Paint to thinner ratios

[Hobby Paul]

Curious to know what ratio do people use or methods for mixing small amounts.

 

Making a Spitfire with the kids and we've brush painted the interior and some exterior bits, this isn't a problem as it's their plane but when i do a larger scale Lancaster i want the finish to be better.

 

I was thinking of spraying particular interior parts but i would have to make more paint than needed.

[fewr9fkr9595]

To avoid pre mixing and storing paints etc I just mix what I need in the airbrush cup. Thinner in first, then add drops of paint and stir. Test spray and adjust mixture till its where/what I need it for, then start on the kit. If I run out, mix some more as above. 👍🏿

Or if I have some left over it gets poured out into waste. I try not to put thinned paint back into jars/bottles. 

After a while you get good at guesstimating how much you need to make...

 

PS each paint brand will have its own mixing ratio as some are thicker than others to begin with. So rather than say you need X percent thinners across the board, aim for a consistency. The general rule of thumb is most paints need to be like milk to spray well.

[Jamie @ Sovereign Hobbies]

I do the same as Tony - i.e. mixing in the airbrush cup/jar. I buy big bags of plastic pipettes and use those to move paint and thinner from their original containers to the airbrush cup or jar. I tend to start at 50/50 ratio and often thin further than that. I really don't like the textured finish that thick paints can make but that's just me. What makes a good ratio also depends a great deal on the particular brand of paint and also on both the pressure you are spraying at and also the needle/nozzle size on the airbrush. I usually use around 15~20psi and a 0.3mm nozzle. Rarely more pressure than that but sometimes less. I don't need a larger nozzle than that for 1/48 aircraft and 1/350 ships.

 

I'm comfortable returning unused thinned paint to the tins when using my own with own thinners and do so pretty much every time, but I wouldn't recommend that as a blanket statement for any other combination - the different manufacturers may have their own recommendations.

[spitfire]

Generally I use pretty much in the same method as Jamie, I start off at 50:50 and adjust from there, Normally I use cheap eBay plastic pipettes for mixing the components in a small glass airbrush bottle where it is further mixed before transferring it to the airbrush. The glass jar also gives me a chance to swirl the mixture up the glass sides, it should leave a pretty dense film on the glass which drains very quickly.

I only mix what I need, I can guess the amounts fairly accurately now but just in case I do record the amount and ratios of paint in the build log, so I never store mixed paint and thinners.

 

Cheers

 

Dennis

[sapperastro]

'Milk' tends to be my watchword. I don't care so much about ratios, as consistency.

 

When it comes to Acrylics, I only spray Tamiya acrylic, Revell and Testors MM Acryl. Usually using tamiya X20a for all, or if I am out, my own concoction of Isocol (a local alcohol based antiseptic) mixed with flow improver and retarder. Smells nice.

 

With enamels, it all depends on brand. And era of brand.

 

But it all comes back to consistency, as all colours/brands have differences and need more or less thinner. I always dispose of any extra, and never put it back in the jar/pot/tin.

[Jamie @ Sovereign Hobbies]

I used milk as a benchmark for years, but what is milk? I found full fat milk was far too thick to get a good finish and found myself going thinner and thinner.

 

I think my starting point with enamels in particular now is thinner than skimmed milk and I usually go thinner still. In conjunction with that I have been reducing pressure and getting in closer with smaller nozzles.

 

I no longer try to blast the model trying to get coverage - I barely crack open the needle valve now and just keep moving. The colour will build up but the solvent has evaporated off within seconds if the thickness applied in any one pass is minimal.

 

By slowing down I get a better quality finish achieved in less time - strange as that sounds.

[LaurieS]

Depends on what paint you are using and what needle/nozzle you use plus the temperature plus the humidity. Plus what you are airbrushing large areas or effects.

 

Also how close you are airbrushing to the subject ie long distance the paint needs to get to the subject still sort of damp shorter distance different again.

 

What I am saying I suppose. It is all down to experiment and experience. There are no rules and regulations.

 

Laurie

[sapperastro]

Jamie, while I can get away with your method using certain paints, others are at times too weak and will not stand the ultra thinning this requires.

 

I do spray the same as you regarding coverage, with light passes across an area and moving on to other areas before returning to the original section. You should put a video on the colourcoats website showing your method in detail, from cracking the tin, to thinning, to spraying, so that people can see how it is achieved.

Edited June 28, 2017 by sapperastro

[Jamie @ Sovereign Hobbies]

1 hour ago, sapperastro said:

Jamie, while I can get away with your method using certain paints, others are at times too weak and will not stand the ultra thinning this requires.

 

I do spray the same as you regarding coverage, with light passes across an area and moving on to other areas before returning to the original section. You should put a video on the colourcoats website showing your method in detail, from cracking the tin, to thinning, to spraying, so that people can see how it is achieved.

 

Hi Greg,

 

My wife keeps telling me the same thing. I shall do that next colour that goes on the current Mustang  I need to retrieve my camera mount from the garage where I was streaming my MG Midget engine reinstallation recently ...

[sapperastro]

It would be a good idea Jamie, and would help people new to airbrushing enamels too (not to mention another little advertisement for colourcoats effectiveness and ease of use...). The lack of decent videos for enamel painting is pretty sad.

[Hobby Paul]

I use revell/humbrol enamels.... and humbrol thinner.

 

I put in the jar what i think is the amount of paint i need then add thinners to get a watery mix that i think will spray fine... it's different every time sometimes it's fine other times too runny and then i waste even more paint adding more to get a good viscosity.

 

I guess it's a matter of much spraying to work out an average... and as yet i've only just started model making again. 

 

 

[Meteors]

As a newb to airbrushing and paint thinning what are the potential problems with leaving a batch of thinned paint in the pot for a period of time, say weeks or months?

 

Cheers

[sapperastro]

Which pot? What type of paint? What brand? What thinner?

Edited June 30, 2017 by sapperastro

[Meteors]

Sorry I should have been clearer, tamiya acrylic paint and tamiya acrylic thinners.

[sapperastro]

Sorry mate, been away.

 

Tamiya Acrylic thinned with X-20A can be stored indefinately. So long as you have it in an airtight jar such as the same type of pot as the Tamiya Acrylic. Just stir it well before use.

[John Masters]

I have just jumped into the airbrush pool...I like the Tamiya, thinned with Hobby Color thinner to the consistency of 2% milk.  That worked well.  I also have  a lot of Vallejo standard acrylics and the guys at the shop told me to thin them with Vallejo airbrush cleaner and drop or two of flow enhancer.  Hmmm...still didn't work well and the nozzle clogged quickly.  Were they not thin enough?

 

Also, I think it is just a matter of technique and practice, but I am getting blotchy spots and thin spots, regardless of paint brand.