Resurrecting old paint pots

[Shadowslayer]

Just a quick question. I have a good number of GW paint pots that are a about 5 years old. The paint inside is settled, reduced, really gummy, but still wet. Can I rescue the paints by adding a little more water and shaking the crap out of it, or is it pretty much a lost cause?

And if so, would it matter if it was distilled water/tapwater/thinner?

(And just by the way, I have a few of the Reaper drip bottles from the same time period...and they're still good. Guess the drip bottles keep longer.)

 

[frankthedm]

Just a quick question. I have a good number of GW paint pots that are a about 5 years old. The paint inside is settled, reduced, really gummy, but still wet. Can I rescue the paints by adding a little more water and shaking the crap out of it, or is it pretty much a lost cause?

Try the water, won't cost much

And if so, would it matter if it was distilled water/tapwater/thinner?

If you have distilled, great. Tap should work unless your local water is awful. A hand held plug-in massager might be more effective at shaking the crap out of it.

(And just by the way, I have a few of the Reaper drip bottles from the same time period...and they're still good. Guess the drip bottles keep longer.)

The GW screw top bottles were flat out defective IMNSHO. The company knew about how bad they were and kept using them for years.

 

[Olaf the Stout]

I agree with everything Frank said.

A couple of years ago I got my paints out after about 5 years of them sitting around, not being used. Although all of them had thickened up all it took was a little bit of water to get them back to normal. A couple of them thickened beyond recovery. Unsurprisingly both of them were the GW screw-top pots. The older GW white-top pots I had were all still in good condition.

Olaf the Stout

Edit: I should also add that I used the butt end of a paint brush to mix the paint through. Several of mine were quite thick that they needed the stir just to get things started. Just shaking the paint wouldn't have done enough.

 

[Shadowslayer]

All of mine are the black topped GW flip lids. And actually it looks like its going to work out. On a few of my paints I tried putting a half an eyedropper of water, stirred with a toothpick, then dropped in a clear glass bead about half the size of an actual marble, then shook/rattled till my wrist was sore.

Just like new.

Thanks guys.

 

[Orius]

Yup, I always find that does the trick. Use some water, and poke holes in the gummed up crap with a toothpick to loosen it up. Then as it starts breaking up, use the toothpick to stir it up and reconstitute the paint.

 

[sabrinathecat]

yes

And if just water hasn't helped, try some rubbing alchohol. After 6+ years off, I just got back to mini painting. I was able to salvage 2/3 of my paints this way.