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I have been thinning Testors enamel paint in the 1/4 oz bottles when I get them and leaving it thinned in the bottle until next use. I have read online this is a no-no. Is this true and if so ,why?
I've heard the same advice, but I've never tried it. It allegedly leads to the early demise of the paint. That is, it drastically shortens the shelf life. In theory, excessive thinner would destabilize the paint. But like I said, I've never tried it.
I get early demise of Testors enamel soon after I open the cap, whether I thin it or not.
I usually do not thin it in the bottle, because I need to add at least the volume of the bottle worth of thinner, and there is no room for that much. If I only use bottles that are half full or less, they likely have been opened several times and on their way to demise.
I use a suction feed airbrush, so I mix the paint in those airbrush bottles. I know folks who use gravity feed airbrushes, and they buy some of those bottles just for mixing and storing.
Don Stauffer in Minnesota
In my limited experience, some have turned to worhtless goo....
Sooner Born...Buckeye Bred.
Mars I have been thinning Testors enamel paint in the 1/4 oz bottles when I get them and leaving it thinned in the bottle until next use. I have read online this is a no-no. Is this true and if so ,why?
Thank you
When I first started airbrushing, I left the thinned paints in the airbrush bottles for future usage after the session. After a few weeks they were no longer usable. And I do remember thinning paints in the bottle as well in the past. While you will be able to use it immediately, in the long run it will also deteriorate.
F is for FIRE, That burns down the whole town!
U is for URANIUM... BOMBS!
N is for NO SURVIVORS...
- Plankton
LSM
When you combine the solute (paint) with the solvent (thinner), you have initiated a chemical reaction. Depending on variables such as heat, volume, pressure, and the presence of a catalyst (air, as an example), the reaction will play out over time at different rates. It's far simpler and more economical to mix only what you need at a time so that your results are consistent and predictable, rather than gambling on whether or not the 1/8 ounce of paint you mixed last week and poured back into the bottle is still ready to apply with the same results.
Depending on the variables already mentioned, your paint could set up at a faster rate when stored, leaving you with a bottle of dried residue or clumps in the solution. The pigments can separate over time and shift the tonality of the colors. The solvent may affect how well the paint adheres or cures on the model. Sometimes, it causes paint to come out of the airbrush in fine strands like cotton candy because it has started setting up or the carrier is degrading. Sure, you could re-thin, add retardants, and tinker with the chemistry until you have things working correctly, but it's a quarter ounce jar of Testors. Not worth the effort or the expense...
I agree. I have looked at how much I spend on paint, and find it is minimal compared to kit costs, glue, and accessories. I have gone to buying fresh paint for new projects, except for small areas I brush paint, where I seem to get by okay with older paint.
Even Alclad is not that expensive since I put it on on very thin coats- but then again, I find Alclad lasts a long time in the bottle.
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