So,I'm attempting to star a new subject but I do realize it stems from a "main one" and that is the old Floquil brand paints themselves.I'll try to keep my quarries simple as I prefer it that way,but questions.Questions,questions yes I have questions.I will try to stay in order and resist the urge to go off subject. My first question is "identifying the thinner" for Floquil. Most of us "know" that Dio Sol is the thinner required.However,over the years and as Floquil ,I guess "expanded" that have other paint lines or ones that are as old as Floquil itself.
So,first and foremost,as Floquil continued to be made through the 90's and into the early 2000's up until Testors took over (and ruined the paint I.M.O) the labels on the 1oz. paint jars changed some.The NOS bottles (square bottle or round" typically listed Dio Sol as the required thinning solvent.Sometime either during the late 90's or early 2000's the lable was re-worded.If it didn't say "Dio Sol on it is listed use FMC airbrush thinner or thin 75% to 25%.I can only assume they were still referring to using Dio Sol.However,I have other Flowquil paint lines/brands.
One is their Floquil Military Colors(or which I have acquired a fair amount) and the other is the Floquil Marine Color line.Now,the military line doesn't really say anything different on the label,sometimes its just "vague",the labels often do not match one another despite being the same paint line and I can only deduce that they use Dio Siol like all the others.The Marine paint line is different.It states a different airbrush thinner...but its a designated..."identification or product number?" I have seen two different numbers listed on different bottles,so...its a tad confusing to know which they are referring two and I have been unable to find/identify which thinning solvent they are referring to.I know allot of this is irrelevant and anyone/everyone out there is either using Lacquer thinner or Xylene to thin Floquil paints for airbrushing. Mainly I'm just wanting to know what kinds of paints these were.
My next subject is "storage". I've invested a fair amount of money into Floquil paints and I'd like to be able to use them for as long as I am able to. While it does not get terrible hot,cold and humidity isn't too much a factor where I live,these paints (most I have anyway) are very old.Most all of the Floquil paints I have are in incredible condition.Some are as "new" as the day they were bottle or really needed a good,hard shaking.Keeping them that way is a different story. I had a half,hair-brained idea that possible "cold storage" might keep these paints in pristine condition for a long time.
My (possibly not smart idea) was to store my paints and thinning solvents in an "old" refrigerator.I known that storing combustible liquids in a closed spaced/container is a BIG NO NO.However,my argument is(was),if I store these item sin a refrigerator set at its warmest temperature(say...68 deg. to 70 deg.) the paints/solvents won't experience the same heating up and expansion they normally would in a room or garage.Storing them at a stable temperature would be a "good thing" (I think?),possibly,they would not experience the same evaporation,bottle tops stay on,don't "pop loose",and I wouldn't think under those storage temperature conditions that there would not be any "off gassing" or vapor build up which would produce an either explosive or flammable environment. So,I[m just trying to get some feedback in "best storage" for Floquil brand paints.
Finally is "restoring" paints that need some help.I do have a few bottles(not many)that need a little more help.Some of them have been depleted of any liquid vehicle in the bottle,and many most(if not all) are NOS.Most are the classic Floquil Railroad colors.I have some of their other brand Flo Paque,which are virtually identical paints except for the color or they are stains.Aside from thinning the paint(a little with minimal added drops of Dio Sol),how else can I bring these paints back to life?Should I use any of the additives?
Should I add some Glaze (or Hi-Gloss or Flat clear coats),or should I add any retarder to them?I don;t know of many others who use the Floqul additives be it Glaze or Retarder.The retarder just slows the drying way down(depending how much you add),the glaze is...I'm still nit sure what the glaze actually is,other than used as a base or barrier coat to be painted on,or used to seal a porous surface maybe?Glaze does look allot like the resiny,liquid combined with Dio Sol that are in all of my full bottles,I am just not sure if I should or shouldn't use it or not to try to restore some of these paints that are lacking the liquid carrier to the paint?I'd be interested to know what I should do to restore these paints besides just adding drops of Dio Sol to them.
So,first and foremost,as Floquil continued to be made through the 90's and into the early 2000's up until Testors took over (and ruined the paint I.M.O) the labels on the 1oz. paint jars changed some.The NOS bottles (square bottle or round" typically listed Dio Sol as the required thinning solvent.Sometime either during the late 90's or early 2000's the lable was re-worded.If it didn't say "Dio Sol on it is listed use FMC airbrush thinner or thin 75% to 25%.I can only assume they were still referring to using Dio Sol.However,I have other Flowquil paint lines/brands.
One is their Floquil Military Colors(or which I have acquired a fair amount) and the other is the Floquil Marine Color line.Now,the military line doesn't really say anything different on the label,sometimes its just "vague",the labels often do not match one another despite being the same paint line and I can only deduce that they use Dio Siol like all the others.The Marine paint line is different.It states a different airbrush thinner...but its a designated..."identification or product number?" I have seen two different numbers listed on different bottles,so...its a tad confusing to know which they are referring two and I have been unable to find/identify which thinning solvent they are referring to.I know allot of this is irrelevant and anyone/everyone out there is either using Lacquer thinner or Xylene to thin Floquil paints for airbrushing. Mainly I'm just wanting to know what kinds of paints these were.
My next subject is "storage". I've invested a fair amount of money into Floquil paints and I'd like to be able to use them for as long as I am able to. While it does not get terrible hot,cold and humidity isn't too much a factor where I live,these paints (most I have anyway) are very old.Most all of the Floquil paints I have are in incredible condition.Some are as "new" as the day they were bottle or really needed a good,hard shaking.Keeping them that way is a different story. I had a half,hair-brained idea that possible "cold storage" might keep these paints in pristine condition for a long time.
My (possibly not smart idea) was to store my paints and thinning solvents in an "old" refrigerator.I known that storing combustible liquids in a closed spaced/container is a BIG NO NO.However,my argument is(was),if I store these item sin a refrigerator set at its warmest temperature(say...68 deg. to 70 deg.) the paints/solvents won't experience the same heating up and expansion they normally would in a room or garage.Storing them at a stable temperature would be a "good thing" (I think?),possibly,they would not experience the same evaporation,bottle tops stay on,don't "pop loose",and I wouldn't think under those storage temperature conditions that there would not be any "off gassing" or vapor build up which would produce an either explosive or flammable environment. So,I[m just trying to get some feedback in "best storage" for Floquil brand paints.
Finally is "restoring" paints that need some help.I do have a few bottles(not many)that need a little more help.Some of them have been depleted of any liquid vehicle in the bottle,and many most(if not all) are NOS.Most are the classic Floquil Railroad colors.I have some of their other brand Flo Paque,which are virtually identical paints except for the color or they are stains.Aside from thinning the paint(a little with minimal added drops of Dio Sol),how else can I bring these paints back to life?Should I use any of the additives?
Should I add some Glaze (or Hi-Gloss or Flat clear coats),or should I add any retarder to them?I don;t know of many others who use the Floqul additives be it Glaze or Retarder.The retarder just slows the drying way down(depending how much you add),the glaze is...I'm still nit sure what the glaze actually is,other than used as a base or barrier coat to be painted on,or used to seal a porous surface maybe?Glaze does look allot like the resiny,liquid combined with Dio Sol that are in all of my full bottles,I am just not sure if I should or shouldn't use it or not to try to restore some of these paints that are lacking the liquid carrier to the paint?I'd be interested to know what I should do to restore these paints besides just adding drops of Dio Sol to them.