings.  I need paint for ground cover, and water features.  I need paint for so many of my hobbies that I have lost count of my stained shirts.

Tamiya paint carousel

The biggest problem with paint is that either you don't have the colour you need, or if you do, it is a rock solid mass at the bottom of the paint jar.  There might be a way of stopping this, but all the tips I have received have only worked some of the time.  Sadly, some of the time never seems to be when I really need it.  It is a real progress killer when you have a 30 minute drive when you desperately need a colour.

The next biggest problem with paint is cost.  Some paint is inexpensive, but you get what you pay for.  The better paint costs.  This wouldn't be so bad if I hadn't lived in Japan and seen the Japanese price for the same paint.  Yeah, that paint got on a boat, or plane and made its way to Canada, but that shouldn't triple the price.

a typically messy desk

I suppose you could save money by buying sets of paint, but that is probably the manufacturers way of getting rid of unpopular colours--just how many things you model are Day-Glo green, or ultra bright orange?

The last problem is storage and organization.  I have already chronicled the problems that are posed by this.  As a result, I have other methods of storing paint.  Some are good, some are lacking.  My hobby desk rarely looks neat, and though I can't blame paint exclusively or even for the majority of the problem (my natural sloppiness is probably the major culprit) it is definitely part of it.

Tamiya Paint stand

I have bought several cool toys to facilitate painting.   A painting stand, an airbrush holder, a rotating paint tray.  I have it all, but my desk is still a mess.  One day I will get it all organized, one day.  One day.