I've been around this biz since 1975, so I feel just a bit dumb asking this question.
We don't get to do much lettering these days. Our supply of 1-Shot has always been stored in a heated shop. About a month ago, the trusty shop furnace gave up the ghost. We're in the process of replacing it, but it hasn't been a #1 priority.
I still like to do my Cousin's signs for him. He's a master mechanic and always manages to keep our vehicles on the road. Due to a minor accident, the lettering on his truck needs to be redone. That brings up a couple questions.
1. What is the shelf life on unopened 1-Shot?
2. Is the paint affected by freezing temps?
Can I use the old stuff I have in stock or do I have to crawl into the car and drive 15 miles thru a blizzard to get new stuff fast? We used to walk that far to school naked as kids, but I'm old and my butt still hurts.
Posted by John Byrd (Member # 825) on :
Go for it Steve! I use 1-Shot outta the same can for years. Just pull off the skin & stir. On an unopened can, you may have to stir A LOT. But it is certainly worth a try! You know from personal experience how cold my garage is. I have had no troubles painting with 1-Shot stored therein. In fact, it might be to your benefit that yer 1-Shot is older. It probably still has enuff lead in it to keep it slick! Love-JILL PS Hope yer bum is on the mend! Posted by Delzell (Member # 1965) on :
Glad it is too cold for the red thong!
But it does look like RED is Steve's color.
Hope you feel better soon! At least you are not a car in the shop Posted by Jerry Mathel (Member # 526) on :
Steve, I suppose there is a shelf life to 1-Shot, but I've used some that had been around for quite a while and it still seemed to work fine. In fact I recently found a can of Sherwin-Williams lime green that had to have been laying around the shop since the early 70's, and it was still good as new. Jill is right however, that it takes a lot of stirring.
I've never found that cold weather hurts oil based paint. It does however, make it awfully thick if it's still cold. A trick I have used is to set the paint can in a pan of hot water for a while to warm it up, rather than add extra thinner.
Posted by Frank Manning Jr. (Member # 2699) on :
Hey boys and girls....1Shot paint will last a long time, especially if un-opened. For warranty purposes, we do not accept returns if over a year old. I've known a number "Ole Time Sign Painters" who have found old paint at the back of a dusty old shelf. With thorough mixing the paint should be fine. Just watch for lumps of pigment....Pigments sometimes get rock hard when left untouched for long periods. As far as using after being left in frozen temps...it should be fine when warmed up and mixed very well. Paint acts like us when cold...we get stiff and find it hard to move around.
Posted by Steve Shortreed (Member # 436) on :
Thanks for all your replies. I sure wish I had a tool like this BB back in 1975. That Frank Manning is one handsome looking guy. I just know I've seen him before somewhere.
Posted by Jon Butterworth (Member # 227) on :
Trick is to store paint tins upside down on the shelf! Then when the skin forms over time it's on the bottom when you reopen the tin. Just make sure the lid is on tight Posted by Ray Rheaume (Member # 3794) on :
Steve,
I been given a few can of OS paint that were up to 10 years old and still got use from them. They'd never been opened. (there was plenty of rust on the lids, though...)
I've used OS paints that have been frozen and if the lumps are there, I add a little thinner and run it though a paper auto paint strainer.
Hope this helps... Rapid
Posted by Jimmy Hill (Member # 4413) on :
I have always just put a few drops of Paint Sav in the One Shot paint and that seems to work just great at stopping the skin problems.
Many of my cans of One Shot are around five years old and I have not had a problem but then again it never gets that cold in sunny Florida.
When I lived in Connecticut it was a pain in the neck to always have to move the cans inside out of my truck in the winter time and thank god I moved to Florida about 10 years ago.
I always thought the birds up north were smarter then the people because even they went south each winter. Just My Opinion. Jimmy Hill
Posted by John Lennig (Member # 2455) on :
I used some screen enamel once that had been frozen, printed on some plexi pieces, it chipped off bad. Redid job with new ink, no problem.
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