Kerosene As Thinner For Enamel Paint

[Allan]

Just a note to tell you that I'm getting good results using kerosene as a thinner for my Humbrol and Agama enamel.

Allan in Canberra

[Chap]

Interesting, I've never thought of that. Thanks for the tip Allan; I'll have to try that sometime. I've read that if you want a "dead-flat" finish you can use lighter fluid as a thinner.

~Steve

[HOG]

Lighter fuel works great, but for real sacriliege try thinning with cellulose thinners. Makes really thin like a wash and dries quick but DON`T use over an enamel unless you`ve overcoated with an acrylic varnish or Johnsons/Klear etc and stll becareful. Also is a great help when brush painting Tamiya. Don`t know if it works with other makers acrylics as I can`t get them locally.
These days I use cellulose for everything, thinning enamel andTamiya for airbrushing etc. Paints are dry within minutes. Often able to lightly mask after cleaning the airbrush. The only thing I don`t use it for is artists oil washes.  
Also as cellulose will break down enamel and Tamiya totally its great as both a brush cleaner and restorer. Another trick I use is to keep a jar full in  those little Badger jars (I use a 200) and between spraying give the airbrush a quick squirt through and leave the jar on the brush and its stops the paint drying in the airbrush. Great when you want a quick break for a cuppa and a smoke. (yes I know filthy habit but it`s my only pleasure)

regards Gary[8-]

[Pegasus]

Hello Allan,

Do you find that the blue dye in Australian kero affects the final colour of the paint? Avtur would be an ideal thinner if you could get hold of it. Just on the lighter side, when Australia operated Mirages, during the refuelling process you had to bleed the air pressure out of the tanks using a bleed screw under the aircraft. This allowed avtur to flow down your arm and collect in your armpit, especially if it was winter time and you were wearing your overalls, making for a very abrasive underarm (deodorant?). We called it eu de kero and if you had spent a week on the flight line (all flight line rosters were a week) it took the whole weekend to get rid of the bouquet.

Cheers,
Ross.

[jcf]

VM&P Naptha also works very well as an enamel thinner, its the same as Ronson or Zippo fluid and much cheaper. Naptha is also sold as 'white gas' in some parts of the world.

BTW nothing sacrilegious about using cellulose aka lacquer thinners for thinning oil-based enamels, Testors Rust in the little bottle thinned 2 to 1 with lacquer thinner makes the best rust finish and/or bottom paint/primer for ship models.

Cheers, Jon

[Allan]

Hi Pegasus,
I've just noticed that I've failed to reply to your enquiry about the blue dye in the kero.
No, happily it has no effect.
Allan in Canberra