Wash Problems

[Mechworker]

Hey all!

I've got a few questions for you about oil washes.

I've just recently decided to start working on using oil washes, but I'm not having much luck.

I've got some artist's oil black (Windsor Newton), as I was told this was the best for washes.

I've got it thinned down with Turpentine, and I've found the following:

1.)   Turpentine flows better than water (I used to use water-based acrylic washes)
2.)   The turpentine wash still seems to pull out of the edges and cracks I want to ouline. Does this mean it's too thin? If not, what does it mean?
3.)   Does turpentine melt styrene? I ask because I had an upper arm on a model robot that I was washing, and when I looked at it a few minutes later, it was cracked and crumbling. The other arm was fine! What the?? They both had a turpentine wash, and I've never seen anything like this before.

Also, I figured that the wash would dry quickly. It seems to take a while and the pigment seems to ride the puddles of turpentine to places I don't want it.

I also don't undertand how you can wipe off excess when the wash is dry without using more turpentine, which then will either damage the model or wash the wash away.

If you've got any suggestions for doing oil washes, or can help me with the above, I'd appreciate it.


Thanks!

[cthulhu77]

I like to use sludge washes made from india ink...but oil washes can be tricky. You might want to try adding some laquer thinner to the mix, it will speed up the drying time.
 Since styrene is made with oil, it will always react to it..that's why I like using water based media.

[jcf]

Naptha (Ronson fluid) works really well for oil washes and is very unlikely to attack plastic as it is not as hot as lacquer (cellulose) thinners or true turpentine...distilled from conifer resin, which will most definitely attack plastic.
The Naptha dries quickly and doesn't leave the residue common to paint thinners(white spirit).

Cheers, Jon