How-to: Decanting Tamiya ”TS spraycans

[DukeMan]

Hi AF people!

So far I have´nt seen ONE SINGLE good how-to on how to do this and I just thought some of you may wonder how it can be done (at least I did while back).

Tamiya TS cans are great for covering larger surfaces and in the same time gettting a good shine. Although sometimes you want to be able to control the flow better in order to do smaller detailwork, "touch-ups" etc. Another thing that can sometimes be tricky with TS cans are reaching small areas and sunken in details, such as airscoops and intakes without causing the paint to run.
For a better control of the flow you can use the TS paint in your airbrush.

Here comes a step-by-step guide on how to empty a TS can.



In the picture above you see everything you´ll need ; drinking straws, masking tape and some jars (jars with a screw-on lid is preferred unless if you plan to use all of the paint immediatly).



Start by masking off the top of the jar, but remember to make a few “breathing holes” so the paint can “gas-out” once decanted. Cut a cross in the tape for the straw to go through.



Cut the straw into a proper length, shake the can for a few minutes as you normally do, then attach the straw to the can nozzle as shown in the above picture.



You are now ready to spray away! If you plan to empty the can completly, it might be a good idea to shake it once in a while.
When you feel that you have all the paint that you need, pull out the straw and leave the paint to “gas-out” for a few minutes. I think I remember someone (CADguy?) saying that you should stir the paint a bit to get more gas out or something like that, not sure but I did´nt find that necessary.



It´s as simple as that! But before you use the TS paint in your airbrush I recommend you to thin the paint a little before doing this because it´s a little too thick if you ask me.
Also, remember that it´s a laquer paint now and not a regular acrylic and therefore it will act differently.
Hope this has been any help, if anyone would like to add something or ask something that would be greatly appreciated,

Happy modelling!



/Fredrik

[mike@af]

Nice work! Glad to see a nice way for people to decant Tamiya.

[RallyRaider]

Cool pictures. I just decant it straight into a jar, saves cleanup of those little cups. I also recommend leaving the paint to gass out at least overnight. Some people manage to get away with just a few minutes but that is a recipie for disaster for me. If stirring be very careful, too much agitation will lead to the paint bubbling over the sides. Best stuff to thin Tamiya TS with is GSI Creos Self Leveling Thinner, it has a retarder built in that slows the drying time of the paint and leaves the surface glass smooth.

[mike@af]

Originally Posted by RallyRaider

Best stuff to thin Tamiya TS with is GSI Creos Self Leveling Thinner, it has a retarder built in that slows the drying time of the paint and leaves the surface glass smooth.

About how long does it take the paint to dry with that thinner? I can normally colorsand the TS straight out of the can in about 2 hours, which is why I love TS.

[Stickz]

Nice, thanks for sharing!

[RallyRaider]

Originally Posted by GTmike400

About how long does it take the paint to dry with that thinner? I can normally colorsand the TS straight out of the can in about 2 hours, which is why I love TS.

Touch dry in less than a minute, depending on the thickness of the coat.

[Vric]

so Once you have decanned it, how long does it last on a jar ?

I alreay did that one time and it dried in less than 1 day. (I mean it was very tick)

I will have to try again with my airbrush. (even if I get good result with the spraycan)

[RallyRaider]

Originally Posted by Vric

so Once you have decanned it, how long does it last on a jar ?

Lasts as long as any other paint so long as the lid is sealed properly. I add some thinner before storing it away, just in case there is any slow evaporation. I have a couple of jars that I decanted maybe four years ago and they're still good. If worried about evaporation one trick is to double seal, i.e. a jar within another jar. Never bothered myself, takes up too much space!