As a newbie in the hobby, I am starting to stock up on paint. I have several bottles of Floquil paint and just looking for ideas on how to store it where it is organized. I friend of mine who has been modeling for 30+ years keeps his in the milk crates. He puts labels on the lid marked with the color but he has several layers of bottles seperated by plywood. It stores a lot of paint in a small area but he has to do a lot of digging to find a color he wants. How do other people organize their paint.
I suppose that depends on how much you have. At the moment, I have one of my “retired” Craftsman tool boxes being used as my trains tool box. One of the the drawers has all the paints on it. I only have about 25 or so. I have them lined up along the back so when I open the drawer I can scan across the row and find the color (s) I need. I alos keep all brushes and whatever else goes with painting in there. In the past, I have used plastic tool trays. Can hold atleast a couple of dozen. Plus then its mobile which can be a plus if you want paint in different places. Workbench, or inside, etc.
I also use stick-on dots on the top of the jars and write the colors on them to make it easier to find the right color from above. I keep most of my paint jars in a plastic tub I got from Target; it’s just deep enough to hold a double layer, though at this point I haven’t started the second layer yet, as it holds about 30 or so bottles in one layer.
I also recently started keeping the paints I use most often in a smaller clear plastic box that held some chocolates we got for Christmas. It holds about 10 bottles, which is way more than enough, and is small enough to keep out and not take up a lot of space. The large tub lives in a storage drawer with other painting supplies where it’s easily accessible when I need a less-common color.
Thanks for the ideas, I don’t have that much paint yet, but I want to start off organized. I talked with my friend who uses the milk crates. He said that is his winter storage. He brings his paint inside in cold weather because his shop is not insulated. In warmer weather he keeps his paint in a roll around tool box. One drawer is for railroad paint, other drawersis for paint for his plane, cars and other models. He has one drawer for brushes and other paint related stuff. He too uses the stick-on dots to mark the colors.
Does anyone put something like wax paper or aluminum foil under the lids to keep them from sticking? I’m not real big into painting but I have heard that this is one way to keep the lids from getting stuck to the jar.
You might go to one of the big outlet stores like Home Depot, Sears, Lowes and look at their toolbox selection. I found a gray steel frame unit approximately 2 ft high by 2 ft wide by 6 in deep. The one I purchased has plastic drawers that slide out, lots of them. The unit I purchased has drawers just deep enough to allow my paint bottles to store in the upright position. I have put color dots on the drawers to indicate what colors are where, the the darned thing holds a grundle of bottles.
You ask about keeping lids free and easy to remove. All I do is use a wipe cloth to wipe out the lid and the top edge of the bottle. Works very well. I also store my paint bottles standing on their lids, seems to keep air out and keeps the paint from drying in the bottle.
My storage unit is big enough to hold a bunch of other stuff as well, keeping it organized. Nice to find what you are looking for quickly. My storage unit sits on the back edge of my hobby/craft desk against the wall. Easy to reach when needed, never in the way otherwise.
Hope this is of some help. I am certain other modellers have equally good, or better, suggestions.
I use paint pens & permanent magic markers almost all the time for painting. The water mixed acrylics that I use for larger projects are kept in a plastic box that I bought at Walmart. It’s like an oversize shoe box & holds a lot of paint bottles. The box was $1.25. When I’m going to do a lot of painting I have a 2x4 w/holes drilled to hold the bottles in line so they won’t spill. I also store my bottles upside down.
I use plastic wrap, the cheapest I can find in the store since it’s 'use once". I just pull off a small square and put it between the lid and jar. When I open the paint the next time, I just toss the plastic and use a fresh piece to re-seal the jar.