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I have some Vallejo Game Color that I bought 2 years ago as a complete set. Trying to use it tonight, some of the paint came out the consistency of an ink. When I shook the bottle it sounded very watery. Putting it on a mini, it acted like it was a ink, it flowed into the crevices and that was it.

Other bottles squeezed out paint that was the consistency of old toothpaste. If I pulled the cap off and poured them out, they too were ink-like.

These paints were always stored in their case, in a cool, dark closet.

What is even stranger is that some of them are perfectly fine. There doesn't seem to be any pattern to this.

Any idea what is going on here, or if I can make these paints usable again?

Theyve seperated, shake/stir them, and them some more and again.. and keep going untill theyre good again.

Adding agitators to the bottles might be a good move; some little glass beads or something (same reason a spray paint tin rattles)

While I love my vallejo game color paints, I have noticed that they seem to do this more often than my reaper or gw paints.

However, once I agitate them (stir, shake, etc.) they are fine.

best of luck!

Shake them, VGC paints seperate a lot.

Thanks for the replies.

I can't shake very well, I have already suffered from repetitive motion injuries. So I just kind of half-arse it.

Has anyone used this product?

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000BROV02/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER

It looks like it would fit the bill, just not sure if it will fit down the neck of the bottle.

Unfortunately I constantly have issues with Vallejo paints doing that, too. Some of the colors stay the consistency of an ink no matter how much I shake them. It's like shaking a bottle of water.

 AegisGrimm wrote:
It's like shaking a bottle of water.

That is exactly what it sounds like. Shaking water.

Have to say, I'm not happy at all to hear that other folks have had this problem. For what its worth, all of the GW paints that I have that are the same age are perfectly fine.

You can buy acrylic mediums to add to you paints that can do a variety of things. Some thicken, others thin, some keep the paint wet longer while others make it dry faster. Head down to your local art supply store and talk to one of the people there. They should be able to help you get what you need.

 Phobos wrote:
For what its worth, all of the GW paints that I have that are the same age are perfectly fine.

That's a stroke of luck, then. All acrylics will separate over time, at least to some degree, and GW's are no exception. I've found the old Foundation line and darker metals (e.g. Boltgun, Tin Bitz) to do so most visibly and rather quickly - all of my pots end up with dark lines at the top of the remaining paint, where the pigment has separated and surfaced. VGC does seem prone to more rapid separation across the board, though, whereas old GW paints run the gamut. Personally, I consider the associated hassle of VGC separation well worth the increased volume and reduced cost compared to Citadel paints, but it's a valid complaint.

Honestly, I think a good deal of the reason people gripe about VGC separation so much is that dropper bottles don't respond as well to shaking as short, squat pots. Most folks will give their pot a quick shake before popping it open, so if that does the trick, they won't even notice if there had been any degree of separation. With a dropper, especially a full one, that doesn't fly. Stirring is necessary after a really long sit to get them back into proper shape. For regular use, rolling the bottle (between your palms, like you're trying to start a fire with a stubby, paint-filled stick) does a much better job than shaking it, since you don't force the thin, pigment-rich top layer into the nozzle, where no amount of agitation below can redistribute it. Ever heard the complaint that the first drop is watery, then it behaves normally? My money says they just shook it. If it comes out like toothpaste, instead, the nozzle was full of paint that partially cured as the bottle sat. Ink under toothpaste? You get the picture...


Oh, regarding the paint mixer you linked to - from one of the reviews:

** As it comes, the Badger mixer doesn't fit Vallejo or Reaper 17ml dropper bottles. **

The mixer paddle is easy to file to a smaller diameter. Be sure to carefully clean up any sharp edges left after filing... you don't want to grind your way through the side of a paint bottle. Running the tool and applying the paddle to an emery board will polish it up nicely.

I have chronic pain too so can't manually shake my paints without screwing myself over, I use a paint stirrer (a $3 milk frother with the end clipped into an L from ebay such as this, it's perfect) and a paint shaker which is an old electric knife. A reciprocating saw would also work. Some paints will definitely need stirring, no matter how much you shake it just won't be enough.

Thin and seperated Vallejo paint is the absolute number one thing that drove me to finding ArmyPainter's Warpaints line. So far they have performed much better and for the same volume in a dropper at a lower cost than Vallejo.

The other problem is that many of my Vallejo metal colors (especially the boltgun metal) have this chalky, flaky consistency, rather than a smooth finish like I used to get with the actual Boltgun metal GW paint.

Mix them thoroughly

Vallejo paint should last for at least 7 in storage

 Phobos wrote:
Thanks for the replies.

I can't shake very well, I have already suffered from repetitive motion injuries. So I just kind of half-arse it.

Has anyone used this product?

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000BROV02/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER

It looks like it would fit the bill, just not sure if it will fit down the neck of the bottle.

I don't have one at the moment, but they can definitely be handy. I'm not sure it will fit down the neck of the bottle, either. Of course, if you have a dremel you could also do a "field modification" on the end piece.