Hi all,
I am the proud owner of some 200 paints (or was), my brother has just this evening returned my paint collection to me and upon inspection I have found the great majority of my GW paints have registered their protest with my non-use of them over the last 3 months by semi-solidifying.
I expect this may be the result of poor storage (they sat betwixt my mothers hallway radiator and the cold draft of the front door).
I have prescribed a dose of vallejo thinner medium to said paints and the lighter colours seem to drink it up but the darker colours are proving more stubborn.
Has anyone else found an effective remedy?
As a side note, the vallejo colours are fine (just need a shake)
Cheers
Ry
I've just added water to mine which seems to work. A lot depends upon how dry they have become. Try one pot and see which works best for them. Hope this helps?
I always used ti find that water was the best to thin them down a bit.....As long as they haven't gone too far.
Cheers - Phil
Go to a charity shop and buy a crochet needle about 6 inches long. I got two for 20p. Its like a short knitting needle with a point at both ends. Being metal it can cope better with mixing stiff half dried paints. Then add water slowly.
If they are verystiff use the needle to make 10 or so holes in the paint and then por in a little water to fill the holes and cover the paint by a few mm. Leave overnight and then try again. If they are this stiff they often do not mix completely smooth but can be used for terrain etc.
Cheers chaps.
I pin-pricked the paints that were drying out and added a teaspoon of water and have just opened them up, the metallics and black/grey paints are no better, purples and blues show slight improvement and I reckon I can salvage them.
It's odd but the browns/reds/oranges are fairing better than the rest and having removed a skin from the surface they are good.
I'm sure there's science in there somewhere but I'm lost to it all, glad to have saved some, I reckon it's vallejo from here on though.
Cheers
Ry
Good choice, I find GW to be way overpriced for what they are and the pots seem designed to force you to waste the maximum amount of paint.
Quote from: GordonY on 13 November 2013, 10:09:38 PM
Good choice, I find GW to be way overpriced for what they are and the pots seem designed to force you to waste the maximum amount of paint.
So true, My experience of GW paints over the years indicate a steady decline in life expectancy with each new 'remodel pot'.
I have GW paints that are 18 years old and still usable, with each new pot type it seems that the main purpose is to lessen the life expectancy.
The older the pots I have, the longer they seem to last, this follows with each new release type.
Sad but true.
Ry
I'd agree on the shorter life expectancy of each new generation of GW paint pots. ~X(
By comparison I have recently had to throw out my last two pots of TSR D&D paints that I re3alised I must have had kicking around since the late 70's! :o
The metallics may need a lot of stirring as they are made up of liquid and lots of small bits of metallic something to give it the colour, I always found that adding a bit of water and then scraping something over the solid bit of silver worked ok. It's just because the solid bits have a tendency to gel together.
More effective than using water is to use acrylic medium. Readily available from art suppliers, a meduim size bottle will last a long while. I used the Rowney version, I think it's called Flow Enhancer. Have rescued a few dried up GW paints with this.
That sounds like a very good tip !!
Cheers - Phil.
I've used Windsor and Newton Acrylic Flow Improver, which works quite well (better than water I think). The price label says £4.55 for a 75cc bottle, but I did buy it several years ago.
Top tip: use a straw to add a little bit at a time.
My middle son has taken up painting figures in a big way but is perhaps not as careful as he might be at screwing lids back on. So I have had a few casualties amongst the pots (mainly an older type called Miniature Paints, which sadly don't seem to be available anymore). But I've managed to reanimate quite a few.
The old school method was to put a BB or small (stainless) ball bearing in and shake like heck. Water is good for thinning a bit but proper thinners are better if the paints are really bad.