Dried Up Model Masters paint

[Jestermon]

I had several bottles of paint and all the sudden after I moved 2 dried up the same time, what makes this happen?

I used them before I moved and I had the lids on tight, also what causes them to get little bits of paint into them?

Thanks

[TER-OR]

I think the cap seal gets a bit messed up, allowing air to slowly get in. I know people who store MM Acrylics upside-down. I always completely wiped the jar and lid clean with thinner on a paper towel when I used them.

[Jestermon]

So the upside down will keep out all the air when not in use?

Won't the paint leak it it's not 100% solid.

Also wouldn't the paint dry in the bottom of the jar and make little flecks in the paint?

[TER-OR]

I haven't done it, but some do. Other tips I've heard is using a bit of cling film inside the cap to help it seal. The paint shouldn't dry in the bottom of an upside-down jar, but the idea is that some of the pigments clog up a bad seal. I don't know if that works.

[ajmadison]

I had several bottles of paint and all the sudden after I moved 2 dried up the same time, what makes this happen?

I used them before I moved and I had the lids on tight, also what causes them to get little bits of paint into them?

Thanks

You didn't say how far you moved. If it was a substantial distance, or if your stuff spent even a few days in a moving truck, the change in air pressure could have been enough to let air leak into the bottle and kill the remaining paint. But some paints just go bad.

I do store my paints upside down, and it helps. But keeping the pigments in suspension is important for some colors besides keeping the air out. Some modelers flip their entire 'store' every couple of months. I bought one of those modular organizing bins (presumably for women's cosmetics) from that chain department store that has the white dog for a mascot, which was just taller than the paint bottles. I can easily flip the entire bin over w/o breaking a bottle or leakage going anywhere.

[irishtrek]

The only problem I can think of with turning the bottles upside down is when you go to use the paint again you may have a problem getting the lid to open and for that just soak the jar upside down in some rubbing alchohol for a few hours.

[macfrank]

The only problem I can think of with turning the bottles upside down is when you go to use the paint again you may have a problem getting the lid to open and for that just soak the jar upside down in some rubbing alchohol for a few hours.

Or acetone for a few minutes (a few drops under the rim while the bottle is upside down) should do it. Good ventilation is important, because acetone is not good stuff to breathe in.