[MonsterModelMan]

So, with the new year and all the new kits that are out...I was thinking...

Does anyone have guidelines for the shelf life of model paint and when should we be thinking of refreshing our paint supplies?

How do you check to see if your paints are any good?

Testors Model Master
Acrylics
Enamels
Spray Cans
Others

MMM

 

[falcondesigns]

if you go to use it and it's a glob,it's no good!

 

[Trek Ace]

I still have model paint that I purchased 35-40 years ago that I use. At the most, I have to mix in some thinner and stir it well to get the 'glob' to smooth back into usable paint. I can even airbrush with it. I recently opened another sealed jar of Pactra M4 Aero Blue that I bought back in the early 70's - no problem at all with using it.

 

[djnick66]

Age doesnt really effect paint unless its opened often. People say colors like Flat Black go bad quickly... I think it is because that is a commonly used color. S o the jar is always opened, closed, gets the lid glopped up, etc. I have some unopened paints that are 30-40 years old that are still quite usable. You do have to mix them up well! Some of the oldest is an early 60s Testors Ed Roth paint. I put it in a Robart electric hobby paint jar shaker and it still mixed up ok.

I have a lot of Gunze paints that even when not open seem to lose their solvent. So about once a year I open each one and top them off with Mr. Color or Aqueous Hobby Color thinner.

 

[John P]

Yup. Like they said. I've even got some bottles of Poly-S acrylic from the 70s that are still good.

 

[MadCap Romanian]

Just don't leave them near any heat. I had some 3 month old paint turn rock hard in the bottle because it was on my model table under the heat vent.

 

[John P]

Don't worry, the last thing my basement has is heat!

 

[Lamarth]

I have a lot of Gunze paints that even when not open seem to lose their solvent. So about once a year I open each one and top them off with Mr. Color or Aqueous Hobby Color thinner.

I got the same problem- I've got scads of Gunze Sangyo paints that I've had for 10 years (minimum) and they all look ok (i.e. not dried up), but I've also got Mr. Thinner and Mr. Surfacer that's about the same age. So if Gunze paints have a long shelf life, what about the Mr. Thinner or Mr. Surfacer products?

David

 

[Model Man]

MY testor's enamels are always drying into globs despite tight seals and mild use. Some seem to go bad more than others. Haven't nailed down the cause.