If you just want to know how to thin to reuse, please skip to the last paragraph of this page. For the story, read on. Awhile back I bought a can of Plasti Dip, mostly for experimentation, but also to coat the handles of some sculpting and modelling tools that I fashioned by gutting old pens/markers/etc. and hot gluing coat hanger/wire, etc. where the ink used to be located. These wires can be custom shaped for any purpose you can imagine – but that’s another story (post coming soon). After coating my custom-made tools, I noted that I had used about one inch (1″) of the Plasti Dip, relative to the container depth. I closed it up and put it at the back of my way-too-deep desk, where it sat unused for several months until I built my desk hutch/shelf (post coming soon, too). While loading up the shelves I opened the PD container and to my surprise, there were only a few inches of Plasti Dip remaining in the container. I flipped the can around and noted a TECH TIPS section which included information on how to thin the PD for any event, including if has thickened. Now, I will say this: The instructions on the can aren’t very helpful as far as method goes, but they do tell you that you can use VM&P Naphta, xylene (xylol) or toluene (toluol) as thinning agents. This makes sense: they’re all solvents, which basically means it will dissolve other materials, especially those for which its meant. Generally, any liquid can be a solvent – for example, water is a solvent for salt, or sugar. SAFETY WARNING: Consider this also to be a warning that I am not liable for any harm you, your friends/family or property incur, and that its your responsibility to learn more about the safe handling of hazardous materials. You’re on the internet, so please do a little research for yourself. While I can easily provide links, I cannot recommend enough the importance of reading for yourself and fully comprehending the procedures necessary to ensure safety. Warning over, moving on/ If you excite water molecules with little heat, the salt or sugar will dissolve even faster. Unlike water, however, the aforementioned solvents are very unsafe and somewhat unstable, even without heat. Do not heat them in any way because they may combust. Also, take care in where you store them; I keep the PD in my office workspace, though I should really store these in a fireproof cabinet in the basement along with other solvents and chemicals, away from sources of electricity and heat. So, how does one thin Plasti Dip once it has thickened? For me, the key moment in understanding what to do was triggered by seeing the dramatic difference in volume; over half of the PD was gone. Where could it have gone? I thought about it a bit and realized what processes were actually going on, which lead me to realize that PD is simply a solution of alcohol into which plastic has been dissolved, and like any alcohol, evaporation had taken place, reducing the volume of the solution. Here’s all you really need to do:
- Remember or mark where the PD level was the last time you used it.
- Fill with PD to this mark, and then a little bit more.
- Using a bamboo skewer, popsicle stick, chop stick, or other wooden or metal tool, slowly start pulling the tool through the PD, increasing its surface area, exposing the PD to more solvent. This will take some time, in some cases, perhaps even over the course of several days, as was the case for me.
- Stir for about 2-5 minutes at a pop – then give it about 30-60 minutes break in between. This time actually helps the solution spread evenly, kind of like letting bread dough proof, or letting pasta/pie/cookie dough sit in the fridge to let the liquid spread evenly.
- Repeat until PD is the consistency you desire.
- If you’re feeling adventurous, put a craft-dedicated egg beater in your power drill, set to low, and give it a go. Make sure you don’t use a beater that you or your housemates would use for food, even if its just you and you give it a thorough cleaning; much safer to just get an extra set at a thrift store or order replacements online.
- I’ve seen a lot of people on youtube do essentially the same thing but with paint mixers, for large batches intended for painting cars. The concept is the same here, just at a much smaller scale.
Of course, you can just forgo this whole process and buy a fresh can, but where’s the fun in that? Plus, if you’re like me, you probably don’t use PD very often – I try to be as frugal as possible, which is why I figured I’d share this information with others who are in a similar place.