fseva Posted July 8, 2015 Share Posted July 8, 2015 I recently had a chance to paint a model using an acrylic lacquer custom mixed by Paintscratch.com. The thing that caught my attention about this product line was the fact that the mfr says you can NOT use thinner available at Home Depot, etc., that it has to be their Automotive Lacquer Thinner, or you could ruin the paint. Now, MCW has no such disclaimer, and neither does Bob's Paint, and both are acrylic lacquers. So, my question is, "Why the difference, and is Paintscratch.com pulling my leg, to get me to buy THEIR lacquer thinner? If not just a marketing method, what accounts for the difference in all of these acrylic lacquers to make one REQUIRE a special type of lacquer thinner? Also, how do I find and purchase the special lacquer thinner so that I don't need to buy 2 ounces at a time from Paintscratch.com? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
10thumbs Posted July 8, 2015 Share Posted July 8, 2015 Off Topic here, but why are so many of your threads locked? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DON-T2 Posted July 8, 2015 Share Posted July 8, 2015 Try Mr.Color thinner it works well with all the acrylic lacquers I have used. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Chernecki Posted July 8, 2015 Share Posted July 8, 2015 I am not sure what brand of paint they are mixing, but I have had a hard time finding something acceptable to work their paint. I have tried HOK lacquer thinner, Mr Color Leveling thinner (work on the solid but not well with the metallic paint I have), Tamiya lacquer thinner will poor results. Hardware store lacquer thinner is low quality and you never know what you are getting. Just buy some of thoer thinner, it goes a long way. Personnaly I wouldn't buy their paint again. Just order from Scale Finishes and you won't go wrong. Jameston can now mix older colors in basecoat/clearcoat which is so friendly to use. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3100 chevy Posted July 8, 2015 Share Posted July 8, 2015 Off Topic here, but why are so many of your threads locked? Think he closes them when he finds what he wants Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Foxer Posted July 8, 2015 Share Posted July 8, 2015 No one has said what their problem using "hardware store" lacquer thinner was, but I've used PaintScratch paint for years with no problem when I thin with the cheap lacquer thinner I use for all paint. With the last few colors I've purchased from them I did get it in a spray so that is their thinner, of course. It could just be them selling their own thinner as just about every model paint on the market recommends using only their thinner ... and we all know very few of us do! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Chernecki Posted July 8, 2015 Share Posted July 8, 2015 Using hardware store lacquer thinner, I got fish eyes in the paint. Could there be some oil or other impurity in the thinner. Another time I was out of HOK thinner and used some Dupont Lucite thinner (not a hardware store thinner) in my HOK clear, only to have it form cracks after it dried. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fseva Posted July 8, 2015 Author Share Posted July 8, 2015 Off Topic here, but why are so many of your threads locked? I lock them myself, once I have enough info and don't want to keep track of them anymore... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fseva Posted July 8, 2015 Author Share Posted July 8, 2015 I am not sure what brand of paint they are mixing, but I have had a hard time finding something acceptable to work their paint. I have tried HOK lacquer thinner, Mr Color Leveling thinner (work on the solid but not well with the metallic paint I have), Tamiya lacquer thinner will poor results. Hardware store lacquer thinner is low quality and you never know what you are getting. Just buy some of thoer thinner, it goes a long way. Personnaly I wouldn't buy their paint again. Just order from Scale Finishes and you won't go wrong. Jameston can now mix older colors in basecoat/clearcoat which is so friendly to use. Actually, Jameston sells acrylic enamels. I would buy from MCW if ordering there was easier and more user-friendly. Painscratch.com has a very nice webstore, and you can look up model of cars, years and get a list of colors that were used for these. I like it and I don't like MCW's having to print out and order form and make out a check and send it in the mail. It discourages me from ordering when I really need something, because to make the process seem more worth the effort, I try to anticipate my needs and order for future projects. Well, that hasn't worked too well because of my changing favorite kits. Also, if you buy 1oz at Paintscratch.com, you add 1oz of thinner and you have enough material without having to worry about what you'd have to do if you ran out. And the cost is a lot more like MCW this way. Lastly, I like the Clearcoat Paintscratch.com sells. Have no idea what MCW sells and his price is way out of line. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fseva Posted July 8, 2015 Author Share Posted July 8, 2015 No one has said what their problem using "hardware store" lacquer thinner was, but I've used PaintScratch paint for years with no problem when I thin with the cheap lacquer thinner I use for all paint. With the last few colors I've purchased from them I did get it in a spray so that is their thinner, of course. It could just be them selling their own thinner as just about every model paint on the market recommends using only their thinner ... and we all know very few of us do! That's true, and it was what I thought of first, but now, we have a responder who has stated that he has difficulty with their paint and other brands of lacquer thinner. Think I'll have to wait for a more rounded consensus of opinions on this one... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fseva Posted July 8, 2015 Author Share Posted July 8, 2015 Using hardware store lacquer thinner, I got fish eyes in the paint. Could there be some oil or other impurity in the thinner. Another time I was out of HOK thinner and used some Dupont Lucite thinner (not a hardware store thinner) in my HOK clear, only to have it form cracks after it dried. Well, everything about "fisheyes" seems to be related to how the paint was applied or the condition of the surface. One time, I got fisheyes because I put too much clear on without letting it flash between coats. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Chernecki Posted July 8, 2015 Share Posted July 8, 2015 Actually, Jameston sells acrylic enamels. I would buy from MCW if ordering there was easier and more user-friendly. Painscratch.com has a very nice webstore, and you can look up model of cars, years and get a list of colors that were used for these. I like it and I don't like MCW's having to print out and order form and make out a check and send it in the mail. It discourages me from ordering when I really need something, because to make the process seem more worth the effort, I try to anticipate my needs and order for future projects. Well, that hasn't worked too well because of my changing favorite kits. Also, if you buy 1oz at Paintscratch.com, you add 1oz of thinner and you have enough material without having to worry about what you'd have to do if you ran out. And the cost is a lot more like MCW this way. Lastly, I like the Clearcoat Paintscratch.com sells. Have no idea what MCW sells and his price is way out of line. Check out Jameston's site again. Yes, he does sell Acrylic Enamel, but he now has the ability to mix basecoat/clearcoat. I have ordered a few 55-57 chevy colors and some 60s muscle car colors in basecoat and they are great. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Chernecki Posted July 8, 2015 Share Posted July 8, 2015 Well, everything about "fisheyes" seems to be related to how the paint was applied or the condition of the surface. One time, I got fisheyes because I put too much clear on without letting it flash between coats. I have done enough painting in the past 30+ years to know when the issue was paint prep vs a paint problem. In each instance the hardware store thinner was common variable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fseva Posted July 9, 2015 Author Share Posted July 9, 2015 (edited) I have done enough painting in the past 30+ years to know when the issue was paint prep vs a paint problem. In each instance the hardware store thinner was common variable. Sorry, I didn't realize you had all that experience. Thanks for the clarification! Edited July 10, 2015 by fseva Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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