Paint life?

This is the place to get answers about painting, weathering and other aspects of finishing a model.

Moderators: DasPhule, Moderators

Post Reply
User avatar
Sluis Van Shipyards
Posts: 3069
Joined: Fri Jul 12, 2002 1:23 pm
Location: Dayton, OH

Paint life?

Post by Sluis Van Shipyards »

I was going through some of my Model Masters enamel paints today and noticed I have some with price tags from 1992! It seems like it still works okay when I tested it on a scrap. Does anyone know if these paints have an expiration date, or is it just if it doesn't work throw it out?
User avatar
Joseph Osborn
Posts: 1323
Joined: Thu Oct 06, 2005 9:22 pm
Location: Alabamastan
Contact:

Post by Joseph Osborn »

If the paint is still liquid, it's still good. If the solvent has evaporated out of the enamel paint and it's dried out, it's probably toast. Sometimes if it's a little gooey, you can add some mineral spirits or turps or even lacquer thinner and mix the pigments back into a usable paint. On a similar vein, I have added Gunze thinner to an old jar of Mr Surfacer 500 to thin it out enough to use.
User avatar
Lt. Z0mBe
Posts: 7311
Joined: Thu May 29, 2003 1:46 pm
Location: Balltown Kentucky, by God!
Contact:

Post by Lt. Z0mBe »

Echoing Joe's remarks here. Also, usually you will get better results if you actually stir your paint with a stick than only shaking. I have paints that are 20+ years old that I have dipped into. Shaking them, you'd think they were toast. But, give them a thorough stir and then some shaking after that, and they are like new a lot of the time.

I hope this helps.

Kenny

www.sigmalabsinc.com


Onward, proud eagle, to thee the cloud must yield.
Mad Ma.Ks
Posts: 15
Joined: Sun Jul 22, 2012 8:51 am

Post by Mad Ma.Ks »

I use a battery powered paint stirrer - worth its weight in gold..

http://www.micromark.com/cordless-mixer ... ,7616.html
Andrew Gorman
Posts: 2748
Joined: Fri Jul 12, 2002 4:56 pm
Location: Escaped from darkest suburbia!

Post by Andrew Gorman »

Instead of a paint stirrer I just use a 99 cent latte whippper from Ikea. I build stuff so slowly that all of my paint is ancient. I even still have some Pactra in the square bottles with a drip molded in.
User avatar
Sluis Van Shipyards
Posts: 3069
Joined: Fri Jul 12, 2002 1:23 pm
Location: Dayton, OH

Post by Sluis Van Shipyards »

Okay, thanks. I saw the date and thought "no way are these still good!" and all of them except aluminum and another metal color cured okay. Those two were still soft and sticky.
mightymax
Posts: 1665
Joined: Fri Jul 12, 2002 10:34 pm
Location: Joliet, Illinois

Post by mightymax »

I have paint that is 35 years old and still useable. As noted if it is still liquid then it probably is still useable. just stir thoroughly.

Max Bryant
Post Reply