Introduction: A Cheap and Easy Homemade Paint (una Pintura Barata Y Fácil Hecha En Casa)

About: I am leaving Instructables, soon. I am very upset with the turnaround that has the page to post the manufacture of a dildo. Me llamo Osvaldo Julio Schiavoni I speak Spanish, not English. I use automatic tran…

La pintura al l�tex m�s barata, en Argentina, cuesta alrededor de 1.17 U$S el litro. La que les
presento hoy cuesta solamente 0.65 U$S, y no tiene nada que envidiarle en cuanto a resultados.

La receta me la pas� un amigo ruso que vive en Argentina desde hace unos 14 a�os.


The cheapest latex paint, here in Argentina, is around U$S 1.17 per liter. That I am presenting today's costs only U$S 0.65, and has nothing to envy in terms of results.

This recipe was handed to me by a Russian friend who has lived in Argentina for about 14 years.

Step 1: Materials & Tools (materiales Y Herramientas)

1) Leche descremada o parcialmente descremada, en cantidad suficiente para los litros de pintura que usted calcule que va a necesitar.
2) Cemento para mamposter�a, 1/4 en volumen respecto de la leche.
3) Recipiente/s de tama�o adecuado.
4) Cuchara de tama�o adecuado.
5) Algo para revolver la mezcla. Puede ser una varilla de madera, un tubo de pl�stico, algo as�.
6) Pincel o rodillo para pintar.
7) Opcional, una gata.

1) Skimmed or partly skimmed milk, enough for the number of gallons of paint you think you'll need.
2) Masonry Cement, 1/4 in volume compared with the milk.
3) Container/s of appropriate size.
4) Spoon of appropriate size.
5) Something to stir the mixture. It may be a wooden stick, a plastic tube, like that.
6) Brush or paint roller.
7) Optionally, a she cat.

Step 2: Mixing (mezclando)

Esto es tan sencillo que casi no requiere explicaci�n.

Agregue el cemento a la leche, aproximadamente una cuarta parte en volumen. Ejm: para 1 litro de leche, 250 cc de cemento. Esta proporci�n var�a de acuerdo al gusto de cada persona. No sea pijotero, eso s�.

This is so simple, it hardly requires explanation.

Add the cement to milk, about one part cement to four parts milk. Example: for 1 liter of milk, 250 cc of cement. This proportion varies according to each person's preference. Don't be stingy, though.

Step 3: Testing It (probando)

Antes de arruinar una pared, es aconsejable probar la consistencia de la pintura. En este caso voy a usar un trozo de madera.

Before you ruin a wall, it is advisable to test the consistency of the paint. In this case I will use a piece of wood.

Step 4: Tests I Did 2 Weeks Ago (pruebas Que Hice Hace 2 Semanas)

Pint� sobre madera, hierro, mamposter�a y vidrio. Todos los resultados fueron satisfactorios. Solo dos manos de pintura cubrieron aceptablemente todas las superficies. Lo normal es dar tres manos.

Hay que tener en cuenta que no me esmer� en obtener un resultado est�tico, solo quise ver si la pintura era efectiva.

I painted on wood, iron, masonry and glass. All results were satisfactory. Only two paint coats covered acceptably all surfaces. It is normal to do three coats.

Keep in mind that I didn't take great pains to get an aesthetic result, just wanted to see if the paint was effective.

Step 5: The Paint, After 2 Weeks (la Pintura, Luego De 2 Semanas)

Yo hice otra prueba como esta hace dos semanas. Pens� que la leche se iba a agriar en un d�a o dos, pero no fue as�. Parece que el cemento es muy alcalino, y las bacterias de la leche necesitan un medio �cido para sobrevivir. De hecho, al mezclar el cemento con la leche se percibe un olor notablemente �spero, lo cual indica que se produce una reacci�n qu�mica. �Qu� piensas t�, NurdRage?

Luego de 4 d�as fui a ver qu� hab�a ocurrido con la pintura, y encontr� que el cemento se hab�a asentado en el fondo del recipiente. Tuve que revolver fuertemente para volver a lograr una consistencia homog�nea a efectos de aplicar la segunda mano de pintura. Se produjo entonces una densa y homog�nea espuma, que sin embargo no me impidi� usar la pintura.

Hoy, dos semanas despu�s, encontr� que esa espuma se hab�a cuasi consolidado en forma de pasta esponjosa y h�meda. Le agregu� un poco de agua para ver si es posible volver a usarla. Tal vez eso sea un indicio positivo. Los tendr� al tanto.

I did another test like this two weeks ago. I thought the milk would sour within a day or two, but it did not. It appears that the cement is very alkaline, and the bacteria in milk need an acidic environment to survive. In fact, mixing the cement whit the milk you smell remarkably sharp, indicating that a chemical reaction occurs. What do you think, NurdRage?

After 4 days I went to see what had happened to the painting, and I found that the cement had settled at the bottom of the container. I had to scramble hard to re-achieve a smooth consistency for the purposes of applying the second coat of paint. There was then a dense and homogeneous foam, which however don't prevented me from using the paint.

Today, two weeks later, I found that the foam had quasi solidified in the form of fluffy, moist dough. I added a little of water to see if I can reuse it. Maybe that's a positive sign. I'll keep you informed.