Paint Thinning Table

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m1ks
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Re: Paint Thinning Table

Post by m1ks »

Window cleaner and screenwash mentioned both contain ammonia, HOWEVER, in the UK finding a window cleaner with ammonia is like finding rocking horse excreta, whereas good ol halford screenwash contains ammonia, it can act as a thinning agent / drying retarder if mixed in small quantities with paint, that said I don't like the idea personally.
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AndrewR
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Re: Paint Thinning Table

Post by AndrewR »

Also be careful of ammonia solutions in your airbrush, if it has brass parts. Ammonia loves eating brass. :) Make sure you flush out with water after the window cleaning solution...
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flakmonkey
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Re: Paint Thinning Table

Post by flakmonkey »

Here's a recipe for a home brew thinner that works very well with "conventional" acrylics, such as Humbrol and Lifecolor:

You need de-ionised water, a tube of acrylic matt glaze medium such as Rowney/ Cryla System 3, some acrylic flow improver and retarder. Squeeze about 1/2" of the medium from the tube and add to 125ml of de-ionised water. Mix thoroughly, and and add 4-5 drops each of the flow improver and retarder. The resultant thinner is an opaque white solution very similar to Vallejo thinner. The whiteness of the solution does not affect the final colour of the paint. Tested with Humbrol and Lifecolour acrylics and gives good covering power at high thinner to paint ratios. No problems with the paint drying on the needle. You should be able to pick up all the ingredients for around £15, which is cheap when you consider you have enough to make litres of the stuff.
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JamesPerrin
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Re: Paint Thinning Table

Post by JamesPerrin »

I decided to experiment a bit with thinners and Citadel's Mithril Silver. I had used water and acrylic flow enhancer to good effect previous. I'd read that Tamiya thinners are basically IPA but not as hot which can 'curdle' some paints. I tried both on a palette with MS and found that they both worked though the IPA needed more energetic mixing. So I went with Tamiya mixed ~ 50/50 to get the usual milky consistency. This sprayed very well and was much less prone to run/pool than using water.
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PDMO
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Re: Paint Thinning Table

Post by PDMO »

I read on a forum or blog about a guy recommending using Liquitex airbrush medium to thin vallejo model colour as opposed to model air.Managed to get some the other day and as soon as i get the airbrush out again i will give it a go and let you know.
Has anyone beat me to it? and how did you get on.
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flakmonkey
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Re: Paint Thinning Table

Post by flakmonkey »

PDMO wrote:I read on a forum or blog about a guy recommending using Liquitex airbrush medium to thin vallejo model colour as opposed to model air.Managed to get some the other day and as soon as i get the airbrush out again i will give it a go and let you know.
Has anyone beat me to it? and how did you get on.
Conventional acrylics, i.e anything that isn't Gunze or Tamiya, can be very successfully thinned with artists' airbrush medium. In fact, it makes me tear my hair out when manufacturers recommend using plain water to thin them (that's you, Humbrol). Water will make the paint thinner, but unless you also add acrylic medium you're going to reduce the cohesion of the paint and end up with spidery paint. Liquitex is an exceptionally good off the shelf airbrush medium that I suspect is not a million miles away from Vallejo thinner ;)
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PDMO
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Re: Paint Thinning Table

Post by PDMO »

Well its nearly 4 months later and i've finally got round to giving liquitex airbrush medium a go at thinning vallejo model colour down for airbrushing.
Works a treat.
I have only used it on a Royal Blue colour (for space marines) but will be using some reds and greens soon.I thinned it 1 part vallejo to around 2 parts liquitex but could of gone thinner.If mixed too thin ,the finish will be satin/glossy,obviously not a problem if matt varnishing later.
I sprayed 45 figures and one Rhino (equivalent of a 1/48 scale armoured personnel carrier) using around 6ml of paint and around 14ml of airbrush medium.
What i really appreciated about the mix was the ability to just keep spraying without clogging,four full cuploads on a H&S Evolution, without even a wet brush to the nozzle.Although not stirring my mix in its bottle resulted in the heavier paint sinking to the bottom and a slower flow when airbrushed, adding a few more drops of medium sorted it.
Being able to alter mixes so finely was a result too.
As model colour is easier to get hold of than model air ,from a shop , i'm well happy i forked out the few quid for the 237ml of liquitex and as i've a load of 40k stuff to spray i think it works out quite cost effective.

Hope this helps,Paul.
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Re: Paint Thinning Table

Post by MerlinJones »

Clashcityrocker wrote:Is mineral turpentine no good for thinning Humbrol enamel?
I reckon thats what I used to use.

Nigel
Mineral Turpentine, or even Turpentine substitute?
Certainly both will clean enamel off brushes, but I wouldn't know about thinning paint.
Whilst much cheaper than, say, Humbrol Enamel Thinners, the Turpentine Substitute does whiff a bit.

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Ian
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Re: Paint Thinning Table

Post by Ian »

I use turpentine substitute for thinning Revell enamels (as well as for cleaning my brushes). I've had good results with it.
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Clashcityrocker
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Re: Paint Thinning Table

Post by Clashcityrocker »

What is turpentine Substitute?
Last time I was in a hardware store I had a look at the ingredient list for different solvents.
Kerosene, turpentine, white spirit, all it had was 100% v/v liquid hydrocarbons on each one, so I used my money to buy beer.
Drank a bit of it yesterday as the temp here in Adelaide reached 45c.

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Ian
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Re: Paint Thinning Table

Post by Ian »

I'm a mostly full-time modeller put a part-time poster....
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Clashcityrocker
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Re: Paint Thinning Table

Post by Clashcityrocker »

Thanks for the link. Still happy with the beer though.

Nigel
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PaulBradley
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Re: Paint Thinning Table

Post by PaulBradley »

How's the beer for cleaning brushes?
Paul

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JohnRatzenberger
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Re: Paint Thinning Table

Post by JohnRatzenberger »

The White Ensign Colour Coats line specifies white spirits / household paint thinner, only range I remember seeing 'white spirits' mentioned.

I have never tried white/mineral spirits and I'm not sure what they mean by the broad term 'household paint thinner', so I thin with Humbrol enamel thinner and clean with lacquer thinner.
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