De-ionised water / distilled water

[Gazmill]

Hi all,

I'm getting back into model making after approx 15years away. In the past I always used to make them oob and just painted them by hand. This time, I fancy giving weathering a go and have acquired a airbrush and compressor from a workmate. What I was hoping you's could help me with is, I'm going to be using Vallejo model Color acrylics, I know they are ideally aimed toward brush work but I was hoping if I thin them I could use them through the airbrush, is this ok? And secondly, I know you can use distilled water to thin them but is de-ionised water OK to use instead?

Any help/advice would be greatly appreciated!

Many thanks. Gaz

[Mitch K]

De-ionised and distilled water are different things. De-ionised will get rid of dissolved ions (calcium, sulphate etc) whereas distilled will lose those and non-volatile non-ionic stuff too. It probably won't make too much difference, but given that "non-volatile non-ionic" includes things like greases, silicones and the like that can definitely upset paint, if you can get distilled, I'd use that. I once used 18 megaohm reagent grade stuff but that probably is overkill!

[Greenshirt]

When thinning with water it sometimes helps to break the surface tension. It won't hurt anything to put a drop or two of washing up liquid in a 500 ml bottle of water.

Tim

[dogsbody]

I got my gallon of distilled water from the drugstore ( pharmacy/chemist ) Had it for a few years now.

Chris

[RJP]

Distilled water, not to be confused with "natural spring water", is widely available, I get it in grocery stores here in T.O., a couple of bucks for a 4 litre jug. I use it in my CPAP machine.

I go through enough of it that I once mused about setting up a still in the garden shed. My wife thought the neighbours wouldn't understand.

[dogsbody]

Distilled water, not to be confused with "natural spring water", is widely available, I get it in grocery stores here in T.O., a couple of bucks for a 4 litre jug. I use it in my CPAP machine.

I go through enough of it that I once mused about setting up a still in the garden shed. My wife thought the neighbours wouldn't understand.

Whatever else could a good Canadian do with a distillation machine?

Chris

[Mitch K]

I can clearly remember HM Customs and Excise coming round to supervise us smashing our laboratory still when we moved. They made sure the bits were such that even the people on Britmodeller couldn't have fixed it!