Thinning Acrylic paint.

[danntheman]

Hi all just a short question, can Acrylic paints be thinned with anything other than thinners. I met a guy at IPMS show in Dublin and he said he uses car wash to thin acrylics, he swears by it, anyone got an opinion on this.

[Foghorn Leghorn]

There's 2 types of acrylics, water based and lacquer based. The latter usually needs thinners while the former can be thinned with water or branded thinners for that paint. You can also use IPA (Isopropyl Alcohol) on some paints.

I personally use Ultimate Airbrush Thinner as it works on all acyrlics that I use.

Your friend uses car wash as it breaks down the surface tension of the paint, a lot of people use it but I don't use it neat, mix it with water.

In my experience Vallejo works fine with water plus a drop of car wash added to it

No doubt others, who know a damn sight more than me, will be along to clarify things

Edited October 9, 2015 by Foghorn Leghorn

[cruiserguy]

Hi Dantheman,

I've written about this before. Personally, I think it is a waste of time using cheaper substitutes for thinning paint as manufacturers thinners are not all that expensive and specifically formulated for their paints. Why risk ruining a model, which might cost upwards of £30.00 to save a few pence on thinners? I use Vallejo and Lifecolor acrylic paints and thin them with their respective thinners. The only other thinners I use are Ultimate Thinners which cost £6.50 for 270 mls; Vallejo and Lifecolour are a little more expensive.

It's up to you, but I have found using these three you get consistency of results, and there are no changes in the paint characteristics either. I don't know if I could say the same if you used window cleaner, water, or IPA.

Best Wishes,

Will.

PS. I am sure Mig and Vallejo products are incompatible. I think Mig products are laquer based, while Vallejo are water based. This might explain the problems you had.

[Rick Brown]

Distilled water and W&N Flowimprover works well with vallejo, tamiya and Xtracrylix. Although cellulose works very nicely with Tamiya too. I find Tamiyas home brand thinner (X20) makes the paint dry too quickly.

Never tried Vallejo or Xtracrylix thinners.

Just my findings of course.

Rick.

[Marvel Onkey]

Speaking as a brush painter I swear by flow improver; although others say that kiddies bubble mix is much the same.

As mentioned above, I think for water based acrylics it is all about having something that breaks the surface tension.

[viscount806x]

Dan, there's no straight answer because as the others have said, different manufacturers paints vary their component parts and what works for one will not work for another necessarily (but might do!).

Follow this link, print off the chart and keep it in your paint drawer and you will never need to ask another question regarding thinning acrylics, enamels or any others such as alclad. The only thing which will need adding to your copy is that Xtracrylix thins very nicely with Vallejo Airbrush Cleaner. Enjoy!

http://www.little-cars.co.uk/workbench49.pdf

[Rick Brown]

Very useful chart. I'd forgotten about it!

The only comment I'd make on that chart is the fact that Tamiya DOES thin with cellulose.

I'm talking for airbrushing here, but I can't see it being any different for a hair stick.

Beautiful finish and dries tough as old boots.

If in doubt, stick to the manufactures own brand, but experiment and you'll find the combo that suits you.

HTH,

Rick.

[CurrantBunbury]

That chart IS useful - thank you!

I've been thinning my Vallejo paints with water, because I don't know what I'm doing, but I haven't killed anything yet.

[DaveCromie]

Can only vouch for this working with Tamiya acrylics but as soon as I open a new bottle (10ml) I add exactly 5ml of their X-20A thinners and 2.5ml of Windsor & Newton Flow Improver to the bottle and give it a good mix up/stir/shake. I can airbrush this mixture straight from the bottle after giving it a quick mix/stir/shake. Additionally, I have recently started decanting that mixture into 30ml bottles with a dropper lid to make mixing colours and adding it to my airbrush paintcup that little bit easier.

Hope that is of some little help

DC

[Plasto]

Hi,

FWIW I agree that both Tamiya and Gunze Acrylics can be thinned with Tamiya's own Lacquer Thinners with superb results.

Vallejo thins with Water or their own brand of thinners or Italeri thinners ( which I think is Vallejo any how).

HTH

Plasto

[Mr T]

I have found that Xtracrylixs thin best with flow improver and distilled water for spraying. The own brand thinner seems to thin the paint ok but it clogged my airbrush fairly quickly. The new Airfix acrylic thinner works well with their paint. I always thin Tamiya paint with their own thinner as I have had problems in the past. Vallejo seems to work well with their own thinner or flow improver and distilled water. Revell acrylic thinners seemed not to like the paint very much when I used them, but I think it is odd paint anyway as seems very thick.

[bertopinal]

Searching for other informations i found this post.

Looking at the chart linked by viscount806x i report my personal experience with the Revell Color : they thin very well with the common white spirit and also mix with the Humbrol enamel of old british production, not with the so-called 'super enamel'.

Usually i use the natural white spirit ( i think is called 'turpentine' in english) because it slow a bit the curing and assure a long time self levelling for the paint; only problem the odour....

r.

Edited March 3, 2016 by bertopinal

[Housesparrow]

If thinning paint in the airbrush cup, I think it makes good sense to fill it first with thinner, THEN with paint (and not the other way around).