Is using old paint a good idea?

If the paints weren't opened and have not been exposed to extremes of temperature, there shouldn't be any reason  why they shouldn't be useable. I have several jars of Testors paints which have sat unopened since the early 80's, if not earlier. When shaken, they will mix up just as they did when I bought them, so I am presuming (without opening) that they are ok to use.

Having said that, the best way to be sure is to open a jar and stir with a suitable implement.  After stirring for about 3-4 minutes, if the paint appears smooth and there are no lumps or strings that will not mix in, then your chances are looking better.  If you do have strings or lumps of congealed paint which won't mix, bin it, as this is generally unrecoverable.

^^^ Agreed!

I have recently used Testor's enamel paints that were garage stored sense the late 80's with no issues! The garage was subject to temperature extremes without effecting the paint. The only thing that will ruin the jars of paint is a poor seal. I have came up with a new seal using the plastic seals found on OJ & milk containers, the cardboard gasket is only good until you open the jar, then should be replaced with one of the units mentioned above.

(sorry I could not find a picture, the thumbnails on my computer are not showing up?)

I had some Pactra enamels (military color set) from the 1990's sitting unopened in a stash box.  I opened them in February and they were smooth, clean and very much usable.  Guess the key factor is that the original factory seal went undisturbed during the lengthy stoarage.

Thanks alot.

I noticed some of the paints I have can be thrown out, while I can stir up the rest of the paints. I noticed that most paint kits out there today all have specific colors for the model & modeller, so I guess I'll have to buy the odd color to finish my model the way it was meant to look. I always remember building a model & just using any olive drab or tan color for camouflage, whereas today its all about the detail & precision. I was reading up on airbrushing yesterday & didn't think about respirators & fans, so I think I'll stick with brush painting for now & spray enamel I found some old car models last night & thought about practicing on them by painting the interior & exterior. I also have an incomplete Star Wars model without instructions & missing pieces from the '70s. The pieces fit together pretty good, but they could do with sanding around the edges & some black paint.

I've got a bottle of Testors Orange that is nearly 40 years old.  In fact, it has 19 cents printed on the lid.  Anybody remember the controversy when Testors increased the cost of paint from 17 cents to 19 cents?   Ah, the good old days.                                                                                                                  Anyway, I still occationally use this paint and it's still as good today as it was in the early 70's.

No...

I have paint that is older than some of modelers in this forum. I have an old bottle of Testors #1143 that I used on a Harvard MK IV That is as smooth as the day I bought it. The bottle is so old that Testors no longer has any reference as to when they discontinued it. So old paint is still good to go.

Jay

If the pigments haven't separated you could be ok. As a rule of thumb (for me),,, after a bottle has sat for a year I will only use it for brush painting.

I don't like to take a chance on a new build with old paint...  the way I figure it is that I put a lot of work into a build and what is another couple of bucks for a new bottle of paint.

Better safe than sorry.....

Best of luck and welcome back to the hobby

Bill