I can’t get the stuff to mix right. It still has small “chunks” in it and it brushes on really runny and thin. What the he** do I need to do to get this stuff right. Is it too old maybe???[:(!][:(!][:(!][:(!][:(!][:(!][:(!][:(!][:(!][?][?][?]
one thing is that you’re going to need to stir it a lot…also, if you are trying to cover something dark in color…well…good luck…light colors don’t cover dark very well… you may need to use a light primer first…and you might want to invest into an air brush set up…most paints like poly s and floquil require air brush painting…using a brush makes ugly streaks and blobs of paint on your work…just my thoughts…chuck
I run into this problem from time to time. I think it is the paint geting old. I have had good luck straining out the lumps using an old dryer sheet. I don’t know the brand off hand, all I know is I usually find them falling out of my pants cuffs or shirt sleeves. I just put them over an empty bottle and pu***hem into the jar opening. I then just slowly pour the paint into the strainer.
Dan Pikulski
www.DansResinCasting.com
Yep, sounds like old paint!
As for straining it, you can go to most any paint store and get strainers made for paint. I use the ones from the local automotive paint supply house. They give me as many as I need, whenever I need them. That might help. Otherwise, go to the LHS and buy some new paint, and see if that helps!
Rotor
Just an after thought…what are you using to thin the paint? The guy who works for me at the hobby shop does a lot of Concourse d’ elegance winning paint work for my slot car customers. He has recently had some issues with a thinner causing problems with clumping of the paint, as I have had in the past. He changed brands of thinner, and the problem went away.
Rotor
One thing I try to avoid is mixing different brands of paint, i.e., I only mix PollyScale with other PollyScale, Tamiya with other Tamiya, etc. I once tried to lighten a bit of PollyScale C+O Enchantment Blue with Tamiya White…big mistake![xx(]
I am painting a dining car interior so I have to brush (table tops). I did shake and mix and shake and mix again. It just don’t want to dissolve. I didn’t think about straining, though. I will have to give that a shot. It is still a lot runnier than all the othe Polly S stuff I have dealt with. Thanks for the tips.
I found that if you stir more,don’t shake it helps, also you may need to add a few drops of water to thin more then strain.
I noticed that Polly Scale whites and other light colors are always harder to get a coverage. As for the lumps, it could be old paint. I too have had better/more even coverage by stirring and not shaking the paint. Takes longer, but I think it helps keep bubbles out of the paint. Big mistake is to shake the flat aluminum.
All of the Floquil/Polly Scale paint I have bought in the past year or so has been incredibly thin, it is almost like water with food coloring added. Forget the Polly Scale, get a spray can of one of Testor’s white paint (if you do not have access to an airbrush). I use Classic White for my reefers. The gloss finish makes decaling easier, if you want a flat finish, spray (or brush) a clear coat on afterward. It took only three coats of the Testor’s Classic White to paint my white reefers (which were molded in black), while I am on the 6th coat of reefer orange for the orange reefers and it still needs another coat at all of the ribs and corners (it appears the paint just runs off).
I painted a DRGW RBL (interior post and black ends, fortunately) earlier this year with Polly Scale (or Floquil) DRGW Orange. It seems like it took 9 coats. The paint was so thin that even after nine coats the rivets could still be seen. I do not recall this problem with Floquil and Polly Scale in previous years.
The funny thing is that Floquil, Polly Scale, and Testors are all owned by the same company.
I wish I could use the aribrush. What I am painting is linen on table tops. What a pain in the a**. I think after 50 coats I should have a decent tablecloth.
Polly Scale light colors, especially white and yellow, cover horribly. If you’re not getting good coverage after 2-3 coats, switch paints. Use a thicker latex paint like the Apple Barrel craft paints; it might go on thicker, but you’re only doing table tops, so you won’t be hiding any detail.
It’s VERY hard to brush paint light colors in general. Airbrushing really is the best choice for them, and even then, you have to add several light coats. If you can’t airbrush, go with the thickest paint available.
My 2 cents.
Model paints do have a relatively short shelf life, especially after the seal has been broken. Adding thinner to the original bottle also shortens shelf life (I’ve been told it starts the curing process). Straining may help but that’s the pigment you are straining out.
I suggest you get a new bottle of paint, shake or stir it vigorusly and pour into a separate container the portion you will be using and thin this if it needs it. Do not pour the remainder back into the original bottle. Keep the original bottle sealed as tightly as you can and it will last longer.
For painting details such as table tops Testors makes paint sticks similar to a magic marker that works quite well. I use these a lot for yellow and white.
Bob DeWoody
I’ve taken small sqares of plastic wrap and put it over bottles of polly scale then put on cover,it seals some what better,also store bottle up side down, it keeps air out
-Air is what cures acrylic paint - not the thinner.
-Both Polyscale and Modelflex (Accuflex) recomend stirring the paint not shaking. The shaking causes more air to be introduced into the paint and will shorten the shelf life of the paint. If you insist on shaking, add a couple of BBs to help stir up the paint (just like the paint cans).
-You should always pour off what you need into a separate container and close the bottle. (McDonalds has those nice little 1/2 ounce condiment cups). Mom’s or your wife’s old stockings make great strainers - just cut out a little square and hold it over the container as you pour.
-ALWAYS strain acrylic paints. It dries at the cap and everytime you open the bottle that stuff breaks off and drops into paint. Acrylics won’t re-dissolve as solvent paints do once they’re dry.
-If the paint is still too thin after stirring, pour some out into a cup and let it sit for a while allowing some of the thinner to evaporate. it will thicken.
-If you are painting with a light color, it’s usually best to put down a coat of light grey as a primer first. It will also brighten the color and give it a more solid look (and you’ll need fewer coats). I use amoungst others, SP Lettering Grey. Actually, primer is always a good idea. it gives a uniform base to start from especially with black or other dark plastic.
Use a neutral primer coat first (eg. light warm grey). For small details use small brushes with natural hairs, avoid at all costs plastic brushes. When I open for the first time my paint bottles, I always add a couple of ball bearings, they help stirring the paint when you shake the bottle. Don’t leave the bottles for a long time without giving them a stir from time to time.