Mixing paints in jars

[rhs856]

When I went to use some Testor's Steel, I noticed that, after shaking it, the paint was a little thin. I grabbed my trusty toothpick and went to work. As I scraped off the excess and threw the toothpick away, I thought, "There has to be a better way," and an idea came to me.

Why can't I mix paint like a spray can?

I tossed a couple of copper coated BBs into another jar and shook it until I heard them "click" on both sides. Voila! Mixed paint! It even gets the pigment in the corners - I have a jar of blue that had streaks on the sides that I couldn't get at with a toothpick. This made everything a uniform color.

[kenb]

Thats an old trick that's been done many times before. I have well over 100 bottles of paint. Acrylics and emanels. I have this service that I do called paint maintenance. Every 6 months I go through every bottle of paint that I have. Check the viscosity and adjust if it's drying out. I clean the caps and threads on the jars. By doing this I have saved myself quite a bit of money. It takes a bit of time but worthwile, especially if you have a large collection of paints.

Ken

[VW Dave]

I agree, it's an age-old trick...but it never gets old.

I'm into BB guns, so I always have a large container of Crosman Copperheads within reach; 2 go in a standard Testors jar, and 3 in a Model Master jar. I actually hold the jar upside-down when I initiate the shaking process, and change the jar's position a couple of times before I'm done.

[Dr. Cranky]

Ken, that's a great idea about maintaining the paints, in particular acrylics which tend to dry out over time.

[MikeMc]

Along with BBs store all jar paints upside down...It does seal much better...I grabbed some old Floquil solvent paints stored this way for OVER 15 years, stirred, added a drop of thinner and they sprayed like new!!

[scalenut]

I've been afraid to do this as I noticed my canister of bb's contains a lot of tarnish ... wouldn't this effect the paint over time ?

are you guys referring to copper bb's ?

[mr cheap]

somebody here said copper bb,s will in time change the paint cemestery ????? we shound use plastic bb,s.. with old paint i use a paint shaker and fillter with painte hose too

[Dr. Cranky]

I use 1oz and 2oz York Top bottles to mix and keep all my paints in . . .