How long does it take for acrylic paint to go bad?

justcrash · Post by **justcrash** » Tue Apr 26, 2005 11:48 am

I have a bunch. I am getting ready to get back into modelling after a year off and I am hoping I don't have to rebuy the stuff I have. The majority is testors Acry and Tamiya acrylics.

eeun · Post by **eeun** » Tue Apr 26, 2005 1:30 pm

I have a few bottles of Tamiya and Ral Partha acrylics that are 15+ years old, and still usable.

In fact, I have a tiny metal can of Humbrol enamel aluminum that's over 20, the lid is caked with old paint and probably doesn't make much of a seal, but still brushes on like a charm. Umm...this may say as much about how long it takes me to build models than it does about the paint.

Your mileage may vary. I've had newer paints go funny after 5 years, but most of them were figure painting acrylics (some of which smelled suspiciously like latex paint and weren't quite of the Tamiya caliber).

As long as the lids were on tight, you likely won't have anything to worry about after a year.

Jonas Calhoun · Post by **Jonas Calhoun** » Tue Apr 26, 2005 1:51 pm

I've got stuff that's over a year old. As long as the bottles are out of direct sunlight and tightly closed, no problem.

Dan

justcrash · Post by **justcrash** » Tue Apr 26, 2005 1:55 pm

Cool! thanks guys!

You've put my mind at ease.

Owen E Oulton · Post by **Owen E Oulton** » Tue Apr 26, 2005 6:39 pm

Most acrylics last quite a while so long as they are kept closed securely, and have not been thinned or mixed. I've got 15-year-old acrylics kicking about (colours I don't use very often or in large quanitites) which are still quite useable. Thinning and/or mixing upsets the chemistry and they may last only a few days after that.

Post by **TER-OR** » Tue Apr 26, 2005 10:11 pm

The only colors I've ever had trouble with is red. Red always goes yucky after a while. I tend not to keep bottles of it around long.

Otherwise, yeah, I 've got bottles of Tamiya and Gunze which are 6 years old. I know 'cuz that's how long ago the hobby shop closed.

justcrash · Post by **justcrash** » Wed Apr 27, 2005 7:08 am

TER-OR wrote:The only colors I've ever had trouble with is red. Red always goes yucky after a while. I tend not to keep bottles of it around long.

Otherwise, yeah, I 've got bottles of Tamiya and Gunze which are 6 years old. I know 'cuz that's how long ago the hobby shop closed.

DAMN THE RED!!

Whiteraven_2001 · Post by **Whiteraven_2001** » Sun Jun 24, 2007 9:00 am

I have a Humbrol-related question: I brushed some on the interior of a TBM-3, and some of the paint dried glossy, some matt. I'm wondering, perhaps I didn't stir enough?

Lt. Z0mBe · Post by **Lt. Z0mBe** » Mon Jun 25, 2007 10:04 pm

TER-OR wrote:The only colors I've ever had trouble with is red. Red always goes yucky after a while. I tend not to keep bottles of it around long.

Otherwise, yeah, I 've got bottles of Tamiya and Gunze which are 6 years old. I know 'cuz that's how long ago the hobby shop closed.

Terry,

Question for a fellow science nerd like yourself. What is it about red paints?

Kenny

Post by **TER-OR** » Mon Jun 25, 2007 10:26 pm

I dunno, really. I gave up trying to revive them.
I'll have to see what the red pigments are.

I know red print ink fades.
(These colors may not run, but they fade quickly)

Just make sure you properly dilute the paints again, there may be evaporation over time.