Gillespie shelf life?

[KAILUAZ]

My project its taking a bit longer than I planned. How long will my two gallon each cans of 383 last?
Thanks,
Eric

 

[M37Dodge]

It lasts for years. My WWII Semi-Gloss was at least 4 years old when I used it. No problems. Lots of mixing is needed though. On opened cans, try to keep air out to make it last - I heard putting a thin layer of mineral spirits on top of the paint in the can is a good way to store it long term.

 

[emr]

I have paint for years, If U shake it up on a regular basis and flip the cans at least now and then , U will be doing yourself a big favor, I have taken paint from people that they said was bad, sure it was either completly separated or close, all it takes is patience, and some times I have had to add thinner, i do it by eye, and mix and mix, I have had cans frozen solid, and brought them back also, it takes patientce and sometimes some thinner, I also have painted down to 40ish degrees, Maybe one could not match a new car paint like this, but these trucks look and wear just fine, have been doing it for years, I recently bought a paint shaker from a hardware store going out of business, It is awesome, I shake all my paint every now and again, I have given up on bringing my paint to the garage at home in the fall, i let it stay in the conex at my shop all winter and just re mix it in the spring, ...the spray cans fit inside the quart plastic container holder that goes with the shaker, so i can even mix them .

 

[Nonotagain]

My project its taking a bit longer than I planned. How long will my two gallon each cans of 383 last?
Thanks,
Eric

Enamel paint will typically have a two year shelf life from date of manufacture.

Does that mean it will go bad at two years and one day? NO.

Look for separation of the constituents, oily crap on the surface, skims, cottage cheese consistency coatings or strange smells. If you encounter any of these, dispose of the paint in an approved hazardous waste site.

Old paints contained leaded oils that were used as drying agents. Lead oils also made for very bright colors. That's why the Chinese manufacturers used lead based paints for childrens toys.

With the advent of stupid parents, unsupervised children were allowed to chew on window sills that were coated with paints containing lead. Trial lawyers sued paint manufacturers for damages, so no more lead dryer based paints can be sold to home consumers.

Those of you that are complaining of having trouble purchasing real CARC paint now know why it's so difficult to obtain.