Humbrol Enamels Drying Out

is the lid and hole clean so it can make a airtight seal?

I see you said that, don't know how I missed it.

There must be air getting in somewhere, put the lid on with a hammer firmly, might take any gaps out.

I always wrap paint bottles with kitchen wrap to prevent air from getting into bottles.

Snibs - the first time, no. So I cleaned both lid and tin with thinner and scalpel to scrape of all the dried paint, yet the same thing happened.

Chrisk-k - that sounds like a good idea. Might try that.

If you use enamels of virtually any brand, they will eventually harden over time if you use them several times.  Each time you use it, more fresh air gets in.  I suppose you could use the old photographer's trick of backfilling with a nitrogen spray can, but with film processing going obsolete those cans may be getting hard to get :-(

I usually decant paint from tins (like Humbrol and WEM) into glass bottles.  I'm not a fan of the little tins, although I do like both brands of paint.

Testors makes/sells the bottles and used to market two sizes, but since they dropped Floquil, I can only find the one that is size for Model Master paints.

www.toysrus.com/.../tes50625-mixing-bottles-and-pipettes-te-tes50625-11713558

www.amazon.com/.../B0006MZOQC

www3.towerhobbies.com/.../wti0001p

I even add lacquer thinner when I transfer the paint, and haven't had any issues with it going bad.  Eventually, as Don says, they do dry out, but I've had most of the paint last for years.

Store them upside down.  It isn't perfect, and I'd put them in some container, just in case, but that will certainly help.

Gene Beaird,

Pearland, Texas

Hello!

Yeah, storing them upside down is the way to go. They now even note the colour number on the bottom to help you. Second thing to watch is for contaminating the paint in the can - most common case is when you brush paint with one colour, wash the brush, and bring small amount of the washing agent into the next can - this can also affect the paint shelve time. I heard the less solvent in the paint the longer it can hold - just thin a small amount you will use for painting and not all the paint you have in the can. Hope it helps, have a nice day

Paweł