Tamiya paint drying out?

[Oldmodelmaker]

I am having a problem with Tamiya bottle paint X-1 Black Acrylic drying out (I think). I am new to Tamiya paint and modeling, I live in an arid climate and I'm wondering if this is contributing. I can open the bottle and after using it a few minutes, it starts to glob on my brush or toothpick. After a little while longer, I can see the toothpick not even penetrating the surface layer. I then have to stir it and remove the glob to continue. I bought this paint earlier this year so it's not that old. Has anyone else had this problem? Is it the paint or the arid climate?

Thanks

Edited July 25, 2016 by Oldmodelmaker
Wrong word inserted

[MrObsessive]

I'd say it's a bit of both. Tamiya Acrylic Paints are a bit on the thick side right out of the bottle, and the dry air you're living in doesn't help much. I'd get their thinner if it was me, and thin it just a tad before using it. You might have to do this several times as you're working if it's that dry. I'd also not leave the jar open for too long a time since it wants to dry out quickly.

I use Tamiya paints a lot and at certain times of the year, (Fall for instance) that can be a problem. Certainly not the case now as we have a 77 degree dew point which is mighty uncomfortable here in Central PA!

 

Edited July 25, 2016 by MrObsessive

[GT4494]

gee last night at 11:00 pm it was 82 degrees and 82% humidity.   i love the south, nothing dries out ?

[BigTallDad]

Are the paints at room temperature (mid 70s)? Bear in mind food dehydrators are often used to accelerate the drying process by using heat, so if you're painting in a garage with no A/C, the warm paint will dry more quickly.

It costs virtually nothing to cool the paint down using an ice cube or two. Why not give that a try on a plastic spoon?

[espo]

I use Tamiya paints and very little else. My building area is in the basement and it stays in the low to mid 70's but it is somewhat humid. I have a ceiling fan going almost all the time, and I noticed that the paint will start to due just what you described if I don't turn off the fan. Your arid conditions along with the air conditioning or any fan you may be using may be your problem.  

[Chillyb1]

You DO NOT have a problem. This is what Tamiya acrylics do and it is why we modelers love them: they dry quickly. Don't try to paint straight from the jar. Put a little dab of the paint on a palette and add a little of their thinner.

I use Tamiya acrylics almost exclusively for everything I'm brushing. I also use them through my airbrush, but that's a whole different thing. 

The only time I try to use this paint straight out of the jar is if I'm absolutely confident that I can finish the job in one stroke of the brush. If you are going to be painting for more than about thirty seconds, then you really need to use the process I mentioned above. It is possible to keep dipping your brush in thinner and going back to the jar but that also raises other concerns. 

[Pete J.]

If you would get  Tamiya thinner and add a small amount after each use, it should stop that.  Every time you open the bottle you are letting a little solvent evaporate.  If you replenish it, you should be good.  Although they say that acrylics are water based, they are actually alcohol based.  If you smell acrylic thinner is has a decidedly alcohol smell.  If you can't get Tamiya thinner then go to your local drug store and get some 91% alcohol.  Don't use the 71% rubbing alcohol as it has some other stuff in it that makes it "rubbing".  Tamiya thinner is best as it has other ingredients in it that closely matches the solvents in their paints. From time to time I go through all of my bottled paints and add a bit of thinner just to top them off.  You will get some evaporation in all bottles even glass.   

[Oldmodelmaker]

Thanks guys. I have wondered about the ceiling fan. I'll try the thinner trick, I have a new bottle of that. It gets above 100 here. So I can only get the house down to the high 70's. Even now at 5:30 it's 98 outside with 15% humidity. Great for spray painting outside but not good for painting inside I suppose. Anyway, thank you all very much for your input.

And Bill, I'm hoping that all goes well with your eyes.

Edited July 26, 2016 by Oldmodelmaker

[935k3]

I have had this problem also. Sometimes the paint will just not come off the brush onto what I am trying to paint. This is most apparent when using a small brush and detail painting. I started adding a drop or two of Liquitex Flow enhancer, available at Micheal's. This helps allot.

 

Edited July 26, 2016 by 935k3

[Mike_G]

I use a little watercolor tray and put a little paint in one of the wells and a mixture of isopropyl alcohol and a few drops of water in another, then add a little of the thinning mixture to the paint as needed while I brush-paint. It really helps to minimize the "rollup" and "clump" caused by the strong drying agent in Tamiya acrylic. 

[tmathew1us]

I use a little watercolor tray and put a little paint in one of the wells and a mixture of isopropyl alcohol and a few drops of water in another, then add a little of the thinning mixture to the paint as needed while I brush-paint. It really helps to minimize the "rollup" and "clump" caused by the strong drying agent in Tamiya acrylic. 

I have also noticed the OP "problem"  - Tamiya paints are designed to dry out fast, and they do ,especially if you leave the cap open and have a fan going,

I have gotten in the habit of saving bottle caps from juice, milk containers, sports drinks etc. I use a toothpick to add several drops of paint into the cap, and then thin it with 91% isopropyl alcohol. This method works best when painting very small details, and if you mess up the ratio, you haven't ruined or wasted a whole bottle of paint. 

[Oldmodelmaker]

I like these ideas too. Thanks