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Posted (edited)

Hi,  in the past I've used Lacquer thinner with enamel paint to spray through the airbrush, the Donn Yost method, two parts paint to one part lacquer thinner.  On my next model I would like to try spraying regular paint thinner with enamels. Would the ratio be the same as the lacquer thinner to paint ratio?? also has anyone tried using odorless paint thinner??  Thanks, John

Edited by foxbat426
Posted

I would say this is an experiment. I would say that because different paint manufacturers make their paints and thinners differently.  When it comes to thinners, they all have different levels of certain chemicals which cause them to react differently.  Example:  The lacquer thinner that you buy at home depot doesn't contain enough of the right chemical to completely dissolve the binders in true automotive lacquers but it is still "lacquer thinner".  On top of that, automotive lacquer thinners come in a verity of mixes or "tempuratures". 

You have to take what you have and try it. The mix you suggest would not be a bad place to start, but get yourself some plastic spoons and try it on the back of the spoons and adjust the mix until it works with your painting technique.  That way you don't screw up a model. 

Posted

I agree with Pete - experiment on spoons.  That is always good thing to do when you change paints or their formulation.

When I don't use lacquer thinner (I use the SCL brand) with hobby enamels, I use the thinner specifically made for that brand enamels.  Like Pete said, thinners are mixture of chemical compounds. Odorless thinner might not be fully compatible with whatever paint you're thinning.

Posted

I'll add a third vote for experimenting on spoons. Costco has them in large quantities for a reasonable price.

I've been using the Testor's Airbrush thinner on my enamels and like it a lot. It seems a little more volatile, and perhaps purer than the hardware store variety paint thinner (aka mineral spirits, or paraffin if you're in the UK). It goes down nicely, and I found I can spray several coats in a session if I let them dry 10 minutes between coats. It takes a while to dry tho. I put my models in a box with a low-wattage light because I'm cheap. Other people use food dehydrators to speed drying.

The California compliant lacquer thinner is a different beast that the stuff used by the rest of the country. If it contains toluene and xylene, then it's the real thing and will aggressively dissolve paint. I've had mixed results using it to thin enamels. Not sure if this was due to very low humidity, or the goofball thinner we're forced to use in California.

Posted

I'll add a third vote for experimenting on spoons. Costco has them in large quantities for a reasonable price.

 

They are free at the Golden Arches.

Posted

I only tried "paint thinner" once and didn't like the results.

These days I'll sometimes use naphtha (lighter fluid) as a thinner for enamels, especially if I'm going for a "factory finish"--glossy, but not a "showcar shine" that will require little if any polishing/rubout. The biggest downside to the stuff is that you can't mix up any more than you'll actually use at the time--after a week or so, naphtha-thinned paint will turn to Jello and can't be brought back. Lacquer-thinner thinned paint will stay good for years (unless it dries out completely due to faulty seal).

Posted

I only tried "paint thinner" once and didn't like the results.

These days I'll sometimes use naphtha (lighter fluid) as a thinner for enamels, especially if I'm going for a "factory finish"--glossy, but not a "showcar shine" that will require little if any polishing/rubout. The biggest downside to the stuff is that you can't mix up any more than you'll actually use at the time--after a week or so, naphtha-thinned paint will turn to Jello and can't be brought back. Lacquer-thinner thinned paint will stay good for years (unless it dries out completely due to faulty seal).

I had some similar results with regular paint thinner a long time ago. Never tried lighter fluid. It's probably a more volatile, but I don't know. I wish my dad was still around. He was a chemical engineer and knew a lot about petroleum distillates.

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