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Old Paint

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  • Member since
    January 2005
  • From: Jarrell, Texas
  • 1,114 posts
Old Paint
Posted by Tom Bryant_MR on Saturday, January 25, 2020 12:53 PM

No, not the horse Smile

Painting over the screws on the ground throws. I had my doubts it would work as the cheap - 50 cent - paint was stored outside in heat and cold since 2011!

Tom

  • Member since
    February 2005
  • From: Vancouver Island, BC
  • 23,330 posts
Posted by selector on Saturday, January 25, 2020 6:45 PM

Amazing, Tom...or....maybe not.  You know that four-pack large spray can of foaming glass cleaner at Costco?  We bought ours maybe in 2011, and I think the can says the product expired in 2014 or thereabouts.  I'm on can #3 and it still works well AFAIC.

I still have half of a bottle of Poly Scale 'railroad tie brown' that I last used in 2006.  It may take some doing, but I suspect it will be fine, maybe strained, when I go to use it inside of 10 weeks.  I may have to add a bit of water.  And, I have an unopened bottle, too.

The hobby brings to each of us so many pleasant discoveries, eh?

-Crandell

  • Member since
    July 2006
  • From: west coast
  • 7,667 posts
Posted by rrebell on Sunday, January 26, 2020 9:30 PM

I still have some paint from when my 30 year olds were little, still good.

  • Member since
    May 2010
  • From: SE. WI.
  • 8,253 posts
Posted by mbinsewi on Monday, January 27, 2020 6:50 AM

I still have, and use old paint.  I've even used 11 yr. old acrylic enamel house paint to touch up some out side trim, still holding up great.

I've brought life back to acrylic craft paints with distilled water, sometime a touch of 71% alchohol.

I used spray paint that spent the winter in an unheated garage, no problem.

Mike.

  • Member since
    September 2004
  • From: Dearborn Station
  • 24,281 posts
Posted by richhotrain on Monday, January 27, 2020 6:57 AM

It's all about how often you open and close the bottle and how often the paint in the bottle is exposed to air.

Rich

Alton Junction

  • Member since
    January 2005
  • From: Jarrell, Texas
  • 1,114 posts
Posted by Tom Bryant_MR on Tuesday, January 28, 2020 11:28 AM
Thanks for the tip on distilled water and alcohol.

Tom

  • Member since
    February 2008
  • 2,360 posts
Posted by kasskaboose on Tuesday, January 28, 2020 11:46 AM

Also, where you store the paint.  On my old house, I kept old paint in the garage.  The previous owner in our new place kept ALL the paint inside, which is invaluable.

  • Member since
    January 2017
  • From: Southern Florida Gulf Coast
  • 18,255 posts
Posted by SeeYou190 on Tuesday, January 28, 2020 1:46 PM

Delta Ceramcoat was one of the best lines of paint you could buy for a couple of decades. It probably still is very good.

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SoapBox follows:

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Michael's craft store used to carry the ENTIRE line of Delta Ceramcoat, everything! There were probably 250 colors in this line of paint.

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Now, Michael's carries about 4 different lines of 2 ounce bottles of craft paint, the SAME 40 COLORS in all different lines, and none of them are as good as the Delta product. All the selection and the cool colors are gone. 

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"Straw" by Delta Ceramcoat was a staple color for undercoating beneath yellow. It was required for any good figure painting with yellow as a prominent color. Now it cannot be found.

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Delta Ceramcoat "Thinner For Acrylic Paints" was worth its weight in gold, and now it is gone as well. The "floats" and "blending gel" in this line were also must-haves for the serious miniature painter... all gone.

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So, ten years ago I could go to Michael's with a buck and get a good bottle of craft paint in ANY color I needed. Not any more.

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Why did they take this away from me.

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End rant.

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-Kevin

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Living the dream.

  • Member since
    December 2001
  • 3,139 posts
Posted by chutton01 on Tuesday, January 28, 2020 4:30 PM

SeeYou190
Delta Ceramcoat was one of the best lines of paint you could buy for a couple of decades. It probably still is very good.

So, ten years ago I could go to Michael's with a buck and get a good bottle of craft paint in ANY color I needed. Not any more.

Why did they take this away from me.

Looks like Hobby Lobby still carries the line.  A hobby Lobby finally opened about 25km from me, I should head out and see if they have the full Cermacoat line.
The Michael's around me (there are 3 stores within reasonable distance) don't seem to carry the Americana craft paints anymore - Americana Payne's Grey was a pretty good (IMO) substitute for good old Grimy Black.  Instead they seem to concentrate on crafter's colors with glitter, flourescent, and so on.  Well, they are a craft store I guess...

  • Member since
    January 2017
  • From: Southern Florida Gulf Coast
  • 18,255 posts
Posted by SeeYou190 on Wednesday, January 29, 2020 7:39 AM

chutton01
don't seem to carry the Americana craft paints anymore

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Yes... The Americana line of paints was also great. They had a good pigment load and were very thick. When thinned with their own line of thinner, and a drop or two of extender, they flowed off of brush bristles very nicely.

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Good luck with the Hobby Lobby. The one near me only carries a few colors of Delta Ceramcoat, just like the Vallejo paints in HL, they only keep a handful to choose from.

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Delta Ceramcoat has a color called "Charcoal" that is also a good substitute for Grimy Black.

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If all else fails, order a bottle of "German Black Gray" in the Vallejo Model Color line from Mega Hobby. It is pretty close also, but it is $3.00 for a 1/2 ounce.

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For a really neat girmy look, I use Vallejo "Black Glaze" over "Dark Gray".

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Why doesn't MB Klein sell Vallejo Paints?

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-Kevin

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Living the dream.

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