Need a recommendation for an acrylic reducer with an anti-tip dry additive

[Monty]

I almost never use acrylics, but will be in the near future.  From what I've seen/read, they generally require constant cleaning of the spray tip and/or some kind of chemical agent to prevent dried paint from building up at the tip. 

I'd much rather buy a proven formula than make my own, so links and any procedural tips you'd care to pass along would be greatly appreciated. 

 

[OldNYJim]

I’ve never had a MAJOR problem with this phenomenon myself, but I like either Createx thinner or Tamiya thinner for all my acrylics.

Both work great - Createx is easy to find if you have a Hobby Lobby near by.

[flashman1957]

"Flow-Aid" by Liquitex is commonly used to combat tip-dry when airbrushing acrylic paints (that's what it's made for), and is usually available at most places that sell artist paint supplies, including Hobby Lobby. The below article gives good information on using it with various brands of modeling acrylics:

https://modelpaintsol.com/guides/liquitex-flow-and-slow-the-tools-for-taming-acrylic-paints

But be aware that not all brands of acrylics behave the same way, due to different formulations the manufacturers use, so remember to test it first.

And while on the subject, the same website also has a great article on what airbrush cleaning solutions to use, which can vary a lot depending on the brand of paint. For example, several of my modeling friends found out the hard way that the lacquer thinner they have used for years to clean paints from their airbrushes, just turns some brands of acrylics to goo that can be difficult to remove!

https://modelpaintsol.com/guides/airbrushing-tips-v4-airbrush-cleaners

Edited September 21, 2022 by flashman1957

[Slotto]

I've been using IPA 70% with no problems. It's very slippery at 1:1