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How to soften old oil paints in tubes

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stephen weight

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Posted
I have a collection of old oil paints in tubes , about 20 years old , mostly W&N artists oil colours and Winton  . My question is how can I soften the tubes ? - I dont want to slice open the tubes if it can be avoided . Would warming them help . ? Thanks Stephen Weight  

Alan Bickley

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Posted
No, they’re scrap Stephen! There’s nothing you can do I’m afraid once they’ve gone hard.
With Sarah, Phil, Ellen, Rose the dentist, and the granddaughter whose name I forget.

Robert Jones, NAPA

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Posted
Afraid I completely agree with Alan - warming them would not help, they've dried out, the oil content has gone, if you could make any of the paint actually move about a bit, it would be vile to paint with, and of very questionable permanence (or even semi-permanence).   I have tubes of paint which are much older than that, by the way, in which the paint is still fresh: so you've been a bit unlucky - or someone didn't screw the caps back on properly.