what to do with all this stuff...

[spazzy]

New additions to the family always means at least a small bit of sacrafice, and until we get our new house (within a year, I hope) we are having to sacrafice the craft room for our baby room. It\'s actually a craft/library/computer room, but the computer and bookshelves are going to stay, it\'s all the minis, paints, embroidery, knitting, quilting, and papercrafts items that are being packed up.

My question to you folks is this, if the paints and brushes are in storage (garage) that is allowed to drop to freezing (and much below, it gets pretty damn cold here in the winter) will they be damaged? I have to make the space for the baby stuff, but I don\'t want to pick up my winsor newton 7 size 1 and find that it looks more like a puffball on a stick. My guess is that the paintbrushes should be alright, seeing as how the hair used to make them comes from an animal that lives in cold places, but I don\'t know for sure about the paints, inks, water effects, etc. I could find another place for them in the house if I had to, but it would involve a lot of repacking and rearranging I just don\'t really have the energy for.

Any help on what the freezing temperatures are going to do to my supplies?

 

[Sand Rat]

My experience is that anything water based will prolly not do well if it freezes - question is though is there a space in the garage that is warmer than the rest - near the water heater or furnace for example - that might stay above freezing - where you could put the stuff?

 

[Hinton]

I know what you mean about sacrifices when new family additions come along.

I\'ve heard of people placing their acrylic paints in the freezer when they\'re on the palette to save them. I\'m not sure what long-term storage would do to them, but apparently short-term works ok. Maybe someone else has done long-term, sub-zero storage of acrylic paints?

As far the brushes are concerned, I have absolutely no idea.

How many paints and brushes do you have? Isn\'t there a small closet or perhaps an attic/crawlspace where you could put them?

 

[Ritual]

Surely, there must be some little space inside the house where you can put the paints and such? If not, there might be something else you could put into the garage that wouldn\'t be affected by the cold so you can put the paints in their original space?

 

[Highbulp Billy]

I guess that putting the baby in the garage is not really an option then ???

I\'m currently fighting to keep our baby sleeping in our room just so that I don\'t lose my study/painting room. It\'s hard enough finding time to paint now let alone having no room as well. As it is, all my painting stuff lives in a draw only to be brought out when in use

Sorry, nothing constructive to add just empthising with your plight

 

[Dragon Forge Design]

DON\"T Freeze your acrylic paints. When I worked for RalPartha the biggest problem we had was in the Winter and UPS would allow paint shipments to Freeze. The paint is never the same again, it was almost like it gelled. Put them in a box and put them somewhere so they stay warm.. under a bed..in a closet.. just dont let them freeze.

 

[spazzy]

Okay, so they will be making it back into the house tonight, and I will be standing around pointing at things which are heavy or in high places for hubby to fetch and box up. Thanks for the info!

 

[vincegamer]

The only concern I would have with the brushes is that the wood could contract or expand, weakening the connection with the ferule.
Probably wouldn\'t happen, but possible. Just how cold does it get?

 

[Ritual]

But, if you\'re going to make room for the paints inside the house anyway you might as well stick the brushes in there too. A couple of brushes won\'t take much room. It\'s better to be safe than sorry, especially if you have some nice quality brushes.

 

[Dragonsreach]

Yes definitly keep the brushes in the warm as well.
It\'s not just the expansion and contraction of the wood but it\'s the fact that the hair isn\'t attached to a nice warm breathing and oil producing creature anymore. Small amounts of hair will become brittle if frozen and allowed to thaw without any kind of treatment and the adhesive holding the hair in place will not withstand extremes of temperature either.

 

[skeeve]

Paints will not survive freezing. At least not the brand that I used in Russia. I had issues with delivery people leaving them outside the store overnight during winter (russian winter, mind you) and after defrosting they came out in clumps that I could never fully resuspend. It might depend on polymer though. If you really want to try sticking one of yours in the freezer keep it there for a week and see what happens.

As for storing everything ... may I suggest kitchen? I usurped half of the cabinet completely to myself. Granted deployment of the stuff takes some time but when my kids are out it is well out their way