Question about Opaque Black

P

PaintThrower

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How are you all doing?

This is more of a curiosity question so I did not want to post it in the troubleshooting section. If I should have I apologize.

I live in Michigan so with cold winters and airbrushing in my basement I use a warm water bath for my paints to warm them up before I shoot them.

When I do this with Createx opaque black it forms bubbles in the bottle and there is pressure inside also (when I opened the bottle a paint bubble popped and got all over my project.) I do not have this problem with any other opaque color by createx and also do not have the problem when I use Createx wicked colors opaque black (I have done this with detail and jet black).

My question is, have any of you done/experienced this? Also could it be that it is an older bottle of paint that does not get used much, so maybe a chemical breakdown of some sort?

I am just curious because it is only one bottle of paint that does this.
 
Could be a breakdown, how warm are you making them? 15 to 20 degrees C should be plenty. Try a not pot and see what happens. It's not something I've some across before but I don't need to pre warm the paints.
 
My Illustration paints pressurise when I shake them - I have to unscrew the cap before unscrewing the outlet tip, I forget 80% of time getting caked In paint :)
 
Actually I get that bubble as well... thought it was just changes in temp...
 
When I saw the title I was hoping this was going to be an easy one "like what colour is it?" I would have got that, but that was too good to be true:(lollollol

I've seen this happen a couple of times with my own paints in periods of high temperatures and after shaking, it seems to happen with darker colours so I would assume it has to to with the higher density of these with having heavier pigment, I think you could counteract it by using a lower temperature when your trying to keep them warm, but if you store your paints in a cold room or area, don't warm them up at all store them instead in an extruded polystyrene box, this will stop them freezing and that's really all you need to do, you find sheets of one inch thick insulating foam at any builders merchant fairly cheap and ideal to make boxes out of, I have all kinds of water based varnishes and emulsions in my cellar which I use for my work and they stayed fine for years by doing this, I turn the varnishes upside down and vice versa every so often to avoid settlement.
 
The water I use is around room temp 70F give or take a few degrees because I don't use a thermometer. I tried shooting some of the opaque black yesterday and no matter how I reduced it, it was either to grainy broke down because I over reduced or really gummed up my tip when I under reduced. So I am assuming that it happened because of maybe some breakdown with age and the change in paint temp. I just find it odd that it only happened with the opaque black, all my other opaques (regular airbrush colors) were bought at the same time (around 2 yrs ago, I mostly shoot transparents/candies and started using the wicked line of paints from createx).

I appreciate the replies, and Happy New Year!
 
When I saw the title I was hoping this was going to be an easy one "like what colour is it?" I would have got that, but that was too good to be true:(lollollol

I've seen this happen a couple of times with my own paints in periods of high temperatures and after shaking, it seems to happen with darker colours so I would assume it has to to with the higher density of these with having heavier pigment, I think you could counteract it by using a lower temperature when your trying to keep them warm, but if you store your paints in a cold room or area, don't warm them up at all store them instead in an extruded polystyrene box, this will stop them freezing and that's really all you need to do, you find sheets of one inch thick insulating foam at any builders merchant fairly cheap and ideal to make boxes out of, I have all kinds of water based varnishes and emulsions in my cellar which I use for my work and they stayed fine for years by doing this, I turn the varnishes upside down and vice versa every so often to avoid settlement.

If that was my question I would gracefully put my airbrush back in the box and pick up another hobby :).

That is a good idea about the box, I am going to do this. My basement is heated so I don't have to worry about them freezing, but they still get cold because there is not adequate heating in the room I built for airbrushing yet. I warm the paint to room temp because of a tip from a painter at the body shop i worked at said it would help with the flow. Which for me it seems to but that could also be my imagination.
 
The water I use is around room temp 70F give or take a few degrees because I don't use a thermometer. I tried shooting some of the opaque black yesterday and no matter how I reduced it, it was either to grainy broke down because I over reduced or really gummed up my tip when I under reduced. So I am assuming that it happened because of maybe some breakdown with age and the change in paint temp. I just find it odd that it only happened with the opaque black, all my other opaques (regular airbrush colors) were bought at the same time (around 2 yrs ago, I mostly shoot transparents/candies and started using the wicked line of paints from createx).

I appreciate the replies, and Happy New Year!

It does indeed sound like you just have a bad bottle, I do know that our buckets of water based wall paints bubble up during normal stirring when they have turned bad, we will usually dispose of them when that happens or just use them up on unimportant projects.
 
It does indeed sound like you just have a bad bottle, I do know that our buckets of water based wall paints bubble up during normal stirring when they have turned bad, we will usually dispose of them when that happens or just use them up on unimportant projects.
That is what I figured happened, the paint had tons of bubbles in it even after pouring into the cup through a strainer! Normally I use wicked on all my projects that is why that paint sat for so long, I only use it when I am in a pinch and cannot get to the store.

If I use small amounts of the bad black about a drop or so with a cup full of white to tint to gray would this have an adverse effect on the white paint? Just curious I try not to waste anything I can use?

I appreciate your help.
 
If that was my question I would gracefully put my airbrush back in the box and pick up another hobby :).

That is a good idea about the box, I am going to do this. My basement is heated so I don't have to worry about them freezing, but they still get cold because there is not adequate heating in the room I built for airbrushing yet. I warm the paint to room temp because of a tip from a painter at the body shop i worked at said it would help with the flow. Which for me it seems to but that could also be my imagination.

heating them to room temperature definitely won't harm them, but in my own experience I found that any water based paints gave me far less tip dry and flowed better when they were cooler, my day job is painter and decorator and in the winter we generally heat up our oil based gloss paints to make them flow better, these thicken up something terrible with the cold and because we guarantee our work we don't thin any of the paints we use other than where that is recommended, but generally only undercoats and primers require thinning.
 
That is what I figured happened, the paint had tons of bubbles in it even after pouring into the cup through a strainer! Normally I use wicked on all my projects that is why that paint sat for so long, I only use it when I am in a pinch and cannot get to the store.

If I use small amounts of the bad black about a drop or so with a cup full of white to tint to gray would this have an adverse effect on the white paint? Just curious I try not to waste anything I can use?

I appreciate your help.

I doubt a drop or two of the black would do your white any harm but I personally would strain it first, try hairy brushing a little spot of the black onto something to do a test of it's adhesive and drying properties, if it dries instantly or you can remove it completely with your finger nail with soft pressure, it's useless, if it stays and dries within the normal time frame, you'll be fine, I'm a tight Scottish twat so I don't like waste either, but even I know when to not take chances and risk causing even more waste, lol
 
I doubt a drop or two of the black would do your white any harm but I personally would strain it first, try hairy brushing a little spot of the black onto something to do a test of it's adhesive and drying properties, if it dries instantly or you can remove it completely with your finger nail with soft pressure, it's useless, if it stays and dries within the normal time frame, you'll be fine, I'm a tight Scottish twat so I don't like waste either, but even I know when to not take chances and risk causing even more waste, lol

I will defiantly do that first, thank you for the tip! Yeah I am Italian so being cheap is in my blood :D. I am also going to do a test later to see if my paint flows better cold or warmed. I will post back later with my results, for now since I live in Michigan (and fortunately, well maybe unfortunately, a Detroit Lions fan :whistling:) I am going to watch the Lions hopefully make it to the playoffs.

Thank you for your help.
 
Sorry I did not get the chance to test which way the paint seems to flow better for me yet (I have a 4 yr. old and my wife is pregnant) I should have time tonight.

Thank you guys again for your posts regarding my question.
 
Sorry I did not get the chance to test which way the paint seems to flow better for me yet (I have a 4 yr. old and my wife is pregnant) I should have time tonight.

Thank you guys again for your posts regarding my question.

Congratulations and of course you have to take care of the more important family things before your hobbies, although when I suggested tests and stuff it wasn't an order, lol , we try to push people forward with the hobby but we don't give you homework that has to handed in the next morning;)

A 4 year old and a smaller one on the way:) that is just cool:thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup: now that you've blurted that out your are obliged to update us when the happy moment arrives, although we will allow you a beer and a cigar first:) the reaction of a four year old when a new baby comes is hilarious, I have three sons, when the oldest two were 4 and 5 years old the youngest came and for months it was like the older ones were constantly fighting over a teddy bear, lol
 
Thank You! I will keep you guys posted. That is hilarious, my wife is due any day now, and my son is getting very impatient he is excited (until we are all up all night lol.). Well I sure am glad that i don't have homework :thumbsup: I was never one for the schoolin', that is probably why I was a body mechanic and now work in a factory. All kidding aside I want to post what I find works better, and maybe even cut out a step in the process if it is unnecessary, and hopefully it will help somebody else out along the way.
 
I just sprayed with paint warmed to room temp, and paint that was the same temp as my basement which is about 10F cooler give or take some, I did not really notice a difference either way in how the paint flowed but it did seem that tip dry was not as bad with the cooler paint.
 
Just keeping you guys posted, there is now a new member to my family:), and maybe even another future airbrush artist:thumbsup:!

I would like to thank you guys again for your responses and hopefully someday this thread can help somebody else whether to warm or not to warm airbrush paint.
 
Just keeping you guys posted, there is now a new member to my family:), and maybe even another future airbrush artist:thumbsup:!

I would like to thank you guys again for your responses and hopefully someday this thread can help somebody else whether to warm or not to warm airbrush paint.

:thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup: EXCELLENT news, congratulations, as soon as I saw you had posted I had a pretty good idea it was the wonderful news you had spoke of:) I'm happy for you and your good lady and I wish you all the best:thumbsup:
 
Just keeping you guys posted, there is now a new member to my family:), and maybe even another future airbrush artist:thumbsup:!

I would like to thank you guys again for your responses and hopefully someday this thread can help somebody else whether to warm or not to warm airbrush paint.

Would only do so in extreme circumstances where the temps are extremely low..I only paint outside so some days can find myself in 3 or 4 degrees Celsius..Often its just a case of use it as it is if its not causing issues, try something different if it is, but yer once paint gets above about 35 degrees C it can begin to break down..As our body temp is about the same, dip your hand in and if you can feel warmth in it, you've gone to hot. Warming up the space itself is prob the best and safest way, but there is no harm done by warming the paint to a better temp if your ambient temp is 4-5 degrees your paints going to struggle as that will likely be the same..paints like to be in the temp realm of 15-35 degrees or there abouts so even just taking the edge off the painting space may help..Onto the other issue, don't shake your paint LOL..Stir it instead, sounds silly but some paints have additives in them that are designed to stop the paint foaming, or is an antibacterial additive, anticlumping chemicals etc. Some bands or colors may have more or less of these additives pending on its need.. If some really gas up or foam when shook, stir instead :) but yer if coming out grainy, could be some binder breakdown..
 
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