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As I'm in a gap between building models, I decided to check all of my paints (Revell, Humbrol, Tamiya, Aqueos Gunze, A-Mig, Vallejo and Life Colour), to see which were starting to thicken up and therefore have to thin down (or replace). The A-Mig & Vallejo are fine and I do have thinners for Revell/Humbrol enamel, Tamiya, Aqueous Gunze and LP paints, so no problem. The Life Colour paints I purchased along with the 1/700 IBG boats and have really only used the Hull Red and White since (cannot find a comparison in other makes for the others). The rest of the paints are starting to thicken up a bit. I can't find any Life Colour thinners as such. Is there a thinners for Life Colour paints or I can I just use water? Thanks in advance.

Hello All, I know what you are thinking: not yet ANOTHER thinner thread! Well, maybe this could be the thread to end all threads, but that's probably wishful thinking. After scouring this forum, various websites, YouTube channels, consulting my psychic, etc. I have decided to create a bare-bones thinner compatibility chart. It is not flashy/TED Talk levels, but hey. https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1lXUXcQKcUPPIONCiJbbOs9vFaibsUN9DGUzTww70QqM/edit?usp=sharing I just came up with this while trying to wind down after long day, and also after trying to keep the darn combinations straight in my head. I'm aware (and also growing more appreciative) of the fact that ultimately it comes down to personal experience and seeing what works. One would ask why I wouldn't just try things rather than attempt to get a PhD in paint chemistry. Just my curiosity getting the better of me, I guess. Feedback, constructive criticism and/or tarring & feathering is welcome. Caveat: this is only for paints I personally own/most commonly encountered here, and the list is far from complete. Also, it is based on the general consensus (is there such a thing?) I have gleaned from my time browsing various corners of the internet and this forum. No one is going to stop you from thinning with tap water, but some things seem to work better. This chart is a general guideline/quick reference for myself, and hopefully others. If anyone feels the desire to contribute I can send a link for editing. TLDR; lacquer thinners (e.g. the revered Mr. Color Levelling Thinner) seems the most compatible overall. -Tiefyter

I get through a lot of their thinners so I buy them in the 125ml size, more expensive than champagne - anyone have any tips on where to buy? Rustins tech support suggested just using white spirit however I wasn't convinced. I'm open to suggestions for different products... Thanks.

I've found lots of posts on various sites recommending what thinners to use with what paints either off the shelf or home brew, but it there a consolidated list or matrix anywhere that I can reference?

Having returned to modelling after a gap of some 40 or so years some of my Humbrol tinlets, which go back to the late 60s or early 1970s needed checking. Whilst most are in perfect condition a few had succumbed to the passage of time and were what seemed to be beyond help. I was reluctant to throw them away. But reading through many posts here I thought it was worth trying to recover them. I bought a "Trumpeter" branded battery mixer and some Humbrol thinners. Step 1 was to put about 5mL of the thinners into the tinlet and using a metal spatula cut up the solid paint into smaller bits. I put the lid back and left for a couple of days to soak. Step 2 was to put another 5mL in the tinlet and start work with the mixer. The softened paint started to mix, I added more thinners as needed. I repeated the process several times over a week or so in so far all the tins have been restored to usable paint. I was curious: what is in Humbrol thinners? A bit of web searching and I discovered a MSDS, or material safety data sheet. It is issued by Rustins, well known paint makers and probably the UK maker of all the now UK made Humbrol paints. What is in it? 80% (70% to 90%) NAPTHA (PETROLEUM) HYDROTREATED HEAVY: This was not a surprise and is a highly refined light hydrocarbon, with little smell. It is highly flammable. 20% (10% to 30%) 2-METHOXY-1-METHYLETHYL ACETATE: This was a surprise. It is a commonly known as PMA and mainly used as a solvent for industrial paints and coatings in the automotive industry. It is also used as a solvent in the electronics industry and formulated into industrial and commercial products. Some specific examples are paints, inks, lacquers, varnishes, cleaners, coatings, etc ink removers. In the Humbrol thinners it helps keep pigments in suspension and I suspect it is a component of the paint. So, the recovery of semi solidified Humbrol paint using Humbrol thinners is the solvent of choice, for compatibility and efficiency. The next stage is to see how Humbrol enamel thinned with Humbrol thinners works. The only problem with Humbrol Thinners is the price.. £5.50 for 125mL..about the price of a glass of wine!

Hi all! All guidance appreciated. Thanks in advance. Martin

We have released a new proprietary thinner to compliment the Colourcoats range Colourcoats Thinners offers a number of key benefits to enamel paint users including: · Reduced odours during use compared to white spirits or cellulose thinners · Reduced drying times compared to white spirits · Less aggressive towards styrene plastics than cellulose thinners · If desired, excess thinned paints can be returned to Colourcoats tins without premature curing in the tin https://www.sovereignhobbies.co.uk/collections/multi-use-colours/products/colourcoats-thinners'>https://www.sovereignhobbies.co.uk/collections/multi-use-colours/products/colourcoats-thinners

Luftwaffe Colours 2 AK Interactive Paints can be a very personal item to the modeller who can and will stick with one particular manufacturer or at the very least a specific type. The choice of paint in the current market is huge. Well, now there is another set of acrylic paints to choose from, released by AK Interactive, who are probably better known for their weathering products and are also increasing their line of paint. The set comes in an end opening box, with the 17ml plastic bottles contained in a plastic tray inside. This set has been designed for German aircraft, and contains eight Luftwaffe colours, RLM 72 RLM 73 RLM 78 RLM 79 RLM 80 RLM 81 RLM 82 RLM 83 According to the blurb on the bottles they can be both brushed or airbrushed which please a lot of modellers. Once the bottles have been shaken very well colour density looks pretty good, and if they are anything like their armour colours they spray and cover well. Although I haven’t used them with a brush, I cannot see why you shouldn’t be able to get a good finish with them. On the back of the box there is a useful colour chart of which colours go together and depict six aircraft in various schemes. These being two desert schemes for the Me-109, one for an F and one for a G, one scheme for the Arado Ar-196, one for the Junker Ju-52, (the float equipped version being shown), one for the Arado Ar-234 and one scheme for the Fw-190D. Also included in the package AK interactive sent to us were two bottles of thinners. The standard thinners, in a 60ml bottle is specifically for thinning the paints when using an airbrush and, according to the information on the side of the bottle has been designed to prevent clogging and jamming. The second bottle contains 100ml of what AK Interactive call their Nitro Thinners, a nitrocellulose based thinners which can be used with, again, according to the information on the bottle ,any other brand of acrylic paint. It can also be used to clean brushes and air brushes after use. How well either of these thinners works will only be known when I use them, which will probably be on my next build. After which I will be able amend this review accordingly Conclusion This is another set of very useful and well thought out selection of paint colours. The ease of use I’ve had with their previous paints should mean that when I get to use them the results will be just as pleasing. Since my next build will be for a review, it will be good to try these products at the same time. Highly recommended, subject to testing Paint set Thinners Nitro Thinners Review sample courtesy of