Warming the paint

[Wig41]

A couple of years ago I moved and now my workshop is in the basement. Even though it's heated the paints sit on the shelf and stay rather cool. I am a coffee drinker and have had a cup warmer for decades.

It dawned on me that I could use this for warming up my paints before using them. I have a lot of Master Modeler acrylic paint and these are in glass jars so they can sit on the warmer.

Note the "X" on the bottle. I found it very helpful to put one or two BB's in each jar. They help agitate the paint better when I shake the bottle and lets me know that it's shaken up pretty good. I put the X on so I know this jar has BB's in it. Sometimes the jar has sat so long it's gooked up on the bottom and without the BB's, I don't really know if the paint is shook. I will occasionally use spray cans but normally I will go into the garage in the winter to spray. Again, to get the paint ready I let it sit on the warmer and shake it frequently before I use it.

These things seem to make my painting better so I thought I'd share with you.

 

[Rockin' Rob]

I think that's a great idea. Especially if you got an idea in advance of what paints you're going to use and normally, we do. It doesn't really get that cold where I'm at but when it does I have to fill up the sink with hot water and let them sit in there for a while

 

[RacerX]

A couple of years ago I moved and now my workshop is in the basement. Even though it's heated the paints sit on the shelf and stay rather cool. I am a coffee drinker and have had a cup warmer for decades.
View attachment 184379

It dawned on me that I could use this for warming up my paints before using them. I have a lot of Master Modeler acrylic paint and these are in glass jars so they can sit on the warmer.

View attachment 184380

Note the "X" on the bottle. I found it very helpful to put one or two BB's in each jar. They help agitate the paint better when I shake the bottle and lets me know that it's shaken up pretty good. I put the X on so I know this jar has BB's in it. Sometimes the jar has sat so long it's gooked up on the bottom and without the BB's, I don't really know if the paint is shook. I will occasionally use spray cans but normally I will go into the garage in the winter to spray. Again, to get the paint ready I let it sit on the warmer and shake it frequently before I use it.

View attachment 184381

These things seem to make my painting better so I thought I'd share with you.

The only paint i warm up is the sprays, and just for use on the body of the car. I use one of my space heaters setting the can on a small stand about 2 ft from the heater till the can is just warm to the touch.

 

[Rockin' Rob]

The only paint i warm up is the sprays, and just for use on the body of the car. I use one of my space heaters setting the can on a small stand about 2 ft from the heater till the can is just warm to the touch.

You're right. Now that I think about it all I throw in the hot water are spray cans

 

[RocketRanger]

I also set spray cans in a pan of very warm, not hot, water which increases the internal gas propellant pressure and "thins out" the paint so it mixes better when shaking the can. But one thing I found out with Tamiya spray primer cans is that hot water causes the bottom to bow outward so the can no longer sits flat. I think this is due to the "thinness" or less rigid concave metal bottom being bowed out convex like a balloon due to the higher internal pressure.

 

[Rockin' Rob]

I also set spray cans in a pan of very warm, not hot, water which increases the internal gas propellant pressure and "thins out" the paint so it mixes better when shaking the can. But one thing I found out with Tamiya spray primer cans is that hot water causes the bottom to bow outward so the can no longer sits flat. I think this is due to the "thinness" or less rigid concave metal bottom being bowed out convex like a balloon due to the higher internal pressure.

Really?? Here's what I do. I set about 3 gallons of water in my largest pan that I have. I get the water boiling for at least 5 minutes. Then I get my blow torch out and heat the water up even further to make sure it's piping hot. Throw the can of paint in the roiling water and slam a lid on it case it explodes and run like hell

 

[urumomo]

I also set spray cans in a pan of very warm, not hot, water which increases the internal gas propellant pressure and "thins out" the paint so it mixes better when shaking the can. But one thing I found out with Tamiya spray primer cans is that hot water causes the bottom to bow outward so the can no longer sits flat. I think this is due to the "thinness" or less rigid concave metal bottom being bowed out convex like a balloon due to the higher internal pressure.

can warns max temp is 120F

 

[Rockin' Rob]

It does say that. Who pays attention to the fine print? S***. I was camping once a while back. We were all sitting around 3 ft Circle campfire that had been burning for hours. Nice deep bed of coals. Time to hit the hay so I tried to light my last cigarette with my Bic lighter. Damn things out of gas. So I threw it in the fire thinking it would go fizzle pop and that would be the end of that. It didn't do nothing so I went to bed. I'm sitting in the bed of my truck staring up at the stars approximately 3 to 4 minutes after I threw that in the fire. Boom and I do mean BOOM!! Foot and a half deep bed of coals, 3 ft wide blew up into the air about 40 ft and all these red coals flew up into the air and slowly fell into all the bushes and trees. Now I got all these red coals staring back at me and everyone of them is saying, see what you get for not reading the fine print?? AARRGGH. So I told all the guys come on get up. We got to play fireman

 

[urumomo]

 

[RacerX]

I also set spray cans in a pan of very warm, not hot, water which increases the internal gas propellant pressure and "thins out" the paint so it mixes better when shaking the can. But one thing I found out with Tamiya spray primer cans is that hot water causes the bottom to bow outward so the can no longer sits flat. I think this is due to the "thinness" or less rigid concave metal bottom being bowed out convex like a balloon due to the higher internal pressure.

Yea way to high! I had a testors can do that to me one time, got busy and let time slip, heard it go pop and fall over, it got a quick one way flight to the middle of the front yard till it cooled then straight in the trash.

 

[Mopar]

Great idea and thank you for sharing. I've always put a bowl of water in the microwave for 1 1/2 minutes and heated it. I put the can in the water for about 3-4 minutes. My wife is a coffee drinker and has one of these warmers as well. Now, I need to confiscate that thing!

 

[128mm Tank Killer]

A couple of years ago I moved and now my workshop is in the basement. Even though it's heated the paints sit on the shelf and stay rather cool. I am a coffee drinker and have had a cup warmer for decades.
View attachment 184379

It dawned on me that I could use this for warming up my paints before using them. I have a lot of Master Modeler acrylic paint and these are in glass jars so they can sit on the warmer.

View attachment 184380

Note the "X" on the bottle. I found it very helpful to put one or two BB's in each jar. They help agitate the paint better when I shake the bottle and lets me know that it's shaken up pretty good. I put the X on so I know this jar has BB's in it. Sometimes the jar has sat so long it's gooked up on the bottom and without the BB's, I don't really know if the paint is shook. I will occasionally use spray cans but normally I will go into the garage in the winter to spray. Again, to get the paint ready I let it sit on the warmer and shake it frequently before I use it.

View attachment 184381

These things seem to make my painting better so I thought I'd share with you.

I noticed that you use BBs inside your paint jar. What diameter do you use? On Amazon, I've seen between 2 to 6 mm in size. Is there a difference because tamiya jars are sized different from Vallejo, etc.

 

[RacerX]

I noticed that you use BBs inside your paint jar. What diameter do you use? On Amazon, I've seen between 2 to 6 mm in size. Is there a difference because tamiya jars are sized different from Vallejo, etc.

If you dont mind me chiming in 4mm BBs would work fine, one in the smaller bottle like testors paints and two in larger ones.

 

[Rockin' Rob]

If you dont mind me chiming in 4mm BBs would work fine, one in the smaller bottle like testors paints and two in larger ones.

BB's?? I read this right after I got done ordering some stainless steel balls. Great idea. I got two mason jars full of BB's. I'm going to cancel that order

 

[Wig41]

I noticed that you use BBs inside your paint jar. What diameter do you use? On Amazon, I've seen between 2 to 6 mm in size. Is there a difference because tamiya jars are sized different from Vallejo, etc.

Quite frankly I have no idea what size they are.

 

[128mm Tank Killer]

BB's?? I read this right after I got done ordering some stainless steel balls. Great idea. I got two mason jars full of BB's. I'm going to cancel that order

Sorry, I used "BBs" as an acronym for "ball bearings", although old-school BBs should work; I just don't have any.

 

[RacerX]

BB's?? I read this right after I got done ordering some stainless steel balls. Great idea. I got two mason jars full of BB's. I'm going to cancel that order

Yea they would work, a little smaller at only 2mm, still stick with the one and two to the size of the bottle and see how they work. Dont cancel the order if you can afford to they will find a home somewhere or with someone. cannon balls, things for spaceships, someone can find a use.

 

[Rockin' Rob]

Yea they would work, a little smaller at only 2mm, still stick with the one and two to the size of the bottle and see how they work. Dont cancel the order if you can afford to they will find a home somewhere or with someone. cannon balls, things for spaceships, someone can find a use.

You're right. I didn't cancel the order because I didn't want any interaction with the paint. And I can sure find use for any extra balls. I'm sick and tired of cats s******* in my front yard. When I walk my dog he has to be on a leash. I have to pick up his poop. That's the law here. Cat owners need to keep their damn cats inside. And for saying that I probably just opened up Pandora's Box

 

[Cameron38]

Yea they would work, a little smaller at only 2mm, still stick with the one and two to the size of the bottle and see how they work. Dont cancel the order if you can afford to they will find a home somewhere or with someone. cannon balls, things for spaceships, someone can find a use.

Yep, we're modelers, we find a place/use for everything

 

[RocketRanger]

I noticed that you use BBs inside your paint jar. What diameter do you use? On Amazon, I've seen between 2 to 6 mm in size. Is there a difference because tamiya jars are sized different from Vallejo, etc.

I use the mixing balls sold by Army Painter. These mixing balls can be found in HobbyTown stores and if your local store does not stock them, you can ask them to order it for you. These have enough mass to agitate the paint and are small enough to fit through the neck bottle of say, Vallejo Model Color, if the nipple is removed. I've bought bags of a large numbers of ball bearings off of Amazon, but more often than not, they rust inside the paint bottle despite saying that they are cladded to prevent rust.
https://thearmypainter.com/products/tools-mixing-balls-tl5041p?_pos=1&_sid=ab42264b6&_ss=r

 

[the Baron]

I ave sometimes held a rattle can under my arm to warm it a little-like Radar's armpit sandwiches on "M*A*S*H"-but I haven't gone so far as to use warm to hot water.
I have never heard that it was necessary to warm paint in jars or bottles, though.

 

[the Baron]

As far as adding a home-made agitator to a paint jar or bottle goes, try glass beads, which are non-reactive. You can find them at arts & crafts stores.
Following the beading tangent, I use beading wire for detailing and for rigging small aircraft models.

 

[Rockin' Rob]

As far as adding a home-made agitator to a paint jar or bottle goes, try glass beads, which are non-reactive. You can find them at arts & crafts stores.
Following the beading tangent, I use beading wire for detailing and for rigging small aircraft models.

Yes. Glass beads or marbles. Marbles because I'm an old fart and remember playing with them. And I remember his armpit sandwiches. Wowee. And sometimes if it's really cold out? Like it'll get down to around 40°, sometimes lower but if I leave spray paint outside? It sprays a heck of a lot better if you warm it up. And yep. I will fill a sink half full with hot water. Mind you. Use your head. Don't use boiling hot water. You're just heating up a little can for a little bit

 

[Rockin' Rob]

I guess the molecules in paint behave a little bit better if they're moving freely about

 

[Rockin' Rob]

I also have never put in hot water the little jars of paint. There's no need I keep them inside where I'm working. But that's in a spare room. If you're down in the basement and it's nice and damp and cold and your paint is cold I don't think it's going to spray that good out of an airbrush.