stayeatingpaint Posted December 12, 2011 Share Posted December 12, 2011 Hey guys I found some old paint tubs, about three years old, they've thickened up a bit but aren't completely solid. I was wondering if I watered them down do you think it'll work? Or would I be better of buying new tubs? Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olis Posted December 12, 2011 Share Posted December 12, 2011 You should be fine watering them down, brother. I've done so in the past and it's kept the paint living for a while longer, however, if it dries completely it's probably less of a hassle to simply just buy new paint. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stayeatingpaint Posted December 12, 2011 Author Share Posted December 12, 2011 Ahh this is good news, thanks brother! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gurth Posted December 13, 2011 Share Posted December 13, 2011 You know, when I read questions like this one, it always makes me wonder if people are really so afraid to do a little experimentation as it seems … Or in other words: what do you have to lose by adding a little water to a pot of paint that you're thinking of throwing away anyway, and seeing what happens? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
esinhorn Posted December 13, 2011 Share Posted December 13, 2011 So right Gurth if it was not for experimentaion everyone would still paint in primary colors like the old Evey Metal minis from the early 90's No NMM,No battle damage,No blending :P Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SCC Posted December 14, 2011 Share Posted December 14, 2011 As well as water you'll need to give 'em a good stir and shake to get them back to prime condition too. Stainless steel ball bearings, nice small ones, are great for shaking paint back to life. Stir with a cocktail stick or simillar as you add the water to break up the dried paint and get it mixing with the water and after a good stir drop in the ball bearing, whack the lid on and give it a good hard shake and you should have good paint in no time. I find warm, but not hot, water can also help sometimes. And if you've an art supply store near you then acrylic thinners, flow aids and retarder mediums are all useful adjuncts to water to bring dead paint back to life and get it all thinned out and ready to use too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gurth Posted December 14, 2011 Share Posted December 14, 2011 Stainless steel ball bearings, nice small ones, are great for shaking paint back to life. Never, ever add those to glass paint bottles (I know, I know, this is not a concern with GW paints) — in the '90s, Revell used to sell airbrush-ready paints in glass bottles with a ball bearing already inside, and a number of those bottles broke in my hands while shaking them. Damned paint went everywhere, but luckily I never had any glass poking through my skin. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SCC Posted December 14, 2011 Share Posted December 14, 2011 Does anyone still use glass bottles? Tamiya maybe? I thought Testors switched years ago as did most other enamel paints I used to use on military aircraft before Vallejo came along with their acrylic military colours... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gurth Posted December 14, 2011 Share Posted December 14, 2011 Tamiya and Gunze-Sangyo paints come in glass bottles, and so do the Testors acrylics a model shop near where I live sells. Can't think of any others off the top of my head, though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tengo Posted December 19, 2011 Share Posted December 19, 2011 My entire army of paints are atleast three years old, I'd say some are up to, or even slightly over six years old. I stopped playing/painting for about two years, and when I returned to the hobby and got my carrier bag of paints out of the loft, the state of my paints were my first concern. I didn't really want to have to blow my budget replacing all my paints before I could afford any new models, but they're all fine, except for a few really dried up ones, and I'm painting models better than I was before. You might not even have to water them down, unless they are quite gloopy and thick, but even if they are pretty much solid, keeping in mind that desperate times call for desperate measures ('Desperate times' is exactly how I would describe needing a certain paint, to find out it's all dry) pushing a few holes into the hardened paint, and adding a little bit of water will get you the paint you need on your brush. This doesn't always work very well though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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