Thinning Acrylic Paints For Airbrush

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Thinning Acrylic Paints for airbrush SteveS

By SteveS February 29, 2012 in Paint

Share https://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234913931-thinning-acrylic-paints-for-airbrush/ More sharing options... Followers 1

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SteveS Newbie

SteveS

Posted February 29, 2012

SteveS

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Posted February 29, 2012

Hi All

A general, and also a specific, question.

Is it possible to thin all acrylic paints with plain (distilled) water to use with an airbrush?

If not what would be the best overall thinner to use? I plan to use mainly Tamiya acrylics (along with Revelll Aqua and Xtracrylix) on my next 2 projects but would rather avoid too much cost in thinning what is essentially a water based paint.

I have used Humbrol acrylic thinned with water quite successfully in the past.

All suggestions welcome.

Kindest regards

Steve

Kallisti Completely Obsessed Member

Kallisti

Posted February 29, 2012

Kallisti

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Posted February 29, 2012 (edited)

Tamiya acrylics should be thinned with Isopropyl alcohol rather than water. This stuff is easy to get hold of - I got a big 5 litre polypin of the stuff for about a tenner and 1L goes for about a fiver - see here: http://www.shinyhardware.co.uk/prods/showcat.asp?cid=3561

PS: it also works great as a paint stripper for acylics - I used it to strip the paint off my Revell Rafale M last week so I could repaint it with the airbrush, easy as pie!

Edited February 29, 2012 by Kallisti MODeller Very Obsessed Member

MODeller

Posted February 29, 2012

MODeller

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Posted February 29, 2012

I use Revell Aqua, Humbrol Acrylics and Xtracrylics all thinned with water and Flow Improver added. I ditched Tamiya acrylics as I found they only like to be thinned with IPA or Tamiyas own thinner which as you say is extra expense and for me working indoors is not an acceptable atmosphere. Mr Hobby Aqueous also work very well thinned with water but Hannants London do not stock them anymore and I believe MDC have cut back on attending model shows but are a reliable mail order trader and are the UK importer of the range so have good stocks. MODeller

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cheeley

Posted February 29, 2012

cheeley

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Posted February 29, 2012

Hi Steve,

Acrylic doesn't always mean water based. Generally, the manufacturers own thinner is obviously the 'best' thing to use, but for the cheaper option I use meths with my Tamiya acrylics, as it's easy to get hold of in NZ. The purple dye in it doesn't affect the colour, as I have found out - even when spraying white. I spray thin coats at 15PSI, and generally don't have any trouble. The finished coats are fragile until clear coated though, as I don't use a primer (too tight to spend $$$, and haven't found a cheap alternative). YMMV

(Oh, and apparently using alcohol in Vallejo paints will cause a jelly like mess, so don't expect every paint to react the same way to the same thinners.)

Chris

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thankyousam

Posted February 29, 2012

thankyousam

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Posted February 29, 2012

I've only used Revell Aqua acrylics and thin them with a few drops of Newton & Windsor Flow Improver, then drop in cooled boiled water to a semi-skimmed milk consistency. I live in a very soft-water area though.

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davidelvy

Posted February 29, 2012

davidelvy

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Posted February 29, 2012
Hi Steve,

Acrylic doesn't always mean water based. Generally, the manufacturers own thinner is obviously the 'best' thing to use...

Chris

Not what I found with Revell Aquacolour. I shelled out for a bottle of their special thinner only to find that when I added it to the paint I ended up with something resembling cottage cheese! In the end the best results were with tap water.

Mark M Completely Obsessed Member

Mark M

Posted March 1, 2012

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Posted March 1, 2012

revrell is hit and miss

even per cplour what works with one may not work wiht another but... mostly use WARM water and thin to a mil constancy

gcn Very Obsessed Member

gcn

Posted March 1, 2012

gcn

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Posted March 1, 2012

I can get a years worth of IPA from ebay for £5 which for me is worth the expense over using IMO a hit and miss paint range that uses water.

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Abacus

Posted March 1, 2012

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Posted March 1, 2012

This is a great reference chart. http://www.modelairplaneinternational.com/...kBench%2049.pdf

MODeller Very Obsessed Member

MODeller

Posted March 1, 2012

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Posted March 1, 2012

Never come across this "hit and miss" in the two years I have been airbrushing Revell Aqua. On opening each pot I add some Windsor and Newton Flow Improver and when spraying thin with 25% water which I take out of the condensing tumble dryer as our tap water is hard. Just sprayed the new "Dayglo" colour 36125 onto my Gnat and got perfect results. MODeller

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Giorgio N

Posted March 1, 2012

Giorgio N

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Posted March 1, 2012
Hi Steve,

Acrylic doesn't always mean water based. Generally, the manufacturers own thinner is obviously the 'best' thing to use, but for the cheaper option I use meths with my Tamiya acrylics, as it's easy to get hold of in NZ. The purple dye in it doesn't affect the colour, as I have found out - even when spraying white. I spray thin coats at 15PSI, and generally don't have any trouble. The finished coats are fragile until clear coated though, as I don't use a primer (too tight to spend $$$, and haven't found a cheap alternative). YMMV

(Oh, and apparently using alcohol in Vallejo paints will cause a jelly like mess, so don't expect every paint to react the same way to the same thinners.)

Chris

Chris is right ! Tamiya paints are quite different from revell's or xtracrylics and are best thinned using alcohol. Isopropyl works great with tamiya, however personally I use meth or denatured ethyl alcohol. As with Chris's eperience, the dye never affected any colour I used.

The same thinners work with Gunze acrylics too (although IPA retarded the drying time too much IMHO).

For Xtracrilics and Revell (and vallejo and lifecolor) tap water is fine, adding a couple of drops of retarder helps too.

SteveS Newbie

SteveS

Posted March 1, 2012

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Posted March 1, 2012

Wow Guys

Brilliant replies from you all.

I assume IPA is not India Pale Ale (too good to drink than use as a thinner) but plain old surgical spirit...of which I have loads...being a wannabee guitarist. It's used to help harden the tips of the fingers on one's fretting hand. Clapton swears by it...for his fingers rather than drinking I hope.

As for spraying indoors I have a bench near an open window and loads of masks.

The main problem I have is colour matching between differing paint manufacturers. So I tend to stick to recommended paints, ie Tamiya in this case. Obviously Black is black and white is white so I'll get Revell for those. I'll learn more as I go.

By the way I am working on 2 Tamiya 1/48 scale models...NA RAF Mustang III and a FRS.1 Sea Harrier. I find 1/72 scale a bit small now for my 40 something eyes to deal with! If I'm feeling brave I will post up some images when I'm done....don't expect anything fancy at this stage...purely OOB grade.

Many thanks again you fellas

Steve

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wosipunk

Posted March 1, 2012

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Posted March 1, 2012

http://www.pwm.org.pl/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=12530

this is polish modeller forum. quick translation: woda-water; wodka-vodka (mostly 40% or more alk. cos we pols don't like soft drinks); spirytus-pure alcohol ( 96% alk. you can ask in polish food shops around uk for spirytus ratyfikowany); aceton-acetone.

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Julien

Posted March 2, 2012

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Posted March 2, 2012

For revell aqua, valejho, lifecolor & xtracrylix all I use is valejho airbrush cleaner. Yes the cleaner. This contains a small amount of ethylene glycol and I find retards the paint so you dont need flow enhancer.

I have heard you can use this with tamyia though I have not tried it.

Julien

Troffa Very Obsessed Member

Troffa

Posted March 2, 2012

Troffa

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Posted March 2, 2012

The Tamiya Mustang and FRS-1 on the go- Beauty and the beast!

Best of luck with the builds- the High back British Mustang is one of my favourite builds, but a word of caution, If you are doing the camouflaged Polish Sqn one I seem to recall that the paint instructions omit any reference to the White ID stripes which should be on the wings, I finished mine without the stripes anyway...

Heres one with the stripes..

http://i199.photobucket.com/albums/aa32/gz...to/Img_7742.jpg

Cheers!

Troffa

  • 1 year later...
Hardtarget Very Obsessed Member

Hardtarget

Posted June 15, 2013

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Posted June 15, 2013

This is a great reference chart. http://www.modelairplaneinternational.com/...kBench%2049.pdf

Does anyone have a new link to this guide or have the pdf as a dl i can have please.

viscount806x Very Obsessed Member

viscount806x

Posted June 15, 2013

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Posted June 15, 2013

http://www.pwm.org.pl/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=12530

this is polish modeller forum. quick translation: woda-water; wodka-vodka (mostly 40% or more alk. cos we pols don't like soft drinks); spirytus-pure alcohol ( 96% alk. you can ask in polish food shops around uk for spirytus ratyfikowany); aceton-acetone.

Mmmmm, acetone and Wodka, my favourite.....

  • 3 months later...
jettnett2003 New Member

jettnett2003

Posted October 9, 2013

jettnett2003

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Posted October 9, 2013 (edited)

Does anyone have a new link to this guide or have the pdf as a dl i can have please.

Be nice if I could get hold of this guide too, seems the old link is dead and gone :weep:

Edit : I Googled "workbench49.pdf" and it was found on little-cars site HERE

Edited October 9, 2013 by jettnett2003 Nigel Heath Completely Obsessed Member

Nigel Heath

Posted October 9, 2013

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Posted October 9, 2013

Excellent guide, I have printed off a hard copy for future reference.

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arnobiz

Posted October 9, 2013

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Posted October 9, 2013

Ditto, thanks for the info!

Arnaud

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Mal

Posted October 9, 2013

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Posted October 9, 2013

I have a few issues with the MAI chart,I seem to remember others have questioned some of it's findings,for instance I find that the best thinner for Tamiya Acrylics is cellulose thinners (I know it sounds odd thinning an acrylic with cellulose but it gives excellent results far better than IPA or Tamiya's own thinners) while for Polyscale enamels I've used Xtracolor thinners with good results,neither are recommended by the chart.

Malcolm

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Nigel Heath

Posted October 9, 2013

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Posted October 9, 2013

I too was a little surprised to see that white spirit can't be used with Revell Color (now Email Color). This is nonsense, I thin it with white spirit all the time.

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