Post by jimrichards on Aug 22, 2020 3:30:10 GMT -5
A couple of days ago I had a rude awakening. I went into my LHS (which is part of one of our ACE hardware stores) to buy a jar of Model Master flat black. The paint rack was almost completely
empty, I foolishly asked what was going on and he told me that Model Master has been discontinued. I came home looked on line and sure enough I saw that Rustoleum which owns the Testor brand is dropping the Testor line of products. Some of you probably already know this, but I was shocked, to say the least.
So I got on line to search for my favorite flat black, and on eBay only found three sources. Two of them showed images of Acrylic, but used the Enamel part number, and were in the 3 to 4 dollar range. But then one outlet showed the correct jar of enamel, and part number, but get this, $12.84 + $3.00 shipping for a 1/2 ounce jar! What's even crazier is I ordered 2 jars. It has been my favorite Flat Black, ever since the Model Master line came out in the early 1980s. I know a lot of you use and like waterbase acrylics, and I use them for certain things (like lettering tires), but I have been building since 1967, and like enamels.
So I got to thinking, that I need to go through my paint supply and make sure I have it all preserved properly. As I was doing this it dawned upon me that perhaps some of my fellow members would be interested in my storage and preservation techniques.
I found this jar of gloss black that was the perfect candidate. As you can see it is real dusty, which means I haven't used it for a while.
Here are some of the items I will be using to clean up this mess. Some cut down Scott shop towels, lac. thinner, modified stirring sticks (pop sickle sticks split in half) trusty Zap A Gap, and some Swiffer cloths (unscented).
I start by wiping down the jar
Looks better on the outside already, plus we don't want all that dust to fall in, after opening it.
After opening it, a common problem (with incorrectly stored paint) the seal stuck to the jar.
After careful removal, you will notice that the seal part peeled away from the cardboard backing. I was able to clean the seal with lac thinner, before it came apart.
I glued the two parts back together, installing the cardboard part back into the cap, after cleaning the cap surface first.
it is important to preserve this part, because the cap seal will play an important roll in properly storing the paint.
I then clean the dried paint on the lip of the jar, with a lac soaked towel.
Then I stir the paint thoroughly. The split popsickle sticks work nice for this, because one side is flat and the other is round, so you can all the edges of the jar.
I like to put a few BBs in the jar (3 seems to work the best) I prefer the silver types better than the copper.
But first I clean them in a jar of enamel reducer. Then dry them thoroughly.
Then drop them in the paint jar.
Now replace the lid and shake it up vigorously, I then set it aside to settle for 10 or 15 minutes.
After it has a chance to settle, I clean the jar and the lid seal again with a dry cloth.
Replace the lid, somewhat snuggly. And I have a preserved jar of paint, that should last quite some time, which is important. Especially if I have to pay $15 freakin dollars for a 1/2 oz jar of paint that I want.
From time to time I will have a shake day, and shake the jars. This is where the BBs come into play. (sorta like spray paint). This is especially a good idea with metallic colors.
I store my paints in a climate control area. I like to keep the lesser used colors in those tins that cookies come in at X-Mas time. Since we know that light and air are mortal enemies to chemicals.
The more commonly used colors I will keep on the paint rack at one of my model desks.
Spray paints, are a whole other story.
When storing my spray paints, I never want to shake the cans.
If you read the ingredients in the paint on the side of the can, you will have a "Say What?" moment. Unless you are an actual Chemist, and even then it doesn't make much common sense.
But in layman's terms, there are 4 major components in spray paint.
You have the pigments that make up the color, a reducer, a catalist (or drying agent) and whatever chemicals that make up the propellant.
When you shake the can it activates all these ingredients, like you want to do when you are gonna spray it.
But for storing it, this would be the same as mixing everything up in your airbrush jar and then leaving it.
I will every so often just gently turn the cans upside down and let them sit a day or more. When you do this you want to hear the ball inside fall. If it doesn't, tap the side and or bottom of the can with a wrench til you hear it fall. Don't shake it.
The pigment is the heaviest of the ingredients so it settles to the bottom and that's what the ball sticks to.
After a period upside down, turn the can back upright, once again hearing the ball fall.
After it sits a day I pick the can up and roll the ball around in the bottom of the can. This will keep everything loose and mixed without activating the paint, which causes the paint to dry inside the can.
This may all sound basic, rudimentary and time consuming. But bear in mind we are paying for paint, up to three times the cost of a model kit that we bought way back when most of us started building. And if they are going to keep on discontinuing our favorite products, we need to make them last.
Even if you are a proficient builder and use the paint as soon as you buy it, bear in mind it has probably been sitting on a shelf for a while. So if you don't want to wait days to do this system, that's where sitting the can in some warm water first helps. Yes, the temp of the paint is a factor, but more importantly it loosens and mixes all the ingredients properly before you shake well before spraying.
Also when you buy the can at the store, most of us like to hear the ball rattle. So instead of shaking I tap the can on the floor til I hear the ball, the sooner the ball breaks loose, probably the fresher the paint. (unless some clown shook the can before you got there) lol. That's why I pull a can from the back.
Hope this didn't bore the stuffing out of you, and you could find some usefulness in my blabber.
So I'll go for now, because after all this typing, it's like Lennon says "I've got blisters on my fingers"
You guys are the best
Your friend
Jim Richards
Tucson Arizona
empty, I foolishly asked what was going on and he told me that Model Master has been discontinued. I came home looked on line and sure enough I saw that Rustoleum which owns the Testor brand is dropping the Testor line of products. Some of you probably already know this, but I was shocked, to say the least.
So I got on line to search for my favorite flat black, and on eBay only found three sources. Two of them showed images of Acrylic, but used the Enamel part number, and were in the 3 to 4 dollar range. But then one outlet showed the correct jar of enamel, and part number, but get this, $12.84 + $3.00 shipping for a 1/2 ounce jar! What's even crazier is I ordered 2 jars. It has been my favorite Flat Black, ever since the Model Master line came out in the early 1980s. I know a lot of you use and like waterbase acrylics, and I use them for certain things (like lettering tires), but I have been building since 1967, and like enamels.
So I got to thinking, that I need to go through my paint supply and make sure I have it all preserved properly. As I was doing this it dawned upon me that perhaps some of my fellow members would be interested in my storage and preservation techniques.
I found this jar of gloss black that was the perfect candidate. As you can see it is real dusty, which means I haven't used it for a while.
Here are some of the items I will be using to clean up this mess. Some cut down Scott shop towels, lac. thinner, modified stirring sticks (pop sickle sticks split in half) trusty Zap A Gap, and some Swiffer cloths (unscented).
I start by wiping down the jar
Looks better on the outside already, plus we don't want all that dust to fall in, after opening it.
After opening it, a common problem (with incorrectly stored paint) the seal stuck to the jar.
After careful removal, you will notice that the seal part peeled away from the cardboard backing. I was able to clean the seal with lac thinner, before it came apart.
I glued the two parts back together, installing the cardboard part back into the cap, after cleaning the cap surface first.
it is important to preserve this part, because the cap seal will play an important roll in properly storing the paint.
I then clean the dried paint on the lip of the jar, with a lac soaked towel.
Then I stir the paint thoroughly. The split popsickle sticks work nice for this, because one side is flat and the other is round, so you can all the edges of the jar.
I like to put a few BBs in the jar (3 seems to work the best) I prefer the silver types better than the copper.
But first I clean them in a jar of enamel reducer. Then dry them thoroughly.
Then drop them in the paint jar.
Now replace the lid and shake it up vigorously, I then set it aside to settle for 10 or 15 minutes.
After it has a chance to settle, I clean the jar and the lid seal again with a dry cloth.
Replace the lid, somewhat snuggly. And I have a preserved jar of paint, that should last quite some time, which is important. Especially if I have to pay $15 freakin dollars for a 1/2 oz jar of paint that I want.
From time to time I will have a shake day, and shake the jars. This is where the BBs come into play. (sorta like spray paint). This is especially a good idea with metallic colors.
I store my paints in a climate control area. I like to keep the lesser used colors in those tins that cookies come in at X-Mas time. Since we know that light and air are mortal enemies to chemicals.
The more commonly used colors I will keep on the paint rack at one of my model desks.
Spray paints, are a whole other story.
When storing my spray paints, I never want to shake the cans.
If you read the ingredients in the paint on the side of the can, you will have a "Say What?" moment. Unless you are an actual Chemist, and even then it doesn't make much common sense.
But in layman's terms, there are 4 major components in spray paint.
You have the pigments that make up the color, a reducer, a catalist (or drying agent) and whatever chemicals that make up the propellant.
When you shake the can it activates all these ingredients, like you want to do when you are gonna spray it.
But for storing it, this would be the same as mixing everything up in your airbrush jar and then leaving it.
I will every so often just gently turn the cans upside down and let them sit a day or more. When you do this you want to hear the ball inside fall. If it doesn't, tap the side and or bottom of the can with a wrench til you hear it fall. Don't shake it.
The pigment is the heaviest of the ingredients so it settles to the bottom and that's what the ball sticks to.
After a period upside down, turn the can back upright, once again hearing the ball fall.
After it sits a day I pick the can up and roll the ball around in the bottom of the can. This will keep everything loose and mixed without activating the paint, which causes the paint to dry inside the can.
This may all sound basic, rudimentary and time consuming. But bear in mind we are paying for paint, up to three times the cost of a model kit that we bought way back when most of us started building. And if they are going to keep on discontinuing our favorite products, we need to make them last.
Even if you are a proficient builder and use the paint as soon as you buy it, bear in mind it has probably been sitting on a shelf for a while. So if you don't want to wait days to do this system, that's where sitting the can in some warm water first helps. Yes, the temp of the paint is a factor, but more importantly it loosens and mixes all the ingredients properly before you shake well before spraying.
Also when you buy the can at the store, most of us like to hear the ball rattle. So instead of shaking I tap the can on the floor til I hear the ball, the sooner the ball breaks loose, probably the fresher the paint. (unless some clown shook the can before you got there) lol. That's why I pull a can from the back.
Hope this didn't bore the stuffing out of you, and you could find some usefulness in my blabber.
So I'll go for now, because after all this typing, it's like Lennon says "I've got blisters on my fingers"
You guys are the best
Your friend
Jim Richards
Tucson Arizona
It's an interweb thing.....