No matter how small the layout

the quantity of "stuff" needed to build it really doesn't change.  Think about it, you still need numerous colors/textures or ground foam, different colors of wire, all kinds of paints, glues, etc . . . the only difference is with a larger railroad you just need more of each INDIVIDUAL item.  It's one of the great truths of model railroading.

The other is the fact that no matter how large your work surface, the only clear area can be expressed as "Size of model" + 2 inches on all sides.

Marty

  Nice paint rack. Simple and

Nice paint rack. Simple and organized. Put the bottles upside down thow. 

I like this guy's paint rack.   Borrowed  from Tim Warris (Fast Tracks)  web page.

Not everyone draws his plans in CAD and then cuts it.  Neat what you can do with computer and a lazer cutter.

Marc

Thanks! Whats the benefit of

Thanks!

Whats the benefit of turning them upside down?

I like that drawer. When I get to framing the basment next summer (I hope) I will be building another canilevered work bench like I did on the opposite side of the aisle from the banquet table I am currently using. I think a drawer like that one would be perfect.

Chris

What's the benfit of turning them upside down?

Paint has a tendency to separate if they are left standing for awhile. By turning them upside down the pigments come to the top of the jar rather than to the bottom of the jar and are thus easier to mix into the right colors. Otherwise yo need to insert something into the jar to stir up the pigments on the bottom.

Irv

That makes sense.. There is

That makes sense.. There is no worry with the paint being overly thick or crusty at the top?

If I had known this before I did the project I would have drilled holes into the four racks for the craft paints to hold them. Maybe i can do an insert using 1/4" plywood shimmed up to the hieight of the shoulders of the bottles.. but then maybe getting the bottles out will be problematic.

Chris

+

Was not my idea. Tim Warris has this on his web site. He states he has 10 year old Floquil jars and the paint is still good as new because  he allways stored them upside down. I assume this also helps seal the bottle to a point. Heck they store good wine with a slight, cork down, angle. Why not paint.   He also adds a bolt to the bottle to stir the paint in a powered shaker.  I was allways thinking of building a powered rack that would rotate slowly.

Marc  

Add springs to keep the paint in place

Someone in one of the RR fora (and I'm really sorry I forgot to bookmark the page) uses long, weak springs stretched across the shelving to keep the paints from accidentally falling out.  I think these springs are used for some kind of curtain installation, you might want to ask at a fabric store about them.

dave 

Storing Paint Upside Down

I have found from years of experience that when paint is stored with the cap up the solvent can evaporate from the jar.  Granted this can take a long time, but it does happen. By turning the paint with the cap down when the pigment separates from the solvent and settles, it prevents the solvent from evaporting even after years of storage.

Paint vs Air

Air space above the paint level inside the jar is your enemy. Metal lids and glass jars are 100% impervious to solvent or water permeation. The seal between the jar and the wax faced paper or foil cap liner is the only escape route for volatile components. By turning the bottles upside down solvent is less likely to bypass the seal as the paint itself begins to act as a seal. Just the same as the wine keeps the cork swollen for a tight seal.

Transferring paint to ever smaller bottles as it is used up is the way to go. This keeps the air space to a minimum. With little or no air space in the jar paint will last a very long time. I find the little tiny Testors bottles very handy for doing this. I never through them away when empty.

Alan is right - it's the air

Alan is right - it's the air that is the enemy.  When I was much younger I worked for a paint and drywall contractor.  Before he closed up a can of paint he would put a thin layer of water or thinner (for oil based paint) on top of the paint.  He said that would seal the paint and keep it from dying out and forming a skin on top.  He said that when I got ready to use it again I could just poor or scoop off the water or thinner or just mix it into the paint if I thought it needed thinning.  I had never thought of turning the hobby bottles upside down - I'll have to try that.  But if you're not able to turn them upside down,  you may want to try this contractor's tip.

Ditto the Water Layer

The extra water layer (or thinner) works good. It is the same way I preserve partial 3-1/2 gallon buckets of drywall joint compound. I pour 1/2" of water on top when I seal the bucket. Then I just pour it off next time I use the compound. A little bit of stirring is needed because the uppermost layer is really thinned but you have to stir it anyway so all is well.

Nice Rack!

 Last time I said those words I got a slap in the face. I like your idea better than mine, but I don't have the space you do in my little corner of the world.

More On "Nice paint rack. Simple and"

Yeah, what Marc said. MRH also had this in the Parallel lines column written by Tim Warris - MRH Issue 3 (Q3 2009) page 103. As Tim states: "It also has the added feature of allowing you to see the colors easily."

Nice Rack

I like that swinging wall of paint.  Looks like fine workmanship.

Sure beats the heck outa my current system:

Paint Storage and Display for use

ChrisNH, Driline, FKD and all Tim warris Had the correct Idea on Paint storage.

I have a collection of Floquil, PollyScale, Model Master, Tamyiya Color and Badger paints with some of the bottles more than 20 years old. The big secret as Tim explained is Air will kill your bottles of paint and dry out your bottles if you leave them right side up.

Save your Bottles of paint from drying up and becoming useless:

First snug down the tops and Second turn them on their heads this causes a light vacume and plugs the air input so that your paint will last for years and years.

Here is My paint racks:

This Drawer holds most of my unopened Spray cans .My open ones are out in the Spray booth in another drawer.

This is my top drawer with a few empty holes of bottles of paint I'm useing at the moment above this drawer is one of my many color charts and the bottoms of these Tamyiya bollles I've put their Code numbers on for ease of finding the color I'm in search of.

The Main point is turn your bottles cap side down and the paint will last for years. As I said some of my floquil and Polly-S paint is over 20 years old and still as good as the day I bought them.

Dan

Great idea

I hadnt thought of that. If I put it on hinges I can swing it out of the way against the ceiling when I am not using it! Of course, that would make storing the paint upside down, which I do now, Problematic. Hmm.. If I move it under my workbench, maybe under the spray booth, hanging could be the "normal" storage with the paint upside down. Then I could flip it horizontal when I use it.

Thanks for the continued feedback. I am going to have to move the rack when I build the next layout.. I will incorporate some of these ideas. I currently do the "holes in a wood block" idea with my glues.

Chris