Do or don't fill Sprays into bottles?

Tools, Techniques, and Reference Materials Painting and airbrushing
1

Hello,

I’m considering filling Tamiya TS-? 100ml Sprays into 150ml glass bottles to be able to use them with my AB. Are there any reasons to not do it, and to keep the colors in the spray cans? (like glass is not the right material to store colors, or the colors dry out faster, etc.)

The main two reasons why I want to do this are:

  • I’m not so happy with the results when using sprays

  • I’m sure I can use the amount of color more efficiently with the AB than with the sprays (sprays are way too fast empty)

I would be glad if someone could share his experiences regarding this topic here.

Merry christmas and a happy new year to all of you :slight_smile:

BTW, this is my first thread on this forum and english is not my native language, so I hope everything is ok with my posting.

edit: here’s a link to the kind of glass bottles I’m talking about: http://www.glas-shop.com/glasprodukte/euromedizinflaschen/euromedizinflasche150mlbraunpp28.php

2

What you are talking about (removing spray paint from the can and putting it in bottles) is called “decanting”.

Here are two Testors Scale Workshop videos on the subject:

Video 1

Video 2

Unnecessary exposure to air will reduce the life of the paint. You also need to make sure that you do not close the jars after filling them. The gas propellent from the spray can is mixed with the paint and will need some time to escape. Otherwise the bottle could explode. It would be best to loosely lay some plastic wrap or aluminum foil over the bottle for an hour or two instead of the cap.

I would rather store the paint in the spray can and just spray a little into a bottle at a time, only enough to paint the model I’m working on. Using the ideas from the videos, it it pretty easy to do and I know that the paint will last much longer in the can.

Oh, and a merry Christmas to you too! [:)]

3

Decanting rattle cans into bottles for airbrushing is pretty common, though you should only do enough at a time for the task at hand. Otherwise the paint will dry and will be a waste.

You also must leave the cap off while the propellent excapes, or you’ll have a HUGE mess.

4

Thanks for clarification. :slight_smile: I didn’t know there’s a special term for this process, but I’m always happy if I can learn something new.

I’ve watched the videos and they are very helpful. Thanks for the links.

I think I’ll start by filling a 25ml glass jar and see how long it lasts for a 1:24 car body.

5

The other nice thing about decantingf is that the paint is perfect for airbrushing as is. I don’t know if it is a different kind of paint, or if it just the mix that it comes in, but it seem so much better than what i get when i mix it myself.

Steve

6

I agree. Decanting from a spray can allows you much more control over the spray, so you not only get a much nicer finish, but you also save paint (versus using the spray can). The paint is already thinned for spraying right out of the can, so no need to add anything to it.

I’m also able to buy cheap Krylon or Color Place from Walmart or my local hardware store and get much more paint for my money. This doesn’t work for every color, since the selection is limited. but Krylon has OD, green, brown and tan camo paints, plus basic colors and black and white.

Mixing colors can be a problem sometimes though, as you don’t really know if you are getting enamel or laquer in some brands. I always use laquer thinner for cleanup regardless.

Overall, though I think it’s worth the effort to decant spray cans. Just leave the unused paint in the cans and it will last almost forever.