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Thinning Tamiya Paints


Knikki

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I think I might know the answer to this, but it is Monday..........

I have some Tamiya paints, the acrylics ones plus I have some Tamiya thinner.

I know that people have used IPA to thin the paints but would it be possible to use Lighter Fluid instead?

Or is like many paints, Tamiya paints works best with Tamiya Thinner?

Cheers

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No, definitely not. Lighter fluid is petroleum based, and won't be miscible with Tamiya paints. I'd avoid surgical spirit because the castor oil used to denature it will knacker the paint. IPA is the only thing that I've found that works (apart from real Tamiya thinners). You can buy it via fleabay, and in the UK some people will ship it so you can pick it up at an Argos store.

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This stuff works a treat with Tamiya acrylic paint

HumbrolClearRed1_zps588880f8.jpg

Not so well with Humbrol Clear Red which is why this piccie was taken,the relevant thread can be found here http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234972322-thinning-humbrol-clear-red/

Nilglass is about £8 a gallon rather than £8 for half a pint for Tamiya thinners.

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Or is like many paints, Tamiya paints works best with Tamiya Thinner?

This.

I've mixed my own thinner from available spirits when there was a shortage in the US a few years ago...but it's the same price as Tamiya's which is available again so I use that.

Tim

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I have always used ethanol to thin Tamiya paints for airbrushing and I am very satified with it. It dries almost immediately after hitting the model making it quiet fool-proof because you can quickly over-spray it. Usually I add a bit of Future, too, to achieve a more satin finish.

I always wondered if there is any disadvantage or anything that I miss when I am not using rather more expensive and harder-to-get alternatives like Tamiya's own thinner or Isopropanol. I am saying this without any irony. Some day I will try to get some Isopropanol (from the pharmacy?) and try it out, but so far the simple ~95% Ethanol which you can get ant any supermarket for 1 €/l or less worked fine for me (not for brush-painting, however).

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Add 40 ml water to 20 ml of Isopropanol. On top of that, add 1 ml of acrylic retarder and 1 ml of acrylic flow improver.

And voila! You have tamiya acrylic thinner...

Edited by airea
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