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Decorating Defects - their cause and cure

Livering or thickening up.

Paint in the container may thicken or become too viscous for use from more than one cause, the most likely being the evaporation of the solvents owing to failure properly to seal the tin; if this is the explanation, it is a simple matter to stir the contents until they assume the consistency of a thick paste and then to add the necessary thinners until the material has reached the state when it can be easily applied.
The explanation is not always so obvious, however, and the thickening may be due to the process known as "livering," the cause of which is chemical action between the constituents of linseed oil and those of the pigment; while the addition of thinners will probably reduce the consistency so that the paint can be used, it should be regarded with suspicion and is best avoided on any important work.