Model Forum / General / Models / June 2006

Wayne offered me a plate of cheese and whispered:

I find that *time* is the best agent for thickening paint!

Leave the bottle uncapped for a couple of days.

Ray
Austin, TX
===

I remember reading how to keep gloss white enamel from yellowing a while
back,
Can somebody please give a refresher course.

Note:   I use the Testors brand of paint cut to a 50-50 mix with Dupont
3812S fast dry emamel reducer
in my Badger350 airbrush with CO2 bottle.

Thanks........Stan

I've seen thickeners for artist's paints, but those aren't intended to fix
paints that are too thin; they're used when the artist wants a gel-like
consistency, so he can 'sculpt' it with his brush for a thick textured
surface.  No need for that with models, we achieve much the same effect by
building up the surface with putty before painting it.

If your paint is too thin, there are three practical cures:

1)  Probe the bottom of the jar with a stir stick; if there's sludge at the
bottom, the paint only seems thin because most of the pigment has settled.  
Scrape it loose and mix it back into the paint until it's smooth.

2)  Mix it with another jar of the same paint (type and color) that happens
to be thicker than you want.

3)  Leave the lid off for a few days, stirring & checking it now and then,
until enough thinner evaporates to bring it to the desired consistency.

If you want to increase opacity, there isn't really anything available.
You can evaporate off excess thinner, I suppose.
If you want to thicken it to a heavier consistency to add some surface
texture, stir in talcum powder. A small amount will turn gloss paints
flat. More will give the paint a putty-like consistency. When I need to
add cast steel texture to parts made from resin or epoxy putty, I use
thickened enamel paint stippled with a nylon brush. Gunze Sngyo makes a
similar product called Mr. Surfacer to add texture prior to painting.
Gerald Owens