Vallejo Model Color Paint Question

Funny how a similar question was asked in another forum just wo days ago!

My comment was the following:

"I had the same problem with some bottles, maily with new ones. Even coating the pain job with matt varish had no effect, just like it happened to you!
My opinion is that it's the solvent, when the paint is not mixed well.
In fact once I shook and bashed the bottles on the table (!!) i got a well mixed paint and no more "satin-problem".

BTW the "Vallejo Model Air" line of products will always give you a satin look when used with a brush; only with an airbrush it will be matt.

I am using drinking water from the bottle to paint my figures, because is less calcareous than our tap water."

Hope this helps.

I only use distilled water with Vallejo, but I suspect your problem is related more to the lack of a really vigourus shaking of the bottle prior to use.  Gotta shake those little devils till your wrist hurts, especially a new bottle or one that's been stored unused for a while.

Regards,  Rick

Many thanks for your help.   I will shake 'until my wrist hurts' as recommended!

I take my old Tamiya acrylic bottle--and man, do they empty out fast around here!--and boil 'em out clean when through with them, and I cut the tops of the Vallejo bottles off and dump/scrape the paint out into the Tamiya bottle and then just label it with a small label that you can get anywhere they sell school supplies. I put a few BB's in the bottle and it helps mix it up with a minimum of effort!

Plus it helps not wasting the paint--I always hated that whole "squeeze onto a palette" thing, especially for such small bottles!

the doog wrote:

I put a few BB's in the bottle and it helps mix it up with a minimum of effort! Plus it helps not wasting the paint--I always hated that whole "squeeze onto a palette" thing, especially for such small bottles!

That "BB-Thing" sounds interesting. Got to give it a try. May be it works in the standard Vallejo bottles, too.

I have no issues with putting justa a few drops of paint on the palette ... that is until it cloggs and than pops open! 

the doog wrote:

I put a few BB's in the bottle and it helps mix it up with a minimum of effort!

Just be careful what type of BBs you use.  I made the sad mistake of using copper BBs (what was I thinking?) in Vallejo paint to work as agitators.  A couple months later I had to throw the paint away from where the copper had started dissolving in the paint and changing the color.  Now I use skulls from Reaper or bits of metal tabs instead.

Be careful with metal tap for they could rust.  I have found that if I let the bottle soak in warm water gets things loose and then shake it thoroughly.  Also, that the paint mixer available in Micro Mark ($12.00) and grind don the diameter a little and then use.  It mixes the paint nicely.

-scott