thinning humbrol clear red.

[S5 modeller]

Hi chaps.

Want to thin this ancient humbrol clear red so I can airbrush it.

Any ideas what to use?

I'm not sure if it is enamel or not, the only thing on the label is to clean the brush with celulose thinner. Presume this makes it enamel?

I've got a bottle of enamel thinners from my LHS ( which smells suspisciously like turps) would that be ok?

Don't want to add the wrong thing and mess up the paint.

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks.

Matt, the clueless.

[steelpillow]

It is not enamel, do not put enamel thinners into it!

Presumably it is cellulose based, more like a lacquer or dope: try cellulose thinners. Take care - the thinners it highly volatile so you will need extra ventilation.

[Alex Gordon]

G'day Matt,

If you don't ask then you won't know.

I did a little test with mine.First I tried my newly found thinner of choice for Tamiya Acrylics.It is a mixture of water,isopropyl alcohol and caustic soda and it works a treat.At a little under nine quid a gallon it gets my vote 'cos I'm a cheapskate.

Not a success.The clear red turned to caked snot.

I then tried a drop of cellulose thinners.

This worked a treat.I wouldn't consider using this mixture on transparent parts though,it would irretrievably wreck them.

Oh,by the way,here's my pot of goop.

Hope this helps.

Edited March 10, 2021 by Alex Gordon
Replace Photobucket URLs.

[S5 modeller]

Cheers chaps, cellulose it is then.

That was a rather nice little demo alex, did you get the caked snot off the brush ok?

Steelpillow, call me strange, but I like the smell of cellulose thinners. Use it quite a bit, find it's good for stripping paint off my kits, it worked quite well, as long as it wasn't left on the bare plastic for too long.

Will put a bit of thinners in it tomorrow, and I don't intend to use it on clear parts, trying to create a nice candy effect by spraying it over a silver base coat.

[Alex Gordon]

Yep,the brush cleaned up a treat,with celly thinners

Edited December 12, 2014 by Alex Gordon

[jenko]

I have used the green version in the past.......... never again !!!!!

Use Tamiya clear............. a million times better .... acrylic based

[steelpillow]

While I think of it, a tip for car rear lights, of the type that come chromed but you need to paint them red. The Humbrol red is a touch purplish to be convincing.

One coat Humbrol clear red.

One coat Humbrol clear amber.

Top coat Humbrol clear red.

Gives a nice, deep "this light is switched off" lustre.

[jenko]

Also for rear lights. If they are in the same plastic as the body...... paint silver ... allow to dry and the use a permanent overhead projector pen and colour over the silver. Also works well on clear plastic. (Small areas)

HTH

[Steve Noble]

Alclad clear colours work brilliantly for lights. Dry in minutes and you can mix them to create different shades..