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Shelf Life of Spray Paint and others

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  • Member since
    January 2008
  • From: Bagotville, Quebec, Canada Eh!
Shelf Life of Spray Paint and others
Posted by RMC_Birdgunner on Tuesday, January 15, 2008 2:42 PM

Hi,

 I know that there have been other posts on the shelf life of paint but I cannot find ny reference that gives a shelf life for spray cans. I am getting back into the hobby after a 6 year hiatus and have some used & unused spray cans that are that old or a couple of years older. Can I still use them, thus saving some cash, or will I have to get rid of them.

 I also have some Testors enamel and Model Master paints, some opened, some not. I have read that they can still be good at 10+ years but would like to comfirm that point. What about things like glue, thinner and filler? 

 

Thanks,   Denis 

"Public opinion wins wars." - Dwight D Eisenhower to Monty, Sept. 1944.

  • Member since
    January 2003
  • From: Peoples Socialist Democratic Republic of Illinois
Posted by Triarius on Tuesday, January 15, 2008 3:36 PM

Your Mileage May Vary…

Aerosol cans may last for up to five years, depending on more variables than you can shake the can at. Best thing to do is shake very thoroughly (If you can't get the aggitator ball loose, throw the can out.) and try a test shot. Any serious problem will become immediately obvious or will show up in the cured coating.

As for the Testor's and MM paints, you didn't say whether they were enamels or acrylics. MM acrylics are not the best for long term stability.

In either case, open the bottle and stir thoroughly. If, after five minutes of stirring there are still blobs or lumps, throw it out. If at any point you notice stringyness, throw it out.

Assuming it passes the above, once thoroughly stirred, put a dab from the stirring instrument on a scrap of clean styrene. If, after curing, it looks good and doesn't scrape off, the paint is still good.

Tube glue is history at that age. Solvent cement, like thinner, is fine as long as it is liquid. I doubt if cyanoacrylate glue, unless kept sealed and refrigerated, will last that long (none of mine has).

Filler is essentially the same as paint: if it is still formable and hardens, it's fine. Some fillers, allowed to sit for that long, will separate. If you can manipulate it in the tube, that will help mix it back together. If you can't, then it is obviously no longer usable. 

Ross Martinek A little strangeness, now and then, is a good thing… Wink

  • Member since
    January 2008
  • From: Bagotville, Quebec, Canada Eh!
Posted by RMC_Birdgunner on Wednesday, January 16, 2008 3:05 PM

Thanks for the reply Triarius.

Sorry I didn't specify but yes, all my paints in question were enamels. I have only recently been trying Tamiya acrylics after a friend told me how much easier they are to clean up, both for airbrushing and regular brushing. When I get a chance I will use your stirring trick and see what paint I can salvage. Since I plan to go to acrylics exclusively in the future I will not be too upset if they are not usable.

 I figured that the tube glue would be no good so I will chuck that and use the new stuff I already got. The other stuff I will test and see.

Thanks again, Denis 

"Public opinion wins wars." - Dwight D Eisenhower to Monty, Sept. 1944.

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