Tamiya Paints in Dropper Bottles

[Of Models & Monsters]

Hola comrades, I just had a cunning plan but I wanted to see if anyone else has ever tried this themselves.  I have decided to switch from Vallejo to Tamiya for Airbrush painting but Tamiya's jars are so inconvenient to me compared to Vallejo's dropper bottles.  So i'm curious, has anyone here ever tried transferring their Tamiya paints to dropper bottles (either plastic or glass)?  I'd like to know if it would work or just instantly dry up due to a adverse reaction.

[Ade H]

They seemed to last well once thinned*, so I don't envisage a problem because of that, but I surmise that you would have to ensure that your chosen bottles seal as well as Tamiya jars.

I just wonder why you would want to take this direction. Almost the polar opposite of what I did.

* Until they were got rid of.

Edited October 10, 2021 by Ade H

[bmwh548]

I would imagine the solvent in Tamiya (alcohol based or something like that) is far more volatile and might escape through the plastic that makes up the dropper style bottle (and it's cap). 

[Stef N.]

I use this idea quite often to mix the paint and thinner, but keep the unmixed remainder of paint still in the jar. I normally mix more than enough for the model I am painting and keep the rest in the dropper bottle for future use. It seems to last but haven't had any in a bottle for more than a year and it's always been mixed.

 

[Troy Smith]

10 minutes ago, bmwh548 said:

I would imagine the solvent in Tamiya (alcohol based or something like that) is far more volatile and might escape through the plastic that makes up the dropper style bottle (and it's cap). 

I have litre bottles of isopropyl alcohol,  in what looks to be the same material as the Vallejo bottles,  some type of polyethylene.   

So, no, should not be a problem. 

 

39 minutes ago, Of Models & Monsters said:

So i'm curious, has anyone here ever tried transferring their Tamiya paints to dropper bottles (either plastic or glass)?  I'd like to know if it would work or just instantly dry up due to a adverse reaction.

Can't see a problem, just make  been meaning to try it, as the Tamiya paints are a limited range of colours, and have been working on mixes,  and ideally want to make up batches.

@Stef N. comments seems sensible, as Tamiya is a bit thick out the jar.   I do notice that there is often drying or dried paint about the jar rims as well. 

 

I know I have some spare Vallejo bottles,  so I'll experiment at some point.   

 

 

 

[Of Models & Monsters]

Thanks for the info everyone.  I guess I'll try the glass dropper bottles and experiment with just one paint first to be safe.

[bmwh548]

1 hour ago, Troy Smith said:

I have litre bottles of isopropyl alcohol,  in what looks to be the same material as the Vallejo bottles,  some type of polyethylene.   

So, no, should not be a problem. 

 

Gunze bottles all their thinners (including what seems to be lacquer thinner) in plastic containers. However it's most likely plastic designed to handle that type of solvent. Vallejo's bottles are designed for water based paints. Not trying to start an argument or anything like that, just my two cents.

 

[spruecutter96]

You would obviously have to ensure that the Vallejo bottles were 100% clean of their old contents. The paints would probably not mix well, at all. 

 

Chris.  

[Troy Smith]

5 hours ago, spruecutter96 said:

You would obviously have to ensure that the Vallejo bottles were 100% clean of their old contents. The paints would probably not mix well, at all. 

 

Chris.  

Indeed.   Note, you can buy small dropper type bottles on ebay.  I presume something simialr would be available in Canada.   I did buy some Vallejo bottles off Creative, they were listed with the paint, I think they were 17p each....   not got any off ebay as yet. 

   

5 hours ago, bmwh548 said:

 

Gunze bottles all their thinners (including what seems to be lacquer thinner) in plastic containers. However it's most likely plastic designed to handle that type of solvent. Vallejo's bottles are designed for water based paints.

I'd say you were overthinking this,  most plastic bottles for  chemicals are high density polyethylene,   it has a distinctive feel.   

It's used for a lot of storage, I've seen it used for  bleach, acid descaler,  alcohols, petrol and oil containers.    In comparison Tamiya acylic is pretty. inert.

And, it wouldn't   be hard to check what the plastic is, and what's safe for.

 

  if you want to check, look at the recycling arrow, 

 

[fatfingers]

How do chaps,

 

I got some cheap plastic dropper bottles off Amazon to decant some Games Workshop paints into. I decided to use one to hold some Self Leveling Thinner in so i wasn't fighting with the big bottle when thinning Tamiya. Been over a year now and no problems despite regular top ups. After reading this thread i'm now thinking of putting some pre-thinned Tamiya in one or two as well 🤔

 

Regards,

 

Steve

Edited October 13, 2021 by fatfingers

[Rob G]

I've done the same with cheap Chinese dropper bottles. While the bottles will last and seem to be impervious to most thinners, the pointy bit on the top of the cap will crack off given a bit of time and pressure. Also, they don't seem to seal all that well - a long term storage option they are not, the paint dries out in a couple of months, but for mixing up a batch to use while working on a project, they're OK. I am in a hot tropical part of the world, yon cooler climes may (I stress 'may') be different, and the seal may be sufficient to keep long term. 

 

I have AK and MIG bottles that seem to seal, at least the paint in those is still good - do those guys sell empty bottles? The OEM bottles seem to be of a better quality than the Chinese ebay version. Might be worth chasing some down.