Guest Peterpools Posted August 17, 2013 Share Posted August 17, 2013 Just started using Model Master Enamels after not being happy with the way Tamiya acrylics worked on my Jug's cammo. After re-painting the cammo this afternoon with Model Master Enamels, I decided to stick with them. The only can of the thinner I had for this painting session was the Testors/Model Master 8 oz can and it's pretty pricey. Will any brand of orderless thinner from Home Depot or Lowes work as well? Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mywifehatesmodels Posted August 17, 2013 Share Posted August 17, 2013 Peter, I use MM enamels almost exclusively and I usually use mineral spirits and have had great success with them (and I can get a gallon of it for around $10). Recently, the local Wal Mart was out of mineral spirits, so I picked up a smaller bottle of "paint thinner", that was certainly different. I didn't care for the odor of it and it seemed to react differently with the paint (not as airbrush friendly, for sure). I went back every day until they had the regular mineral spirits back in stock and have been happy ever since. I'm on a pretty tight budget and can't justify spending big bucks on some of the hobby name brand stuff when there are far cheaper alternatives that work just as well, if not better. So, the short answer: mineral spirits! John Out2gtcha 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ssculptor Posted August 17, 2013 Share Posted August 17, 2013 Logically speaking: If you are using enamel paints then you would want to use an enamel thinner. If you are using lacquer paint (which you would not use on styrene as it crazes the surface of the plastic, then you would use a lacquer thinner. I do not know what house painters use to thin acrylic paints but you can go to an art supply store and get a good acrylic paint thinner in a good size bottle at a reasonable price and it might be OK for your acrylic model paints. The price the model companies charge us for a teeny little bottle of paint is not only unreasonable it is downright robbery. Boo! Hiss! Hang them by their cohones in the public square until the birds pick their bones clean. Essentially I would avoid buying thinners at Home Depot or Lowes, period. You might try an automobile paint supply house and ask their opinions. OR you can do the empirical method and buy some paint thinners at an art supply house and try them out on your model paints. Put them in the sun for a week or two after painting and see what happens to the paint. In terms of color matching I nowadays try to buy a good quality artists acrylic paint (NOT a cheap tube of student grade paint but a good one) and mix my own color. After a while in use all paints fade a bit and change color a bit as they weather and survive the extremes of cold and heat and rain ;and snow and bright sunlight. After a while all the paints look a bit off from the original specification. So close enough is good enough. Take a look at the same color by four different model companies. Do they look identical? Hmmmmm? So make up your own and save the price of another kit. IMPORTANT when buying artists paints, Look for OPAQUE paints and avoid the transparent PAINTS. Why do I go to all this trouble when selecting and mixing artist paints? If I were working in 1/144 or 1/72 scale I would buy the model paints and use that. But I am in humongous 1/32 scale and that uses a lot of paint. Enjoy, it is just a hobby. Stephen van Gogh Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scvrobeson Posted August 17, 2013 Share Posted August 17, 2013 Just use lacquer thinner from Home Depot or Lowe's. It works just fine with every kind of paint. I use it for Tamiya, Model Master, Gunze, and never have problems. I giant can from Home Depot might run $10 or so, and will last for a very long time. I think my last can ran me for 8 or 9 months? Hope that helps out Matt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Juggernut Posted August 17, 2013 Share Posted August 17, 2013 Ditto. I use lacquer thinner from Lowe's. It does the job well. Have been using it for years and years, never an issue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Peterpools Posted August 17, 2013 Share Posted August 17, 2013 Thanks Guys for the information. I'm set and ready Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LSP_Ron Posted August 17, 2013 Share Posted August 17, 2013 Ditto. I use lacquer thinner from Lowe's. It does the job well. Have been using it for years and years, never an issue. Same same, MM enamels thinned with lacquer thinners is all I use as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Peterpools Posted August 17, 2013 Share Posted August 17, 2013 Guess that settles it, since I always thinned the Tamiya acrylics with lacquer thinner and have a nice supply on hand Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LSP_Ron Posted August 17, 2013 Share Posted August 17, 2013 I wouldn't go over any arcylics with this mixture though. It will likely crackle the underlying paint. It's flawless if uses through and through but very hot on other paints. I've also had issues top coating Humbrol with this mixture also. If you stick with MM you won't have issues, it does cover Alclad well also. Ron Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LSP_Mike Posted August 17, 2013 Share Posted August 17, 2013 I use generic thinner for brush work, and MM thinner for airbrush work. I add a few drops of acetone to my airbrush mix to heat it up a bit, speed drying, and get a tighter coat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ssculptor Posted August 18, 2013 Share Posted August 18, 2013 Well, I stand corrected about lacquer and enamel. I thank you guys. But I'll still prefer to use acrylic artists colors. I am a cheap old man after all. Stephen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scvrobeson Posted August 18, 2013 Share Posted August 18, 2013 I wouldn't go over any arcylics with this mixture though. It will likely crackle the underlying paint. It's flawless if uses through and through but very hot on other paints. I've also had issues top coating Humbrol with this mixture also. If you stick with MM you won't have issues, it does cover Alclad well also. Ron Enamel will only crack up an acrylic base coat if the acrylic isn't properly cured yet. My Tempest cockpit is acrylic for the bottom half, and enamel for the top half, no problems at all. Just have to make sure everything is dry and cured completely. Matt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LSP_Ron Posted August 18, 2013 Share Posted August 18, 2013 Enamel will only crack up an acrylic base coat if the acrylic isn't properly cured yet. My Tempest cockpit is acrylic for the bottom half, and enamel for the top half, no problems at all. Just have to make sure everything is dry and cured completely. Matt Agreed, its not the enamel that causes this, it's the lacquer thinner Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LSP_Kevin Posted August 18, 2013 Share Posted August 18, 2013 Agreed, its not the enamel that causes this, it's the lacquer thinner Yep, Ron's right. Kev Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scvrobeson Posted August 18, 2013 Share Posted August 18, 2013 Agreed, its not the enamel that causes this, it's the lacquer thinner Misunderstood. Luckily, I haven't had that problem before. Then again, lots of people have problems with paints that I haven't had issues with, and there are problems I've had that others haven't. Guess everything in modeling is "Your Mileage May Vary" Matt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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