Thinner for oil washes?

[Notty]

hello i want to start using oil washes can anyone recommend a (freely available in the UK) agent to thin them with? I'd heard it was all about turps, but the online shops seem to be reluctant to ship it. Is that the main thing you all use for thinning?

Many thanks!

[Pin]

White Spirit

[colin]

As above but I use the low odor white spirit

[Notty]

Oh as simple as that! Great I have loads of the stuff. Is it ok on acrylic paint?

[Troy Smith]

Oh as simple as that! Great I have loads of the stuff. Is it ok on acrylic paint?

no. wrong solvent. that's for oil based paint.

For oil washes try zippo type lighter fuel, it's very thin and volatile, so flows very well, evaporates fast, so needs good ventilation.

White spirit and the like are a bit greasy, it's heavier at a molecular level,

If you use acrylic, adding a drop of washing up liquid to an acrylic wash breaks down the water surface tension.

for certain uses try this

from http://barracudacals.blogspot.co.uk/

To really pop out the detail and bring the belts to life, a wash is now applied using my patented ,exclusive, super secret, never-before-seen-on-TV Future Wash. This is the best was I've ever used on detail areas. It works wonders in gearbays and cockpits and wheel hubs and the like. Its not good for external panel washes, though.

Mix 1 part Future floor wax (now called Pledge Floor Care and by other brand names such as Johnson's Klear overseas.) with 1 part water. Add a small amount of Acrylic black paint (I use Vallejo) and stir to make a very pale wash. Try it on some test pieces. Flood the area with the wash and watch it collect in corners, creating subtle gradated shadows when it dries. The advantage is that the pigment never breaks up like enamel washes do. Experiment with the concentration til you find what works for you. If its too subtle. Go back and apply a second coat once the first has dried.

[colin]

I think the OP means is white spirit ok to use on Acrylic paint with oil based paint, which it is, but best used on a gloss surface for washes

[Notty]

Yes Colin, that is correct I want to use it on acrylic base paint. I'm mainly interested in using it for panel lines. I have tried the other acrylic type washes for years but I've always found them too grainy and they don't leave a consistent tone in the panel lines when removed, and/or they stain the underling paint. Probably my poor surface prep beforehand; anything other than a finish smooth as glass and they don't look right for me. I might investigate lighter fluid, thanks.

[colin]

Get some decent oils to start with, the cheaper ones can end up grainy like the acrylic ones. A good smooth gloss coat is the best to take panel line washes, oils will also stain if the finish is grainy.I have also used the Mig enamel washes and find they are very good, clean up with white spirit the same as oils.

[Notty]

Excellent info thanks. Can you recommend a good make for the oil paint?

[Hotel Papa]

Can you recommend a good make for the oil paint?

Any established brand's artist's oil paint should be ok. Just avoid the "Student" or "Studio" qualities. In your neck of the woods the most common brand is probably Winsor & Newton. Here I'd buy Royal Talens.

[colin]

As above, and also Mig Abteilung oils,they have a range of colours to suit modeling needs, but probably have to mail order these

[AdriaN (MLT)]

I used Pebeo oils and in cockpit washes and panel lines we they would dry leaving this ugly spaced out chalky/grainy finish. Cockpits were matt and panel lines were gloss. Is it because they could be cheaper paints?