Drying out paints

[Argonor]

This is not an ad for GW paints but:

I keep reading about people complaining that their Citadel paints dry out in the pot.

I simply do not get that. I have GW paints that I bought almost 20 years ago, and they are still fine. Woodland Green is one of them; I'm using it for my Brigade Alien Invasion aliens at the moment...

I think I've had about 2 pots of GW paint dry out on me over the past 20 years, and it was both colours I simply did not use. I've had far more pots from other manufactures dry out...

What I do to prevent paint drying out:

I of course ALWAYS add a little water to the pot if I think the paint is getting a little thick. Not necessarily every time I use the paint, just when it seems appropriate. I sometimes take out 5-10 pots of paint I haven't used for a while and add a little water, just in case.

I ALWAYS make sure that my pots are thoroughly closed.

AND I ALWAYS remove the dried-up paint from the lids - every time I use a pot of paint I do that (I simply use an X-Acto with an old blade to remove it).

Some far more concerning problems to me are:

The lids of the classical pots (like those now used by Foundry and Black Hat) tend to go brittle and break over time. I then buy a 'Mixing Pot' and pour the paint over, but its a pain....

Any screw-lid is... well screwed, if you pardon me. They ALWAYS get clogged by paint, are nigh impossible to clean without damaging, and I have to use plyers to get them open.

Any thoughts on this?

[Grimmnar]

Well that is because the GW paints made 20 years ago were better then the ones of recent years.

I have always had good luck with my paints as well. I had to actually get rid of my fist Armory paint ever. The mold in the jar was the first clue. LOL

But with the better half learning to paint she was looking through my colors. The Chaos Black had dried up. Now the GW paints that have the most issues are the "Bolter Round" paint bottles. And I have heard that more than any other comment from people. But with a recent luck in prices I have been finally switching out to Vallejo paints this past month. At some point I will go through the rest of my GW and other non-Vallejo paints and see what is what. So whatever is good will get sold at the next con and what ever dried up will get the contents remove and the remaining empty jar will either become a jar of whatnot or the jar will become building material of some kind.

Also, don't mock the Gods of Dried Paint. If they hear you don't have enough dried paint to worship them properly ya never know what they will do to help ya out. :-)

Grimm

[Orctrader]

 Now the GW paints that have the most issues are the "Bolter Round" paint bottles.

They are rubbish containers.  CDA paints - the original Citadel still in the original bottles I never have problems with.

[Argonor]

 Now the GW paints that have the most issues are the "Bolter Round" paint bottles.

They are rubbish containers.  CDA paints - the original Citadel still in the original bottles I never have problems with.

That would be those with the screw-lids?

[white knight]

The ones people complain about are the ones with the screw lids, not the ones they had twenty years ago (I also have some of those that are 15 years old and still good) and that are now sold as coat d'arms.

[JollyBob]

Our new dark-god bothering forum member Danny The Chimp just got a stack of old Citadel paints off eBay, all the paint sets except the Expert one with the inks in (Colour, Monster, Space Marine sets I think). All in their original packaging.

Except for the black and white which had been used up, they were all in perfect nick, and some must be getting on 20 years old.

I think he only paid about a fiver for the lot too. 


Personally, I still have ones I bought about that long ago which are fine too, and the new paints seem ok, but I agree the ones in the screw top bottles tended to dry out faster. And clog up around the threads so you couldn't open them without getting it all down your trousers.

[Orctrader]

 Now the GW paints that have the most issues are the "Bolter Round" paint bottles.

They are rubbish containers.  CDA paints - the original Citadel still in the original bottles I never have problems with.

That would be those with the screw-lids?

No.  Flip-top.  Same as Foundry Paint bottles.  The GW Hex bottles I have are also flip-top but a diffrent design.  Not as good.

[Ramshackle_Curtis]

 Now the GW paints that have the most issues are the "Bolter Round" paint bottles.

They are rubbish containers.  CDA paints - the original Citadel still in the original bottles I never have problems with.

That would be Cote D`Arms paints then, manufactured by HMG Ltd of Manchester. We stock them on our site. They even have a conversion chart for those who care....

[Gluteus Maximus]

Yep, those old soft plastic flip-tops were much better. I never had any dry-ups with those and still have 20 plus-year-old pots fresh as new. Sometimes the little tab breaks off, but they are easy to lever open with a paint brush handle etc. Well done to Coat D'arms for keeping them. I keep empty ones for mixing and saving "specials" when I feel the urge to get creative.

The screw-tops however...  'Nuff said!

The current design with the harder plastic flip-top seems to work well, though. No dry-ups as yet 

Either way, I still prefer Vallejo to GW........

[black hat miniatures]

When Games Workshop switched from HMG to a french manufacturer, they changed the bottles and those bottles seem to leach water over time which is why they dry up.  Their new chinese made bottles seem better.

Mike

[AKULA]

Simple answer is.....if your paints are drying out, you aren't painting enough figures!

 

[Argonor]

When Games Workshop switched from HMG to a french manufacturer, they changed the bottles and those bottles seem to leach water over time which is why they dry up.  Their new chinese made bottles seem better.
Mike

Hmmm... yeah, but it's actually the same bottles with a different lid-system - I you screw off the lid of a 'bolter-round' and the black part of a new one, the containers are completely identical... at least to my eyes....

[Grimmnar]

They are rubbish containers.  CDA paints - the original Citadel still in the original bottles I never have problems with.

Yep in deed. In fact i still have about 12 or so of them from the original paint sets and the last time i looked they were still fine. Coat D'Arms now sells them and they are still wicked kool for use.

That would be those with the screw-lids?

Yeah, the Bolter Round bottles are the ones with the screw top lids. :-)

Grimm

[Danny the Chimp]

Our new dark-god bothering forum member Danny The Chimp just got a stack of old Citadel paints off eBay, all the paint sets except the Expert one with the inks in (Colour, Monster, Space Marine sets I think). All in their original packaging.

Except for the black and white which had been used up, they were all in perfect nick, and some must be getting on 20 years old.

I think he only paid about a fiver for the lot too. 

I must confess, this is true. Though they were £6.50.... Such an expense!

It was the Expert, Colour, Monster and Space Marine boxes I bought in a batch from an auction site that we all love and fear. To show how old they are, they where all padded with a newspaper from 1993, 93% of them are as good as new, all they needed was a drop of H2O and a good shake. A few pots where missing and one or two are passed it due to not being looked after.

The space wolf grey and skull white were full of old dried up paint, but after clearing this out and a bit of water added they're great for undercoats.

Remember kids paints dont die, they always have a little fun left in them! 

Though comparing these to the modern GW ones I have picked up since, they are far superior, now where is that Black Hat Miniatures link..... 

[Argonor]

now where is that Black Hat Miniatures link..... 

http://blackhat.co.uk/catalog/index.php?cPath=21&osCsid=6b9d8eae2d53587459578967de4010e7