Acrylic paint & thinner question

Lonewolf · Post by **Lonewolf** » Mon Feb 05, 2007 4:10 pm

I'm working on a project right now that I'm going to use my airbrush on. To date I've only used enamel paint through the brush, but the new project will use acrylic paint. I'm not sure if my paint and thinner will work together (or maybe I'm overthinking things again).

Anyway, the paint is Tamiya acrylic, and the thinner is Model Master Acryl Thinner (#50496). I know that some paints claim to be specially formulated to work with certain thinners. Are there any compatibility issues that I should be aware of?

Also, I'm going to use a 4:1 thinner-to-paint ratio. Is that too high? Should I go 50%-50% instead? I'm putting the paint down over light gray sandable auto acrylic primer.

Thanks in advance for any help y'all might be able to give me!

Romulan Spy · Post by **Romulan Spy** » Mon Feb 05, 2007 4:20 pm

I've never had much luck with Acryl thinner, but that's just my opinion. For thinning Tamiya paints, I like plain old Windex. Are you using your new Paasche H? If so, 4:1 thinner to paint ratio seems kinda high. I'd start less than 50/50, then add more thinner if needed. Try it on a scrap bit of plastic first. Tamiya acrylics spray really well, so you shouldn't have any trouble.

Digger1 · Post by **Digger1** » Mon Feb 05, 2007 4:44 pm

Windex is good, windshield washer fluid (the blue stuff) is good. Isopropyl alcohol is best, IMO and only like a buck to boot.

Lonewolf · Post by **Lonewolf** » Mon Feb 05, 2007 5:26 pm

Romulan Spy wrote:Are you using your new Paasche H?

Yup!

I don't have any Windex handy at home, and I think that Isopropyl alcohol would probably be cheaper, so I'll stop on the way home from my meeting tonight and pick some up.

I generally use plain old Testor's and Model Master enamels, so I wasn't really sure on what to do with acrylics. I know that I use about a 50-50 mixture (sometimes 60-40, depending on how old the paint is). I've brush-painted with acrylics, but never airbrushed with them, so it's new territory for me.

Thanks!

Kylwell · Post by **Kylwell** » Mon Feb 05, 2007 5:32 pm

I perfer using Tamiya thinner with Tamiya paints. Not sure (after Testors last reformulation) what the MM thinner would do.

Lt. Z0mBe · Post by **Lt. Z0mBe** » Mon Feb 05, 2007 11:09 pm

I thin Tamiya acrylics with Windex. Of course, I thin all acrylics with Windex or isopropyl alcohol (90-percent) if none is handy.

I hope this helps.

Kenny

Kylwell · Post by **Kylwell** » Mon Feb 05, 2007 11:11 pm

Thash 'casue Kenny ish a cheap bashtidge.

Lt. Z0mBe · Post by **Lt. Z0mBe** » Mon Feb 05, 2007 11:15 pm

'Tis true.

Kenny

robgmun · Post by **robgmun** » Tue Feb 06, 2007 4:46 am

Kylwell wrote:I perfer using Tamiya thinner with Tamiya paints. Not sure (after Testors last reformulation) what the MM thinner would do.

Me to, it's the only way to be sure.

Lonewolf · Post by **Lonewolf** » Tue Feb 06, 2007 3:05 pm

I'd love to use Tamiya thinner with the paint, but the store where I got the paint didn't have any Tamiya brand thinner, and nobody else in my area carries Tamiya brand products (other than the kits, of course). So . . . unless I mail order some thinner, I have to use another method.

macfrank · Post by **macfrank** » Tue Feb 06, 2007 4:17 pm

I've been using acrylics (Tamiya, Gunze Sangyo, Pactra, Polly S, Polly Scale, Acryl) since 1990 or so and the only manufacturer's suggested thinner I've ever used was for Testors's Acryl.

Other than the ill fated Testors Model Master acrylics (which were just bad, regardless of what you thinned them with) and Polly S, I've never had a problem with thinning acrylics with Windex, windshield wiper fluid, Isopropyl alcohol, denatured alcohol or water with surfactant. I stopped using the Acryl thinner with Acryl paints because it offered no visible advantage over any of the alternate thinners above.

Frank