Glass pipettes (droppers)

Malky

Pencil Pushing Protagonist
Ever since I started airbrushing I've searched every art store and airbrush supplier for droppers which were not plastic and not too big, the worst thing about the plastic droppers for me is that that the paint often dries up on the opening and could cause clogging, also paint dries on the inside walls making them hard to clean and re-use.

while doing the weekly shopping my wife ordered me to pick up a cake at the bakers/cake maker supplier, whilst I didn't really want to do that I did anyway to avoid a cracked head:eek:, but I was glad I did, upon entering the shop these little gems were almost the first thing I saw:thumbsup: they are 10 centimeters long including the rubber and as you can see here the ribber is easily detachable making for easy cleaning, they cost €3-95 for a pack of four.

It's incredible what you can find when you just give up and stop looking for it, it's also incredible that a lot of the stuff we use daily are easier to find in places other than where we would expect them, just as fiber pen refills are easier to find at electronics and Jewelers suppliers:)

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I just remembered. As you are in The Netherlands, Foxy also sells the the screw on pipettes.
 
I do the same as Haasje and Andre. Buy the plastic ones in bulk online, and treat them as single use disposables. I started do it because IMO the glass ones are too much fuss to clean. TBH cleaning the plastic ones just feels like an odd idea, as they're pretty clearly meant to be disposable.
 
I do the same as Haasje and Andre. Buy the plastic ones in bulk online, and treat them as single use disposables. I started do it because IMO the glass ones are too much fuss to clean. TBH cleaning the plastic ones just feels like an odd idea, as they're pretty clearly meant to be disposable.

I have used the plastic ones for years and thrown them away at the end of the day same as most people, my main problem with the plastic ones is that they are always far bigger than I need and because I stop often to scratch and erase, paint dries inside them meaning I could be using three or four each for one colour, I used these glass ones all day yesterday without that problem, at the end of day I just took off the rubber and threw the glass parts into a mug of water and left them, this morning after a quick rinse they're ready to use again, no fuss whatsoever, it's maybe not as easy just throwing them away but for the short time it takes to clean them I really don't mind.

@AndreZA I've seen the screw on pipettes at Foxy, I can actually get empty Schminke type square bottles with pipette in Rotterdam for half what they cost at Foxy, same as the empty plastic com-art type bottles Rebel posted a while back, at Foxy these are almost €2 each but I get ten for €5 in Rotterdam, and since I buy all my drawing materials and hairy brushes there I get a 20% discount, but the screw on pipettes are no good to me because I mix colours now in small plastic shot glasses which get thrown away, I get the shot glasses free from a friend who runs a pub, every time they have an event or celebration I get the leftover glasses:thumbsup:, the shot glasses strategy was based on a tip from @musicmacd a while ago and is handy as hell:thumbsup:
 
You can seal the plastic ones with a cocktail stick.

I know you can but I still don't have room for a load of them and I do that little now they would be sat around for years, I'm happy with the ones I have now;)
 
I just save the eye droppers after the bottle is empty then clean them well .
two birds with one stone kind of thing lol
 
My eyes are too far gone for those to be of any use, so I don't get them, lol
The ones I use are from the doctor, Helps with the UV burns on my eye from too many bright Flares and explosions when I was in the military . He asked me if I was a full time welder due to he mainly sees it on welders .
It cuts out the floaters I see most of the time.
 
If you know anyone that vapes instead of smoking, the 15ml and 30ml bottles with eyedroppers in them work great.
I go through 1 or 2 a week and just throw them in a can to mix and store paint in later.
A lot of vape shops carry the empty bottles and droppers pretty cheap since they buy them in bulk.
 
Did a google image search, and I have to say, those eyedropper bottles sold for vaping do look brilliant. I'll have to give those a try.
 
Another option if you really want the dropper style are 1) drug store (pharmacy)for childs meds 2: in the candle making isle of most craft stores.
 
I know this was about droppers, but I thought I would add to it. I use plastic squeeze bottles to mix paint and drip into my AB cup.
The beauty shop down the street uses them to mix colors and perms only once. They hold between 2oz to 10oz depending on the type.
She threw out about 6 per week, but now she saves them for me.
I swish a little cleaner around in them and they are perfect to throw away after use since there will be another box full
next week. Talk to a local beautician, and they may save them for you too.
 
I know this was about droppers, but I thought I would add to it. I use plastic squeeze bottles to mix paint and drip into my AB cup.
The beauty shop down the street uses them to mix colors and perms only once. They hold between 2oz to 10oz depending on the type.
She threw out about 6 per week, but now she saves them for me.
I swish a little cleaner around in them and they are perfect to throw away after use since there will be another box full
next week. Talk to a local beautician, and they may save them for you too.

I use those too for mixing colour for bigger stuff, but for smaller stuff like eyes where a tiny amount paint is needed I use plastic shot glasses and the dropper to feed the brush.

The bottles are just as relevant here, most of use them, to clean them I pull their nozzles apart and just throw a load of them into a bucket of warm water and leave them for an hour then rinse them out and put them back together.
 
I use those too for mixing colour for bigger stuff, but for smaller stuff like eyes where a tiny amount paint is needed I use plastic shot glasses and the dropper to feed the brush.

The bottles are just as relevant here, most of use them, to clean them I pull their nozzles apart and just throw a load of them into a bucket of warm water and leave them for an hour then rinse them out and put them back together.

How big are the eye you are painting that you need a tot glass for mixing? In the off chance I need to mix paint, I do it in a cheap plastic pallets with the little wells. I scoop it up with a paint brush to put it in the airbrush.
 
How big are the eye you are painting that you need a tot glass for mixing? In the off chance I need to mix paint, I do it in a cheap plastic pallets with the little wells. I scoop it up with a paint brush to put it in the airbrush.

I get the shot free from a friend who owns a pub:) the glasses are very small, I think 2 or 3 CL, any eyes I do will usually be different sizes, unless I do the tutor eye which would obviously be huge, if the glasses were not free I would also just use the peel off pallets, but it's not just for eyes, that was the first thing that came into my head, any small area that makes it pointless to fill a bottle, if I need to leave them overnight I can just throw a piece of cling film over them and no need to clean my bottles, what I use usually depends on what I'm painting, I prefer to use the pipette because I can place the paint right in the bottom of the cup, if I tried that with a small brush with my permanent shakes I would most likely just paint the walls of the cup and have no paint left to paint with, lol
 
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