Just Starting Out

[Guest]

Hi, before i hit the model shop headlong, can anyone help me. Having uncovered my dads stash and equipment, so at least twenty years old, i wondered if any of it was still any use!! Theres a lot of humbrol enamels, some of which have dried up, some which seem ok but i dont know whether these products have a shelf life.

I read alot on the forums about klear and/or future, neither of which i have at the moment. In the box of delights i uncovered a bottle of picture varnish....could this do the same job?

cheers guys

Stu

[yambam26]

Hi Stu,

with the humbrol paints you maybe able to revive them by adding some enamel thinners/thinners. just a little amount to get them back to a better mix,the enamels they just seperate and depends where they are kept just a cool dry place is ideal away from extreme temperatures

That's my knowledge with humbrol anyways :P

Cheers, Ben

[stona]

Hi Stu,first of all welcome aboard and welcome to the world of scale modelling.

If the Humbrol enamels have dried out and skinned over I would chuck them. If they are still entirely liquid then all they need is a really thorough mix and they'll be good to go. I am still using some twenty year old tins of the old Humbrol paints,so definitely no shelf life if stored properly.

I've no idea what sort of varnish the picture varnish will be so I'd hesitate to comment. Klear,although designed for floors, is just an acrylic gloss varnish. Any acrylic gloss varnish will do the job it does.

Cheers

Steve

[flyjoe180]

Hi Stu, I recently restarted after a similar time away and still had Humbrol enamels. As said the ones which have not dried up can be mixed and they will be good to go. The enamel separates over time from the other fluid, so a good mix and shake is all that is required. Mix/stir until you can't find any more blobs of enamel in the tin. Then shake until you can't shake any more. I regularly shake my tins even if they aren't in use to keep the mixture going. The dried up tins may have to be thrown out. Having said that, you can try to pierce the top layer as sometimes usable paint will reside underneath. The best solution with these however is to replace them. You can avoid paint drying inside the tin by keeping the lid and tin lips clean. Individual tins are not expensive to replace but replacing a set at once can hurt the wallet. Hope this helps.