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Thinners ?


jacksdad

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Hi Guys

can anyone suggest a cheaper alternative to Humbrol Enamel thinners.

Not long been back into modelling. I'm slowly going from moving from Humbrol enamels to Tamiya acrylics, so a alternative to X-20A thinners would be really helpful too.

When you have two young kids that want new school shoes, new bikes, Lego and such

like. The cost of branded thinners is hard to come by, plus its just a rip off !

Cheer for any advice

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Hi, mate.

White spirit or similar paint thinners should do the job on enamels (always do a quick test on something that doesn't matter, though!)

As for acrylic thinners, not a clue, I'm afraid.

Cheers.

Chris.

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White Spirit for Humbrol enamels.

For acrylics you are better using the branded stuff because they are formulated to work with their paint.Sometimes you can use one brand in another but not always and this can cause your mixture to turn to snot.Experimenting is the key to this.

This is why I stick to enamels,they have worked for me for the last 35 or so years and still do more or less.

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Acrylic thinners usually are a combination of IPA (isoproyl-alcohol), water, plus, depending on brand, retarder and flow aid (there are various materials which can be used as such). You can get the individual components for cheap, but as others have said, not every brand of paint is happy with every ratio of those elements. Ultimate Products seem to have found a formula that works with most or all currently available acrylics in their Ultimate Thinner.

So if you want to concoct your own mix, plan for some experimentation.

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Outstanding support and advise gentleman, Thank you,

I was once told car screen wash and water for acrylics ??? !!!

Alex I was with you all the way, until a couple of weeks ago. I just threw a P51 together for my son

( he wanted a Jolly Wrenches/Dusty Crophopper thing ) I used some Tamiya acrylics thru the airbrush,

and was staggered at not only how good it looked, but how much easier it was to spray and clean.

Anyway cheers muchly all

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I was once told car screen wash and water for acrylics ??? !!!

That works for the truly aqueous acrylics such as Xtracrylix, Vallejo, Lifecolor, and Revel Aqua. Not so much for Gunze and Tamiya; even if their resin is acrylic, their solvents are hotter.

Add a drop of retarder.

Edited by Hotel Papa
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If you buy the 250ml bottles of X20A it's not too bad, especially if you buy some cheap IPA to clean the brush and keep the X20A just for thinning.

I'll second the above as I find 250ml bottle lasts ages if just used for thinning rather than as a cleaner.

Karl

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I have never bought branded thinners. White spirit for enamels from local DIY shed, IPA bought on line for Tamiya acrylics as they don't dissolve that well in straight water. There was a chart linked on here somewhere about what thinners to use with different manufacturers paints.

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I would say to stick with the branded thinner for thinning the paint. If you want to keep costs down then get something cheap to clean the airbrush after you have painted. I'm assuming you use the branded thinners for that now..?? If you only use the branded thinner for thinning the paint a large bottle will last ages. Don't skimp on the thinner skimp on the cleaner is my advice.

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Steve Noble, on 02 May 2014 - 04:58 AM, said:

I would say to stick with the branded thinner for thinning the paint. If you want to keep costs down then get something cheap to clean the airbrush after you have painted. I'm assuming you use the branded thinners for that now..?? If you only use the branded thinner for thinning the paint a large bottle will last ages. Don't skimp on the thinner skimp on the cleaner is my advice.

My thoughts exactly. IPA is far too harsh and dries too quickly when compared to X20A when used as a thinner, but works fine for cleaning.

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Don't extend this advice to Xtracrylix and Agama. Their proprietary thinner is rubbish. FWIW, tap water works better. Add a bit of a commercial (or even generic, like glycerine) retarder and flow aid to get a vastly superior thinner.

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Gentleman, thank you

All very sound advice, and taken on board.

I don't have too much of an issue using the branded stuff for thinning, but its hard to justify it for cleaning.

Especially now the modelling budget is being stretched. The little man wants his own Maskol, masking tape, brushes!

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