Paint Maintenance = Saving $

I know paint is fairly cheap, but the more I save, the more I can spend on models, so every once in a while I go through my paint and give it a tune up.

I never buy paint, well almost never.

Most of my paint has come to me from buying old figures from Craigslist, flea markets or from others that are getting out of the hobby or kids that have "grown out" of it.

In these lots are most often some nice bits, some tools and brushes and most always some old paint.

I have so much "old paint " that I rarely need to buy any "new paint", the nice thing about these paints are that even dried up funky paint pots can be revived with a few drops of water and some mixing.

Here is what I do.

1. shake it.

If it moves around its in pretty good shape if not it needs some work.

2. add agitator.

Every paint should have something in it to help mix it up, just like in a spraypaint can, I use little bits of metal sprue.

3. add water.

if it is getting thick , add a few drops of water.

4. take inventory.

if you have three bottles of the same paint, keep one at your workstation.

5. Storage.

store extra paint in a box in the dark, and at the work station upside down, so you can see the paint color while working.

This one did not pass the shake test, a color that I don't use much that needs some water added and a good mix.

I work in the sink, with a glass with a stir stick for the really dry stuff.

I set the tap so it has a slow annoying drip, and catch a few as needed in the paint pot, less is more here, as it is much more simple to add another drop that to remove one. I guess you could use an eye dropper, but I don't have one and most everyone has a sink.

In this amazing action photo you can see the water drop falling from the faucet which is set on "annoying drip mode".

Cutters and old metal sprue bits to make drop in agitators.

Here are my workstation paints, with all the doubles in storage and the washes and metallics seperated, it is simple to find the right color with less fumbling, and upside down you can see the color through the clear bottom of the pot.

I am surprised by how even the most dried out paint is able to come back to being usable, if you can mash it around with a mixing stick just add a few drops of water and it will come back to life.

John