Paint mixing machine

[glengraving]

Perhaps this is a daft forum to post on, not sure where to look, maybe some of you who deal in hardware/decorating supplies have some experience.

My shop sells DIY and paint stuff, we don't have enough space to carry the full range of coloured emulsions, so we stick to white and magnolia. There's bigger shops not too far away who can carry the ranges of coloured paints - B&M are the cheapest, and B&Q have the mixing machine so have the largest range, so it'd be a loss to stock pots.

I presume there's paint-mixing system available to independent businesses? (And, thereore,a used market for these machines?) We could make room for one, and offer our customers the full range without storing gallons of colours. If the cost was right and the headaches not *too* headachey. Anyone with experience to share?

 

[glengraving]

To clarify, I mean including the hardware and software for matching a sample colour to a pigment database, injecting pigment, etc.
Is this all proprietary witchcraft, or is there a way for the little guys to do it?

 

[MBE2017]

Yes, mixing machines are available, but you would need to sell a fair bit to make such a lease/purchase worthwhile.

You would require to have the manufacturers machine, purge it daily, clean it weekly. Then you would require to stock the various bases, up to five versions per paint type in sample pots, 1, 2.5 and 5 litre sizes.

So you would require room for gloss, eggshell, satinwood, Matt, silk waterbased and oil versions, so most likely you would require a minimum of 1000 sq ft of storage space, and that’s to cover 2/4 paint manufacturers IMO.

Main companies to consider are Dulux, Crown, Leyland, and more specialist suppliers such as Rustoleom, Little Greene etc.

To match the colours you would require a scanner, calibrate it daily, the white discs alone are over £500 each on those, let alone the black. Of course, you also need all the colour tints, up to 15 per manufacturer, to mix the paint colours into the bases, each tint is £30/50 each and so on.

 

[glengraving]

Ah, not as simple as I'd hoped - but I did expect there'd be a fair bit of maintenance.

I don't agree that one would *need* six types of paint bases to mix - generally all we get asked for in emulsions is matt and silk - rarely eggshell. (we carry a standard range of gloss and anti-rust paints which is generally adequate).
But I suppose this is a 'go big or go home' type investment.

It's something I'll continue to research and keep in the back of my mind. Not a priority, but if I could make it work it would be a great value-add for the business.

 

[Gordon - Commercial Finance]

It’s the kind of thing you can get funding for or lease, so you wouldn’t have to put the full capital up front if that helps...

 

[Darren_Ssc]

I don't agree that one would *need* six types of paint bases to mix - generally all we get asked for in emulsions is matt and silk - rarely eggshell. (we carry a standard range of gloss and anti-rust paints which is generally adequate).

Some manufactures have a standard colour range, 'posh' paints especially such as Little Greene (220), Earthborn (72) which are high margin. At the budget end you have the likes of Johnstones who also do colour mixing but a standard range too. Couldn't that give you scope to offer 'a bit more' without all the cost of a mixing machine?

People who want a colour matching will go to B&Q or a trade merchant. Do you want the hassle of customers claiming your match isn't an actual match and all the wastage that goes with that?

How much do you think B&Q make on colour matching, I don't know but I wouldn't be surprised if it was negative sum?

 

[glengraving]

Unfortunately my store isn't in a location to sell a lot of 'posh' paints - Johnstones, Berger and Crown is the staple.

I could simply cut down on some of our less important product lines to make room for the standard Johnstones colour range. That'd be the simple answer, but I prefer to at least research the complicated answer

 

[Darren_Ssc]

Unfortunately my store isn't in a location to sell a lot of 'posh' paints - Johnstones, Berger and Crown is the staple.

I could simply cut down on some of our less important product lines to make room for the standard Johnstones colour range. That'd be the simple answer, but I prefer to at least research the complicated answer

Have a look at 'eco' paints while your at it, it's a bit of a niche but a growing one and high-margin too. The advantage being you can establish yourself as a bit of a specialist with not much competition around.

 

[glengraving]

Will do, thanks.

 

[MBE2017]

Personally I would suggest looking at the Rustoloem paints, or Leyland. Research those two, on the Leyland machine you can do a lot of copies, ie Farrow and Ball colours at a fraction of the price.

Rustoleom new paints are the next step forward, a huge time saver.

 

[Root 66 Woodshop]

Have you ever considered being the place to go for Chalk paints? Like Annie Sloan?

https://www.anniesloan.com/annie-sloan-products/chalk-paint

There's a second hand shop close to where I live, they're the only ones that sell a specific range of chalk paint... and they sell tons of the stuff.

niche market, but there's lots of potential I think

 

[SydBA2]

Perhaps this is a daft forum to post on, not sure where to look, maybe some of you who deal in hardware/decorating supplies have some experience.

My shop sells DIY and paint stuff, we don't have enough space to carry the full range of coloured emulsions, so we stick to white and magnolia. There's bigger shops not too far away who can carry the ranges of coloured paints - B&M are the cheapest, and B&Q have the mixing machine so have the largest range, so it'd be a loss to stock pots.

I presume there's paint-mixing system available to independent businesses? (And, thereore,a used market for these machines?) We could make room for one, and offer our customers the full range without storing gallons of colours. If the cost was right and the headaches not *too* headachey. Anyone with experience to share?

If anybody is interested, we have recently upgraded our Leyland tinting machine to the new all singing, all dancing version. As we own the old machine outright Leyland have left it to us to dispose of it.
We've had an annual maintenance contract with Leyland since it was introduced and have tried to look after it as best we can. Unfortunately, it's no longer fit for our purpose and takes up too much of our time manually tinting every time.

The machine is in full working order although some of the colourants are a bit gloopy. So an initial clean down might be in order.
If it doesn't go then we'll have to cash it in for scrap but that would be a shame.

We're based in the West Country and buyer must be able to collect, although local delivery may be possible.
Unfortunately, I'm unable to post pictures but will send out to any interested party.

If you're interested, please respond to this post or PM me.

 

[Westcliff50]

Evening
I'd be interested as we are looking to mix our own paints
Can you tell me if we are able to mix Ral or Bs colours at present? And if so how is that achieved..Kind regards Mark

 

[MBE2017]

Evening
I'd be interested as we are looking to mix our own paints
Can you tell me if we are able to mix Ral or Bs colours at present? And if so how is that achieved..Kind regards Mark

As mentioned before, you would select a colour, input it into the computer controlling the machine, which would give you the breakdown of the colours to be used, in what quantities, and most importantly which base colour.

So you would use a different base for light, medium, dark colours, in different finishes. The colour once checked and selected, is made automatically, the hardest part is ensuring you select the right base, size of tin, and colour. Once you are happy you have done all this correctly, you process the mix, basically just hitting a button, and the machine does the rest.

You print the label off, showing the mix, colour, date, size of tin etc, put it onto the can, seal the lid, and ensure the paint is thoroughly mixed in a paint shaker machine.

Even double and triple checking each order, you will make the odd mistake every now and then. Leyland machines have no problem from memory of std RAL colours, they are not that requested by domestic consumers.

Leyland can give you the option to mix near identical colours too Little Greene (best paint on the market IMO) and Farrow and Ball, but the colours will be called something different, to stop suggestions of IP infringement etc.

 

[Westcliff50]

Morning
Choosing the right brand is key..
Then whether you want to stock trade or retail paints.. I work within the industry and find both bring there own share of headaches!!
That said bases would be far cheaper than white/mag but when you factor in colourants, mistints and servicing costs
Could be a minefield especially to someone inexperienced in mixing paint
Feel free to pm me

 

[IanSuth]

I remember in our old office we needed to touch up some paint - we went to the decorator centre with a small section of skirting thinking they could match from that - they actually had us saved on the computer and could just do a repeat of the paint originally used.,

If we had known in advance we wouldn't have removed the skirting - hat type of convenience is great (you just need to ensure the customers know about it)

 

[Mr Dibb]

Could you maybe do a deal with a manufacturer or decorator centre to essentially resell? I.e. they do the mixing for you. You would only then need the scanner. The downside is that it wouldn't be a "while you wait" service of course.

 

[Colourmy]

We mix our paints, admittedly it's specialist paint for Upvc and Kitchen, Furniture spraying, etc and not for DIY use but the guy who used to mix our paints got us the set up for free from PPG but we must use him for tints and binders etc. Works well for us and might be what you need to do with a paint manufacturer.
Thanks