In the old days, extra jars for my airbrush came with a glossy cardboard lid liner that made them air/water tight. The ones I bought recently came with something that looked like it was made from a pressed styrofoam packing chip about as thin as hair from a redhead. If you look at them the wrong way they tear.
Any idea what I can use that would also stand up to lacquer/acetone based paints?
There must be some type of coated glossy cardboard found in packaging that one could cut his own lid gaskets. Some gift boxes have a coated surface. I’m going to look around, as I would like to do this too.
Mike.
Well for one thing…the kind You are referring to, will not stand up to prolonged use with Lacquer thinner/Acetone, also no foam, which by the way, the glossy looking ones are made out of.
You don’t mention what bottles You are looking for gaskets for…Passche sells 1oz. extra bottles/lids/gaskets which are synthetic pressed fiber, that fit in bottle lid snugly, and strong solvents have no effect on them. I believe Badger uses the same type of gasket. I use a lot of Tamiya Acrylic paint, 23ml size and 1/3oz size, the lid from a Paasche 1oz bottle will fit on the Tamiya 1/3 oz bottle so I save and use them a lot for small amounts of custom colors. Also if You have any Polly Scale/Floquil paint, a Testers lid will fit on them. I do a lot of air-brushing so over the yrs. I aquired many 1oz with nozzles 45 degree for H-model, so I don’t have to continuously clean a couple tips. Some colors are over 15yrs old and still good.
Badger:
http://www.hobbylinc.com/badger-gasket-200:150:350:250-airbrush-accessory-50-0241
Paasche, five in pack:
http://www.hobbylinc.com/paasche-gasket-cover-h-v-1-oz-airbrush-accessory-5-g
Take Care! [:D]
Frank
Even if you clean off the threads on the glass bottle, the metal cap, and put the ‘seal’ back on - All you have done is make it easier to get the cap off later down the road.
Oxidation of the remaining paint will comprimise the paint. That is why half full bottles tend to ‘gum up’ or dry out. Short of a air evacuation system, you are going to see longevity issues with old paint bottles.
Jim
Here’s a thread that I did some time back on this very issue…
I noticed your thread blew up into something totaly off topic, instead of seals on paint jars, it quickly turned into a China/USA/third world manufactures debate.
So back to paint jar seals, I need some more bottles, and I’m going to see if they have the lid seals that Frank linked to, from Badger.
Mike.
Years ago, someone posted an idea to cut lid liner circles from egg cartons, although this may have been for acrylic and other water based model paints. I know, from experience with this method that solvent based paints will eat away at that type of foam. Perhaps there is another material?
Cedarwoodron
In a pinch…yrs. ago, I cut some from plain old shirt cardboard…the shiny enamel coated one’s…it worked…the hardest part was cutting a good circle. I don’t even know, if they use that any more…havn’t got a new shirt, in quite awhile. LOL…
Just thought of something…Dunkin’ donut boxes, that’s enameled, cardboard…If You don’t like the donuts…give them to Me! [swg]
Also Walthers cornerstone kit boxes, also enameled cardboard…the bottoms, which are white.
Take Care! [:D]
Frank
I know the lid “seals” you’re talking about, as they caused me to lose the entire selection of Poly Scale paints I’d placed in 2oz jars from Michael’s. Those stupid seals are so flimsy they disintegrated after just a few removal-replacements of the lids and even the ones just sitting in the jars with the lids firmly in place, brand new, were obviously not sealed, either. I had replaced the torn seals with disks cut from ice cream cartons, but that didn’t work, either. Right now, I have a clean, empty half-gallon milk carton waiting for me to make new seals as soon as i get the hardened acrylic paints cleaned out–and am ready to start airbrishing again, not before. BTW, the paints still in their original jars are still liquid, as they’re obviously impervious to air and moisture.
Deano
One idea for making circle cutouts from various materials is to get a drafting circle template (larger circles) from Michaels Crafts or similar art store (also check Office Depot, etc).
Find the best fit circle and draw it on .060 styrene, cut and smooth out, then use it as a repeatable template for lids. If you get the sizing right ( the interior diameter of the jar lid), make a bunch of them from various materials- egg cartons, milk cartons, etc - so you have a good supply quantity, then save that template in a sorted parts box for reuse!
Another thought for jar lid liner material might be that vinyl used for shower pan liners, or the kind used for kitchen drawer liners!
That circle template will come in handy for many other modeling uses!
Cedarwoodron
Cedarwoodrom,
I have plastic circle template’s and many other kinds. I went to college for Machine design/Electrical design for 4 yrs. so I have all the template goodies. Even have a curved set of scissors for cutting out Lexan RC truck/car bodies…but I guess in My old age…I’d rather buy them already made and save My time for messing up other stuff! [swg]
Heck! I even made gaskets out of 1/8 inch cork, with a hole cutter in a My drill press, the kind that is a full circle, that you need a mandrel for…just have the little pilot hole in the center.
I’m a little ‘‘old school’’ learned how to make My own gaskets for gas engines in the early 50’s when in My teen’s, out of sheet cork/fiber and a ball peen hammer.
Take Care! [:D]
Frank
Gasket material might actually work. Had some cork but it was too thick. The problem is most of the LHS have a poor selection of paint, compared to the old days, so I have a mix of acrylic and solvent paint.
I may have to test the recycle bin contents. I remember in organic chemistry lab someone cleaning his plastic safety glasses with acetone. They melted like they were in a 500 degree oven.
LOL…And He was in a Chemistry class!? Did He pass the course? [swg] [bow]
Take Care! [:D]
Frank
Btw: Just realized You said Organic chemistry…there’s a difference. But I still have to chuckle.
I use small sheets cut from the Ziplock- style lunch bags. Put a sheet over the bottle and screw the cap down tightly. The polyethylene plastic used in those bags is resistant to solvents
I use plastic wrap, not affected by the paint and inexpensive
I emailed Badger customer service about my unhappiness with the lid liners and got no response. Subsequently I needed a part for the airbrush and the nice lady on the phone sold me these…$2 for 3.
They feel slippery and shiny. 
Check there webpage before you order, they had a 20% off parts special.
I have also found that a piece of the plastic has worked best for sealing those crudded up lids. I used to try to keep the lid clean as I worked w/ the solvent paint Floequil, reinstall and give a shake to let the paint fill/ seal until next use. The plastic film solved all the issues. Have dozens of opened bottles of Floequil that still are in good shape after storage for over a couple years. Of coarse, too much air in a half filled bottle will eventually cause skinning or gelling of the paint. Love that origional Floequil, but my supply is dwindling.
saran/plastic wrap
I fully agree and will add the real old school wax paper… That method still works.
To help cut down on the skinning over of paint in the bottles, try using an old signpainter’s (me, 50+ years) trick. When I was done using the can of paint I would hold the can cover close to the can top, exhale a big breath into the can and cap it right of way. I know the jars are smaller but you can displace more room air with a bigger breath. Don’t blow into the jar, just a open-mouth exhale, The bigger the better.
This method has worked for me, no or very thin skin in quart cans even after a couple of weeks or more. I know it sounds crazy but you are displacing room air with CO2 in your breath. This seems to retard the paint from skinning over. Try it!
P.S. I use poly sandwich bags on the jars also.