Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

I took a walk down memory lane this morning and decided to dig out the 40k models that've been sitting in my closet for the past two+ years. I had a blast and it didn't take long before I wanted to get out the paint and get going on some touchups. But when I took out my paints, they had all congealed. The last time I painted with them was April 2009, but they've been stored inside the whole time since. Do paints have an expiration date? Is there a way for me to reconstitute them? I was thinking about trying to add some water back in, but thought I'd consult the forums first.

It's evaporation.
If it has dried, you're kinda boned.
Mix in water and stir it, if it mixes you're ok. If not, acrylic paint makes basically a plug of plastic whenit dries.

GW paints tend to dry up a bit quicker than others from what I've seen. I am not sure it is the quality of the paint, but more the quality of the bottle itself. I've found it best to keep your paints at room temperature, and in a plastic bag to seal them as well, or possibly even use a plastic container like tupperware or Rubbermade.

As far as bringing back some life to the paints, I've found it is FAR easier to breathe new life into gummy congealed paints than it is to revive dried paints. With water based paints, all you need to do is add a little water to it until it comes back to it's original consistency. I've been painting models and miniatures for about 27 years now.

Hope that helps.

They were all in screw top lids, weren't they?

If you manage to get them reconstituted, or you decide to go buy more paints, try storing them upside down. Theoretically, (I've never tested) the paint will get into any cracks there might be that would let the air in and create a seal of its own.

Sort of unrelated, my mom does this with sour cream in the fridge and it definitely keeps them from molding for longer.

Jezzara wrote:If you manage to get them reconstituted, or you decide to go buy more paints, try storing them upside down. Theoretically, (I've never tested) the paint will get into any cracks there might be that would let the air in and create a seal of its own..

That supposedly works with some paints, but from my experience not with the GW bottles. All that happens is that as the paint separates and thickens, you wind up with the thick gloopy bit in the lid (where it drips all over the place when you open the bottle) instead of in the bottom of the bottle.

It's all because of GWs paint pot design. I started painting about 15 years ago when they sold the 17.5ml bottles, I haven't touched some of them since after painting with them (some are half full) and they're still fine.

The screw top pots are notorious for drying up faster than anything else, the first flip lids aren't much better, the latest design I've yet to get enough experience with to judge. Personally I've poured paint I want to keep into old 17.5ml bottles I've had laying around, rehydrate once per decade if even that and you'll be fine.

I bought a pot like this and mixed in distilled water (found at local drug store) and mixed with a badger paint mixer with good results.

I've got paints that are 25 years old & are still OK.
This is because they have the flip-tops.
All my screw tops are screwed.
When acrylic paint dries it becomes plastic so if they are totally dried then you'll have to replace them.
Luckily GW have dumped the screw tops for flip tops now.
However these do have less paint in them then in the old days :(.
See if you can sorce some Coat D'arms paint - same pots, amount & colours as the old stuff.

Thanks for the responses.

Most of the paints I have are the GW Flip Tops, but the older, black tops. The only newer snap tops i have are some inks, and they're fine. I also have a few that are in the Valejo dropper bottels. A lot of them are only around < 50% full. But even a couple of the ones I barely used have dried up. I've been keeping them in a old candy box in my closet. I've done some moving, and some of them have been knocked on their side.

I'll try adding some water to the ones that aren't rock hard. The good news is that my inks seem to be fine...

A friend of mine told me to add just a few drops of window cleaning fluid and stir. Actually worked on most occasions.