Hi all -- New user, getting ready to learn to airbrush.
There's a LHS that I believe has a cache of old, unopened Floquil paints. They look pretty well separated. Should I nab what he has, or are these paints past salvaging? Or are they a bad idea for a newbie airbrusher?
Thanks --
Aaron
"One difference between pessimists and optimists is that while pessimists are more often right, optimists have far more fun."
,
If they have never been opened....there will be a clear plastic seal under the cap...You must peel off before using. I suggest removing cap, remove seal and Stir, do not shake the bottle for best results. You can use a skinny flat blade screw driver for that. Any others that are still liquid, but some are thicker,(pigment thick on bottom) You can add a little lacquer thinner to them when You mix and they will be fine. I have Floquil paint still from the 50's that are still usable and I DO. I got into a habit many yrs. ago, of buying in three's.
If You find a bottle that You can see is liquid, but can't remove top....just dip a cotton swab or paint brush in lacquer thinner, turn bottle on lid and soak between the lid and glass bottle rim with the lacquer thinner and within a few minutes You can take the lid off...I do it all the time. Works with any paint, that You can't remove lid from bottle.
Take Care!
Frank
BTW: To The Forums.....
Aaron,
I have purchased a lot of old acrylic floquil (Polly S) recently and while the paint is still good for brushing I have had a lot of issues trying to run it thru my airbrush. I use a good acrylic thinner and it doesn't help. It tends to lump. Not sure you would run into the same issue with the oil based floquil.
Tim
CajonTim Aaron, I have purchased a lot of old acrylic floquil (Polly S) recently and while the paint is still good for brushing I have had a lot of issues trying to run it thru my airbrush. I use a good acrylic thinner and it doesn't help. It tends to lump. Not sure you would run into the same issue with the oil based floquil. Tim
Tim,
You would have better results with the acrylic Floquil (Polly S) if You strained it, before pouring into mixing bottle, (automotive paper paint strainer) then use Denatured Alcohol for thinner, instead of water or distilled water. Some of their pigment clumps in that paint and plugs Your air brush.....some are very tiny, just enough to mess up paint flow.....been there!
Would A coffee filter work as well straining floquil Or would it be considered to fine?
Burlington Steam Would A coffee filter work as well straining floquil Or would it be considered to fine?
Way too fine.....hardly any paint would come through.
Go to any Automotive/Body shop paint supplier and ask for paper paint strainers....they DO NOT cost an arm and leg....they are a little large for using on small 1oz. bottles, but can be cut down to size, with a pair of scissors.....they are paper, with a mesh/gauze type cone on the straining end and they are throw away's....been using them for the past 45yrs or so. I do not mix, any kind of model/auto paint unless I strain it first....learned that lesson xxyrs. ago.
BTW: I stay away from ready thinned air brush paint.....waste of money...in My opinion....rather mix My own.
Frank,
Good suggestion! I will give that a try. I tried straining using a fine strainer but like you say it doesn't take much of a clump to plug the airbrush.
Aaron, Though never greatly skilled with an airbrush I've had mostly good results shooting the old Floquil paints thru my old Badger 200, still do. Much of my dwindling supply of Floquil paints are more than two decades old and I find that staining the paint helps a lot. Long time ago I learned about using small pieces of pantyhose to strain the paint thru. I use an o-ring to hold the pantyhose stetched over the mouth of the jar or color cup and the tighter the pantyhose is stretched the larger the mesh.
Happy shooting, regards, Peter