im new to the paint world. I've been doing my research on guns, paint, etc. one thing I can't find is if I mix paint and some is left over how much of a shelf life does it have. I'm shooting house of kolor in a few different shades to see which I like better. Medium flake, fine flake, ultra fine flake, and ice pearl. I just want to shoot some small test panels to see what I like but is the left over paint still usable later on down the road or is it trash already mixed and reduced.
Paint with reducer (as long as it's not "reactive reducer") should be good almost indefinitely, but paint with a hardener or activator in it is generally only good for the day.
Lacquer for one will last a looong time. I once had some left over lacquer from a paint job done in the 70s. Twenty years later I decided to try it on my son's go kart. The stuff was still good. I mixed it and sprayed it. Came out very nice.
Go get the biggest old fender you can find, hang it in vehicle position, buy some cheap single stage metallic enamel and start shooting. Scuff it and repeat. When you can lay down single stage metallic without runs or tiger stripes, you'll know your gun well.
Check the technical data sheet for the paint you are using, pot life will be listed there. You can find the Tech sheet on the internet if you google the paint manufacturer.
"Pot life" is how long paint with hardener/activator can be kept in the gun without going bad. A few hours usually, sometimes overnight if it's kept in the fridge. That will be on the can. "Shelf life" is if you want to put it in a can and keep it indefinitely. If it only has reducer in it, it'll have a shelf life. If it's got hardener/activator, you can't put it back in the can and keep it.
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