What Thinners for Tamiya acrylics?

[chrisonord]

I use Tamiya paint almost exclusively for my airbrush work, with the odd occasion using lifecolour,I use the tamiya thinners for the tamiya paint, but it is just so damn expensive for what you get, and doesn't last very long. Does anyone here use an alternative (cheaper larger amount in bottle) thinners in this paint? I have been using some rail match acrylic thinners, but it is not too good and seems to make the paint iffy when applied, and makes my airbrush splatter.I would like to use an alternative to the lifecolour thinners also as that stuff is even more expensive than the Tamiya stuff.
Cheers,
Chris.

[frank2056]

I've used acrylics (Tamiya, Gunze, Testor's Acryl and Polyscale) almost exclusively, except for the occasional Testor's Metalizer. I've used the recommended thinners and they do work, but I only use two thinners now:

windshield wiper fluid (dirt cheap! The cheaper the better!)
denatured alcohol.

The windshield wiper fluid has enough surfactants in it to break down the surface tension of the water, which helps the paint form a thin film on the plastic. I use the denatured alcohol when I want the paint to dry a bit sooner; it works best when the humidity is high.

For most acrylics, I just use a 1:1 mix of paint to alcohol or windshield wiper fluid. Sometimes more, sometimes less - you may have to experiment a bit to get the best ratio for you. I have a Testor's Aztek airbrush, and to paint at low pressures (10-15psi) the paint really has to be thin.

[John Howling Mouse]

For Tamiya, I use a 1:3 Windex window cleaner to water mix for my thinner.  It's the ammonia in the window cleaner that does it.  Some people use isopropyl alcohol, too.  Only drawback is that the thinner really does break down the paint so only decant the amount you need for that day's airbrushing session (the paint separates to the point of not being useable if left for more than a couple of days)

[Ian the Kiwi Herder]

I know Dork swears by Isopropyl - he has always had litre bottles of it, so I'm allowed to steal a small supply every now-and-then. I don't use acrylics very often, preferring enamels, but when I do, I've always been very happy with isopropyl, usually around 30 to 40 per-cent with Tamiya paint.

I have Lifecolour paints too, but haven't yet used them - I'm planning to for my current (RW) build. I've heard that they don't perform too well with iso, and really need their own thinner...... I'll find-out pretty soon !

Ian

[chrisonord]

Thanks for that fellas 
I will get some windscreen wiper fluid and give that a go in the tamiya and the life colour,when I have used the lifecolour in the airbrush before, it has needed more thinners to make it usable than the Tamiya paint. Has anyone here used the Valejo stuff through an airbrush? I have used it for hand brushing and it is good.
Thanks again,
Chris.

[The Rat]

Wiper fluid?! All wiper fluid sold over here is coloured, wouldn't that affect the finish?

[sequoiaranger]

>Wiper fluid?! All wiper fluid sold over here is coloured, wouldn't that affect the finish?<

Not really. Like tea, you can't really tell it is colored until you get a thick enough layer of it. I mean like an INCH thick (not likely to be a problem on your model--- or will it?    )

[frank2056]

Isopropyl works, denatured works even better, but both are expensive - at least a lot more so than windshield wiper fluid! The blue color really doesn't affect the paint color at all.

[chrisonord]

I have been looking up denatured alcohol, also known as methylated spirits here, and I was thinking of giving this stuff a try also if it does not stink the house out that is. I think what ever I user has to be much cheaper than the Tamiya/lifecolour stuff. The rail match thinners I have been using is nasty and gives the paint nasty mottling effect, especially with lighter colours.
Cheers,
Chris.

[HOG]

Hi All,
I`ve been using Tamiya acrylics since before they were imported into the UK. I used to work for Beatties in the Holborn store, which was a subsidiary of Riko, hence was able to test stuff before it hit the shops. The original thinners were all in Japanese but I was able to pick out certain words that led me into using cellulose thinners for thinning Tamiya, and the following is my general guideline for use.
For a normal matt / semigloss I add about a 25-30% thinners to paint in the cup (I use a Badger 200) and blow back to mix using the bubbles as a guide and spray at around 30psi for a quick drying finish. For wandering lines and finer work I thin down to even a 50-50 or 25-75 paint thinner mix and adjust the air pressure to around 15 psi. At this point I should add my compressor is quite old and the pressure guage sits at around 10 before its switched on so may not be accurate and experimentation may be called for.
As to gloss coats I will usually do the first 1-3 mist coats with cellulose but normally use Tamiya thinners to finish for a smooth result. As to results the models on here are all painted this way.
I even thin enamels with cellulose now and add to this the fact that cellulose will break down even old dried paint eventually, its great for general cleanup and I buy it in gallon cans from a local car paint supplier at around £10 GB a gallon which lasts me nearly a year.
But a warning or two. I`ve never had a model attacked seriously by cellulose/laquer thinners but it is slightly self etching on Tamigawa type plastics, and would not suggest using it in old kit paint removal, thats what oven cleaners for  .  Once every week or two I totally strip my brush and soak in thinners in an air tight jar. Where the head assembly joins the body is a white `O` ring that is apparently attacked by cellulose thinners and the badger airvalve has some rubber internally that also is affected by the thinners so remove these before immersing.

Hope this is of some use,
Cheers
Gary

[chrisonord]

I have just been painting a 1/72nd scale T55,with my usual tamiya paints. The first base coat and then the first of the colours were mixed with Tamiya thinners, then I mixed the final colour to go on with Asda smart price car windscreen wash.
Well all I can say is the wiper wash stuff is as good as the Tamiya stuff AND.....most importantly for £1.20 you get 10ml of Tamiya thinners, for 75p, yes that is SEVENTY FIVE PENCE!! you get a litre of windscreen wash 
I feel so stupid for buying the Tamiya stuff I feel like drinking the washer fluid, seriously I do! 
I may not be on line for a while
Chris

[Mossie]

They're not the only ones that do it, it happens all the time were companies sell something for a specific purpose.  I used to work for a Smith & Nephew, now purely a medical company but owned several consumer brands like Elastoplast, Nivea & Simple when I was there.  We had a silicone gel sheet that was used for reducing scars.  Trouble was, silicone is a bit messy & it'd leave an oily residue on your skin.  So they sold a 'specially formulated' washing agent to go with it.  It was just their Simple Cleanser in a smaller bottle at five times the price!  Licence to print money.

[Weaver]

I've no experience with Tamiya acrylics, but now need to spray paint some onto a motorbike model (so auto-style immaculate glossy finish is called for).

Will this windscreen wash trick work for a gloss finish?

What proportions should I use for thinning? I need to use a metallic and clear colours.

The proposed colour scheme goes like this:

1. Tamiya rattle-can grey undercoat.
2. One coat of Titanium Silver.
3. Three coats of Clear Red.
4. Two coats of Smoke.

I've tested this scheme on a brush-painted sample and it does produce the right effect.

[chrisonord]

I've no experience with Tamiya acrylics, but now need to spray paint some onto a motorbike model (so auto-style immaculate glossy finish is called for).

Will this windscreen wash trick work for a gloss finish?

What proportions should I use for thinning? I need to use a metallic and clear colours.

The proposed colour scheme goes like this:

1. Tamiya rattle-can grey undercoat.
2. One coat of Titanium Silver.
3. Three coats of Clear Red.
4. Two coats of Smoke.

I've tested this scheme on a brush-painted sample and it does produce the right effect.

For most of my airbrushing I use 1 part (for Tamiya) to 1 part thinner. Make sure the paint is well stirred and there are no lumpy bits in it, and mix the thinners and paint in a separate tub. I don't have much experience painting gloss colours, so if it was me I would find an old piece of model/styrene card etc, and practise on that until you are happy with it, make sure you give it loads of time between coats too.
Chris.

[Gondor]

Weaver,

If you are unsure about how it will work, why not try it on some scrap plastic or an old kit?

Gondor