How do you all keep your paints (enamel) still alive for a long time? As for me, I shake them once in a while. Most of the time, they keep on settling down and some dried up. Any help?

BTW, I'm using Tamiya and Model Master enamels.

THanks!

I have had good luck with Model Master paints. I am fanatical about cleaning the lid and top of jar each time I use them, don't ever toss out the paper insert that comes with the lid. I have some that are around 4 years old and have had no problem with them. When I buy them I fill them up to the top of the jar with thinner and then mix real well. I basically only use them for airbrushing and find that this ratio works quite well.

some people I know store the paints upside down to keep the pigment where you don't have to dig it off the bottom of the jar.
If the paint dries out and only leaves the pigment it might be able to to salvage by adding thinner to it a little at a time until you get the right consistancy. Hope this helps.
Paul

Hi there

4 years! :-) That's nothing... I just been using some Humbrol paints I bought in the early 1980's and they're still fine!! :-)

I'm surprised that schobbie doesn't have problems by adding thinners, because I've often read that the one thing certain to make paint "go off" is diluting it with thinners, because it upsets the chemical balance.

It just goes to show, take what the "experts" say with a pinch of salt, and trust your own experience... :-)

All the best

Rowan

I always make sure mine bottles are capped up tight. Except that some of my Citadel paints dries like nobody's business...

if you dont use your tamiya paints for a long time

then twist on the cap firmly

after doing that put them upside down and run cancle wax into the gap

that means in between of the cap and the bottleneck

then you can put them away

and stach them for a decade hope this helps

I use Model Master enamels the most. I have no problems with keaping them in storage for a long time. I take care that they are well closed and as schobbie I clean the lip of the jar each time that I use them to not allow that the paint to dry in the lip. Also sometimes I shake them.
With Humbrol enamels I get the same results.

Honestly I never shaked them or put them upside down. What I do is:
- never add thinner (and never put thinned paint back in the bottle after use, I put in another clean jar
- for paints with a screw cup I clean throughly either the inside part of the cap and the top of the bottleneck then I replace the cap and I close it tightly
- for paints with Humbrol like tips I clean throughly the outer sides of the lid and the and the inner side of the jar then I replace the lid and close it tightly with the help of a vise
- I try to keep the jars/bottles opened as short as I can
Doing this I'm still using an Humbrol's silver jar (I use it only for dry-brushing) I bought in mid 70s...
Ciao

I have heard that putting a few copper BB's in the paint jar helps...

cheers

air is your enemy, if it dried up then you somehow didn't get it all the way sealed, I've got some paints 40 plus years and the only problem is settling, and if you keep on rotating from top to bottom, it will help on the settling. It doesn't take much for the thinner to evaporate just one micro hole where paint is stopping it from sealing. Keeping it shaken up helps to, but I don't know about airbrush though, but after 40 years it still works with a hand brush if you keep a clean tight seal, and keep it stirred up. Remember about the rotating so it won't all settle and the bottom will get hard. Hope this helps the ones that haft to leave big quantities for a long time.