Bob and all You might try a product called "Extend-It". I use it to keep my resin from going bad. I have never tried it for paint, but it should work. I think it is nitrogen in a spray can. Just a couple of puffs in the paint jar and put the lid on. I get extend-ti from Eager Polymers in Chicago where I buy my resin. There web site is www.eagerplactics.com . Go to the price list and go the the bottom to find extend-it. Not cheap, but should last a long time. I have a couple of dried up paint in bottles also. Can I send them to you to clean? I put acetone in the bottle and let sit for a while then go in with paper towel and clean out.
Roy J Meissner ----- Original Message ----- From: Bob Werre To: S-Scale@yahoogroups.com Sent: Sunday, November 25, 2012 5:32 PM Subject: Re: {S-Scale List} painter's decisions We've a bit of a cold spell here, but it did warm up enough to mix a small batch of paint and do a bit of airbrushing. That went fairly well, I think. Problem that I'm having is simple matter of housekeeping, economics and perhaps health. I've always had a devil of a time managing that little bit of paint left over when completing a job. I like to keep my mixes until I've had a chance to closely inspect my work. More than once, I've missed a little area, so basically it's worthwhile to do so. However, eventually the model is reassembled, put on the layout and the next project is started. This now leaves me with that mixing bottle with aging paint that will eventually dry and harden like concrete. I do tend to forget those until the next painting session some months down the road. Now here is where the decisions come in. Do I throw out those little bottles and buy more. Do I try and clean those bottles (I do that now when possible) using solvents--(besides the airbrush has to be cleaned anyhow). The issues here are that I'm spending a fair amount of time cleaning them out. Next the cost and ill effects of the solvents are something to consider too--I generally wear a respirator and gloves, but they're not fool proof. Rather than bring up wheel flanges, couplers and the like, I thought I would see what opinions you might have! Bob Werre PhotoTraxx