What is the actual thinner in those little bottles you buy from the Ma

[GaryK]

Rather then spending a lot for a little bottle of thinner from the manufacturer, I would rather buy a quart at the hardware store for a little more.

 

Does anyone know what thinners are used in the list below?

 

Maybe correcting or adding to the list I have already started?

 

 

Testors enamel = Paint thinner

Tamiya = Isopropyl Alcohol

Gunze Sangyo Mr. Color = Lacquer Thinner

 

 

Humbrol =

Testors Model Masters =

Floquil Polly Scale Acrylic =

Floquil Enamel =

 

Thanks,

[Juggernut]

I use lacquer thinner for enamels as well as lacquer based paints. It doesn't do any harm to the enamel paint and you can buy it at Lowe's/Home Depot or pretty much any hardware store by the gallon. For acrylics I use denatured alcohol period. For Alclad paint, I use acetone. I do have some dedicated Testor's airbrush thinner that I use to dilute paint in the bottle but that's the only thing I use it for. I also have a gallon of MEK and a gallon of regular old paint thinner. I use the MEK as a plastic cement for certain types of plastic such as acrylic, it works very well...but with all the health warnings about MEK, I wouldn't recommend it to the casual user. The regular old paint thinner I use as a brush cleaner. So in total, I have 5 gallons of chemicals for my modeling needs: Acetone, Lacquer Thinner, MEK, Denatured Alcohol and Paint thinner. I bought them a few years ago and they're still quite full (I don't do as much modeling as I would like).

 

HTH

[Bill Cross]

Lacquer thinner is pretty strong stuff, and will eat away plastic if you're not careful. I use it as the cleaner of last resort, but don't thin anything but Tamiya primer and Mr. Surfacer with it.

 

Isopropyl alcohol will thin most Tamiya paints just fine (their metallic ones need something stronger).

 

I use the Lifecolor thinner just because I'm unsure what the chemical makeup is of their paints.

 

For most acrylics, I use distilled water.

Edited July 16, 2012 by Bill Cross

[LSP_Kevin]

I use Mr Color Thinner for almost everything. It works incredibly well with both Gunze and Tamiya acrylics. For the rare occasion that I use enamels or airbrushing, I usually thin them with hardware-grade lacquer thinner. Acrylics are susceptible to a wide range of thinning agents, so it comes down to local availability and preference.

 

Kev

[KOTR]

Interesting thread. Does anyone know what works best for MM Metalizer?

[Bill Cross]

Does anyone know what works best for MM Metalizer?

I don't know what works best, but I use their thinner if needed. The buffing metalizer colors usually don't need thinning, however.

[KOTR]

When it is relatively fresh stuff, that's right. If it has a few days under its belly, it does not mind a little careful thinning. Moreover the quality of Testor's glass bottles, or more precisely the lids, is always a bit suspect to me.

 

Unfortunately, all local shops stopped carrying MM paints...

[Bill Cross]

KOTR, I would look to order some then, and some thinner. There is IMO nothing comparable for blued metal than MM buffing gunmetal. The burnt iron and brass are almost as good. You are right, though, about their lousy bottle tops.

[DaneBramage]

True thinner should be the actual carrier the Manufacturer uses in the paint making process. But that 's rarely the case especially with acrylics. Testors universal acrylic thinner is nothing more than distilled water. I paid almost 8 dollars USD for 4 oz of WATER!!! But who's complaining... You can use aclchol with some acrylics but others ball up and look like colored cottage cheese (Vallejo NEVER use isopropyl alcohol). There's different types of alcohols. So be careful. It's best to use the maker's thinner in the long run...

[D Bellis]

I use lacquer thinner for enamels as well as lacquer based paints.

Ditto, and have for decades. It speeds up the curing process of flats to almost nothing.

 

However, the thinner in the Testors can of "Enamel Thinner" is actually "Mineral Spirits" that allows for much slower cure times and thus more 'leveling' of the paint. I don't usually use this stuff, except for high gloss paint jobs.

 

Lacquer thinner is pretty strong stuff, and will eat away plastic if you're not careful.

Only if you put raw lacquer thinner directly on the plastic. Mixed with enamel or lacquer paint it is a non issue.

 

True thinner should be the actual carrier the Manufacturer uses in the paint making process. But that 's rarely the case especially with acrylics.

So true. Most paint manufacturers just repackage a common chemical and charge rediculous prices for it.

 

As for acylics, I abhor them, so I can't help you out there. Sorry.

 

HTH,

D

[Hogzilla]

Rather then spending a lot for a little bottle of thinner from the manufacturer, I would rather buy a quart at the hardware store for a little more.

 

Does anyone know what thinners are used in the list below?

 

Maybe correcting or adding to the list I have already started?

 

 

Testors enamel = Paint thinner

Tamiya = Isopropyl Alcohol

Gunze Sangyo Mr. Color = Lacquer Thinner

 

 

Humbrol =

Testors Model Masters =

Floquil Polly Scale Acrylic =

Floquil Enamel =

 

Thanks,

 

As far as Testors products they have the MSDS sheet http://www.testors.com/media/document/MS.0088240.040810.pdf on their website which will answer your questions. - Danny