What’s up plamo nerds? I hope you haven’t blown your holiday bonuses on kits that will sit on your backlog shelf for at least 2 years! Remember that you don’t just need kits, you’ll need other modeling supplies too. Paint in particular is a fast-moving consumable in this hobby, and you can easily go through several jars on a single project. Good thing there are cheap alternatives to hobby-grade paints – the most accessible of which is the humble rattle can. Available at almost every hardware and DIY store, these cans are the typical weapon of choice for a modeler’s first foray into painting. Eventually though, many of us graduate to airbrushing, and a bunch of half-empty cans end up collecting dust under our work tables. You can still make the most of those old cans by decanting the paint instead!
Layman’s Gunpla Guide – Decanting Paint Tutorial
Note – There are lots of different ways to decant, this is what works for me and it’s what I recommend.
You should absolutely do this on over a drop cloth, outside, or someplace you really don’t mind getting paint all on. If you do it right, you won’t spill a drop, but it’s very easy to cause a mess or literally spill a single drop.
In addition to your spray bottle, you’re going to need a regular ol’ paint jar to put the paint in. To get the paint from the bottle to the jar, you need a paint dropper or a plastic straw. Depending on the fit you should may also need some tape or reusable putty. You’re also going to need some plastic wrap (i.e. Saran Wrap). Paper towels are good to have on hand as well!
From the Can to the Jar
The key to the whole process is getting the paint from the spray can to the jar in a controlled manner. I have some bendy straws that are a perfect width to fit around the spray nozzle of a Tamiya can that will guide the paint right out and to my jar. You can also use a paint dropper as they’re often tapered and can be cut at the right diameter for your jar (make sure to cut off the dropper end).
If there’s any give on the tube, tape it up or use some putty to hold it in place and seal any gaps. Failure to do so will cause the tube to shoot out and paint to spray everywhere.
The Process
Before you begin, take that plastic wrap and cover up the top of the jar. You want it on tight enough that it’ll stay in place. Then, taking your tube/straw/dropper, poke a hole into the top so you can insert the other end into the jar. This will keep the paint inside should there be any back spray issues. You do not want the jar to be airtight, gasses will need to escape during this process (more on that in a bit).
Once everything has been set up, shake up your can, insert the tube through the hole in the plastic, and spray away. If everything is in order the paint will pass through the tube and into the jar safely.
DO NOT fill the jar past 80% and DO NOT submerge the tube into the paint itself. You know what happens when you blow bubbles into your milk? Now imagine that with the force of gas escaping a spray can…. paint everywhere.
Steps for decanting paint from a can
by Blaze · Published May 16, 2017 · Updated September 27, 2017
Decanting paints is a process of getting the paint out of the spray can and into a bottle / jar. Why would you want to decant your paints? Main reason for doing so is to use it with an airbrush. It allows for a better control than a spray can. More control is less wasted paint and more bang for your buck. Why would you decant instead of just buying paint bottles? Well, maybe you want some unique shade that only comes in spray cans. Perhaps spray cans are the only paints you have easy access to. Or maybe you switched from spray painting to airbrushing and still have a bunch of half-empty cans cluttering your workshop.
Whatever the reason, let’s skip the why and learn the how.
Materials needed
Preferably we want to do it outside or someplace well ventilated. This process takes quite a while and there will be paint vapor in the air throughout. Make sure you use your respirator.
First off, here’s what we’ll need:
- Some spray cans (in my case some Mr.Topcoat Gloss leftovers)
- Paint bottles (or some other sealed container)
- Plastic straws
- Some tape (basic masking tape works well)
- Some tinfoil
Decanting process
Finally, we can start spraying paint into the bottle.
Important – avoid filling the bottle above 75-85% and whatever you do, don’t let the straw sink into the liquid paint. It’ll most likely end with it shooting out of the spray can, spilling paint everywhere.
You’ll quickly notice the stuff that comes out looks like a bubble bath. We want to spray in short bursts and wait a bit for it to settle into liquid to avoid having it run out of the bottle.
BONUS Physics lesson: You’ll also notice the stuff is really damn cold. As the gas passes from high pressure to low pressure environment, its volume must increase and/or its temperature must decrease to compensate. Yay, science!
Once we’re done, we want to leave the bottles uncapped for a few hours to allow propellant gas to escape properly. As I mentioned earlier, we leave the collars on to avoid any dust getting into the paint.
Don’t worry about paint curing/drying, it’ll be just fine.
This is it. Decanting paints is not as scary as it might seem. Just make sure to not rush it and allow plenty of time for propellant gas to fully dissipate before sealing the bottles. Most brands should be ready to airbrush once decanted, but use your judgement. If need be, dilute them using appropriate thinner.
Steps for decanting paint from a can
What’s up plamo nerds? I hope you haven’t blown your holiday bonuses on kits that will sit on your backlog shelf for at least 2 years! Remember that you don’t just need kits, you’ll need other modeling supplies too. Paint in particular is a fast-moving consumable in this hobby, and you can easily go through several jars on a single project. Good thing there are cheap alternatives to hobby-grade paints – the most accessible of which is the humble rattle can. Available at almost every hardware and DIY store, these cans are the typical weapon of choice for a modeler’s first foray into painting. Eventually though, many of us graduate to airbrushing, and a bunch of half-empty cans end up collecting dust under our work tables. You can still make the most of those old cans by decanting the paint instead!
Click on the Read More link for the rest of this post.
You’ll need the following:
1. Plastic tubing. A bendable straw or section of air hose will do.
2. A glue gun, loaded.
3. An empty jar, preferably glass
4. A barbecue stick, or some other thin wood stick
5. Old newspaper, so you don’t make a mess
Remember to work in an well ventilated area – outdoors is best. Lay down lots of newspaper where you intend to work. Fair warning here, as this can get real messy, real fast. Start by giving the rattle can a good shake and make sure it isn’t clogged by spraying it with the can upside down. Next, attach the plastic tube to the nozzle securely with some hot glue. Be careful not to cover the nozzle itself with glue, and don’t put too much that it obstructs the trigger’s movement. Let the glue harden, then check if it is securely attached to the nozzle with no gaps.
Insert the other end of the tube into your paint jar. Do a test by shooting a very short burst. The paint should collect in the tube and trickle down into the jar, with some gas escaping out the top. If there are no leaks and the tube is holding firmly, you can proceed to spraying the rest of the paint out into the jar.
Notice how there seems to be condensation forming on the tube and on the surface of the jar? That’s because this process makes the tube and jar very cold. DO NOT AGITATE THE JAR WHILE YOU ARE SPRAYING THE PAINT INTO IT . I cannot emphasize this enough. DO NOT COVER THE JAR . Do not even touch the jar or let the tip of the tube dip into the paint. Remember that volcano project you did in 1st grade with some baking soda and vinegar? That’s not even close to the eruption of paint you will experience if you stir the freshly squeezed paint at this point. Just fill the jar half way and leave it alone for an hour or so to allow all the propellant to evaporate . Here’s a gif showing just how “bubbly” the paint is with all that propellant still in it after about 15 minutes of resting.
After about 30 minutes you can try to speed up the aeration process by gently inserting a wooden stick into the jar and stirring the paint slowly. You’ll notice it gets bubbly again as you handle the jar, so leave it for another 10-15 minutes, stirring carefully every 2 minutes or so. When the jar feels like it is back up to room temperature, the paint is ready.
Decanted paint is usually okay to use without further thinning, but you can thin it down with the appropriate thinner to your desired viscosity. The acrylic paint I decanted in this demo seemed pretty thin out of the can, so I just loaded up the airbrush and did some spoon tests. The paint sprayed easily at about 20 psi, and went on nice and smooth. I suggest airbrushing freshly decanted paint with the cup’s cap off, just in case there’s still enough propellant left in there to create pressure.
Store the decanted paint with the lid off for another day or two before putting a lid on it. It’s easier to thin it down again later if it starts to thicken up, rather than have to clean up a paint explosion on your work bench.
Until next time, keep building plamo!
