Reviving dried out paints?

[Reldn]

Greetings all, I have a quick question:

 

Yesterday I purchased the Citadel Essentials box and upon getting home and cracking it open I noticed that all of the paints are in various states of being dried out and caked up. I looked up if there were ways to revive these paints and get them workable again, but, I'm seeing conflicting information. Some say you can, some say you can't...Some even say you can, but, the paint will still be worthless.

 

I was just wondering if anyone else has had any experience with reviving dried out paints and if it is indeed possible, or, just a waste of time and I should attempt to get a return? Thanks in advance!

[Carlson793]

Honestly, if you purchased it new, return it to the shop you purchased it from, explain what happened, exchange it for new product, and check the new product at the counter in front of the clerk. If the second one's okay, great; if not, they got a bad batch, so get a refund from 'em. 

[Subtle Discord]

While there are methods to restore dried out paint, based on your description, it sounds like a situation where you should return the product for a new box or a refund. If you're opening a fresh bottle of paint (or a box filled with them) for the first time and the product has 'expired' (for lack of a better term) then I would consider it defective and request a replacement or refund. Opened bottles of paint that may have dried out over the months/years that I have owned them, well that's my problem and I have to deal with them.

 

Generally, if the paint has not turned to completely dried plastic (read: they are thick and 'gloopy', but not completely dry) then they should be easy enough to rejuvenate with some water (distilled would be the best choice) or a bit of acrylic thinner that is produced by many acrylic paint manufactures. A personal favorite of mine is Vallejo Thinner, but I'm sure there are other similarly performing products from other paint manufactures, be they for artists in general or a brand made specifically for painting models and miniatures. Just be sure you're getting a water-based acrylic thinner, and not something with mineral spirits, solvents, or alcohol, which are intended for paints that use those mediums.

[carnosaur93]

yeah defiantely go get them exchanged for proper ones at the store...

 

now if that is for some reason is not an option, or if you have old paints in your collection that needs saving (like oop stuff) i recently experimented abit with this, i found that abit of cleaning alcohol, water, and minescule amount of dishsoap did a very good job saving two entirely dried up paints after lots of thurough stirring and shaking, slowly adding water drop by drop and shaking some more over several days of slowly nursing them back to life and finally leavign them open for on a desk for quite a few hours to let the alcohol evaporate after doing its job (and replacing its volume with a few final drops of water)

 

basically, the tiny amount of soap works as a flow-aid, and the alcohol is a solvent for the paint (i use that and a toothbrush to strip models, too), but you dont want to turn your paint into alcohol based ones, so thats where the water comes in to minimize that, and later entirely replace it

Edited November 26, 2017 by carnosaur93

[Reldn]

Well, sounds like I'll be making a return trip to the store sometime soon (sadly, said store is over an hour away) and see about an exchange/refund. Thank you all for your input and advice, it's greatly appreciated!

[NiceGuyAdi]

Definitely go for the refund. If the store’s a distance away like you say, I would ring ahead so they are expecting you. For future reference, a cocktail stick to stir up your dried paint/thinner mix saves a lot of time over shaking it in the bottle.