Help. Susbtitue thinner for Tamiya Acrylic

[dyowelb]

guys,

what can i use as a substitute to thin tamiya acrylic? can i use regular rubbing alcohol? can i use Model Master acrylic thinner?

also can i mix Model Master acrylic w/ Tamiya Acrylic?

thanks,

d

[bsu legato]

I've had good results with just plain water. Isopropyl alcohol works good for me too. However, I've heard that Tamiya gloss colors work the best with the Tamiya thinner.

And I wouldn't recommend mixing Model Master and Tamiya paints. I you absolutely feel you must, then make sure to experiment with a small amount first and use it one something disposable.

[tetsujin]

The common solutions are alcohol (high-percentage rubbing alcohol, denatured alcohol, etc.) or Windex. I wouldn't use water, though. Tap water can have a lot of crap in it.

[Less than Super Ostrich]

i use windex to clean out my airbrush. I would assume it would be a good thinner too, but I don't know.

[David Hingtgen]

MM and Tamiya acrylic are totally different. Yeesh, just smell them. Smell is a pretty good indicator of what's compatible. If it smells similar, then it's made of similar stuff.

If there's any paint that works well with iso. alcohol, it's Tamiya.

I've read many times that windex is a great airbrushing thinner, and everyone swears the blue doesn't affect the paint color. Never tried it though.

Honestly, the most "heaps of praise" I've ever seen is to use lacquer thinner for airbrushing any paint. Those who use it swear it's far superior to anything else. I'm kind of surprised it doesn't just "kill" acrylics in the color cup. Also, you can buy a GALLON of the stuff for just a few bucks at a hardware store.

I myself always go with the "official" thinner.

Edited June 10, 2004 by David Hingtgen

[dyowelb]

If there's any paint that works well with iso. alcohol, it's Tamiya.

will 70% iso. alcohol work???

and thanks for all the replies

[David Hingtgen]

I think most people use 90-99%.

[Mule]

I go with the Tamiya thinner for thinning and Windex for cleaning. That's partially based on the recomendation or our resident modeling instructor, WM_Cheng, but also based on experience. I've tried using PolyScale thinner with Tamiya paints and it seemed to cause the pigment to clump up clogging my airbush in short order. Since then, I've only used the Tamiya thinner for Tamiya paints. PollyScale thinner still seems to work with Future and Gunze-Sanyo paints.

[Cdr Fokker]

I go with the Tamiya thinner for thinning and Windex for cleaning. That's partially based on the recomendation or our resident modeling instructor, WM_Cheng, but also based on experience. I've tried using PolyScale thinner with Tamiya paints and it seemed to cause the pigment to clump up clogging my airbush in short order. Since then, I've only used the Tamiya thinner for Tamiya paints. PollyScale thinner still seems to work with Future and Gunze-Sanyo paints.

Yeah, I do the same... the "real deal" for thinning, and windex for clean up.

[wm cheng]

Yep, I know its a bit expensive, but if you just use the real deal for thinning it lasts a long time - I usually go through a large bottle of the Tamiya thinner every 5 years. Ask yourself - is it worth it to save $5 but you could ruin hours of labour on a $50 model? I find ultimately, cost of materials is nothing compared to the cost of labour involved in model making (its not like we are mass-maufacturing).

The windex blue stuff is great for cleaning, but I wouldn't use it to thin, it breaks up the paint into tiny little pigment particles.

[bhop]

Some guy over at another message board said his dad or uncle or something was a chemist so he asked him to check out the differences between Tamiya thinner, and 91% Isopropyl Alcohol. The conclusion was that it was pretty much the same thing.

If you smell both bottles, you get the same smell. Exactly the same smell..

I've been using 91% alcohol with the exact same results as Tamiya thinner. The only difference is in my wallet.

Tamiya thinner = 46ml $3.00

91% Isopropyl Alcohol = 473ml $1.50

I don't really know how you manage to get a bottle of thinner to last 5 years. I go through the big alcohol bottle within a few months, but I also use it for cleaning too.

Edited June 18, 2004 by bhop

[Checkmate]

how large is that bottle that would last for 5 years?

[dyowelb]

hey guys,

thanks for the replies..got another question here, when i airbrush the paint get some beadings.... i can't get a smooth result... what am i doing wrong??

fyi: psi=15-20

thinning ratio= 1:1

oh by the way, it just topped raining here...does it have anything to do with the result??

thanks,

d

Edited June 25, 2004 by dyowelb

[bhop]

oh by the way, it just topped raining here...does it  have anything to do with the result??

thanks,

d

Possibly, one of the rules I live by is never paint when it's raining. Humidity is bad for paint, among other things, it can also keep paint from drying properly.

Also, did you prime your model? If not, did you at least wash the plastic?

Edited June 25, 2004 by bhop