TLT Flat Glaze Problem

[BCR751]

I pulled out a new bottle of True Line Trains flat glaze paint today to finish off a couple of cars.  After, what I thought to be enough, shaking I started to pour it into my airbrush bottle and noticed huge blobs of "pigment" still in the jar.  So, I poured it back into the original bottle and shook it some more. Once again, pouring it into the air brush jar, still lots of blobs.  I've shaken and stirred the beegeezus out of this and the pigment (at least I think that's what that stuff is) just won't go into solution.  Has anyone else had this problem with the TLT Flat Glaze?

Doug

[C855B]

While I haven't used TLT paints, I have (way too much) experience with other paints of the 1:1 variety, and have seen your issue before. Some solvent/pigment combinations don't lend themselves to shaking alone, especially if they have lingered in stock for too long. The only way I've found to deal with it is a powered stirrer, basically a blender on a stick which slices through the globs to re-emulsify the pigment. While I use a "propeller" stirrer on a drill for gallons, MicroMark has this one for model paints.

For fun, I looked around for powered cocktail mixers since I think this is what the MicroMark mixer really is. What I did find was a plethora of latte frothers, which would also work, but they were the same price or more.

[Philip H]

I am still stuck on why a flat glaze would need pigment . . . . 

[C855B]

The "flat" part comes from a suspended powder, frequently talc, sometimes other stuff. Doug's problem is the powder has clumped.

[peteski]

I am still stuck on why a flat glaze would need pigment . . . . 

It was incorrect treminology. Like Mike says, there is a flattening agent which settles in the bottom of the bottle.  All non-gloss clear finishes will have the flattening agent settling down in the bottle after they are left stationary for a while.

[BCR751]

It was incorrect treminology. Like Mike says, there is a flattening agent which settles in the bottom of the bottle.  All non-gloss clear finishes will have the flattening agent settling down in the bottle after they are left stationary for a while.

Agreed, but no matter how much agitation I give this bottle, the "flattening agent" will not completely re-emulsify.  The larger blobs are gone but there are still loads of smaller sized ones left.  Since I use a strainer in my airbrush bottle, this is not a big problem.  I used to use the Poly-S Flat Finish and never saw this with that product.  Maybe a different formulation ?

Doug

[peteski]

It probably is a different formula of paint than Polly-S.  Sometimes the paint binder can gel and it cannot be liquified again.  It might have gelled in the flattening agent. Unscientifically speaking, the paint has curdled and you can't really save it.

[jimmo]

Do any of our model paints have expiration dates? None of mine do, but I wished they did. When you pick up a bottle or can of paint at your local hobby shop you really don't know how long it's been there.

[central.vermont]

I've always  "stirred not shaken" my paints. Just like my drinks. 

Jon

[peteski]

Do any of our model paints have expiration dates? None of mine do, but I wished they did. When you pick up a bottle or can of paint at your local hobby shop you really don't know how long it's been there.

Some of my Floquil, Polly-S (not even Polly Scale), and AccuPaint bottles of paint are over 20 years old and they are still good. 

Most paints, if the bottle is sealed tightly, will have very long shelf life.  I'm really anal about cleaning the bottle rim and the gasket in the cap before re-closing the bottle. Then I shake the bottle (to flow some paint into the seal area in case it isn't 100% sealed) Then I mark the paint level outside of the bottle and write month and year (using a permanent marker).  I store the bottles right-side up (the upside down storage never appealed to me).  If I don't uses some color for 5 years and I take out of the drawer, the marked bottle shows me if any of the solvent evaporated. Usually some did - so I open the bottle and top it off with thinner until the level is back to the mark on the bottle.  Then I shake or stir the paint and use it.

This might sound like a hassled but (probably due to my anal nature) I actually enjoy doing this.