oil based enamel question

[foxbat426]

a thread in this forum recommends using lacquer thinner, not mineral spirits, for thinning Testors oil based enamels. it mentions that the dry tiome is much faster using lacquer thinner. My question is, does this hold true for all brands of oil-based enamels paints or just testors?

thx, john

[Dr. Cranky]

Interesting question, John. I am assuming you are referring to the comment Donn Yost posted a while back. Let's see if he'll chime in . . .

[LoneWolf15]

John ,

I cannot say for all ! I have used it with several different brands of enamels , however , and had no problems whatsoever. I use a 2 to 1 paint to thinner ratio with the Testors enamels .

Donn Yost

[foxbat426]

don, thx for the quick response - yes i will give it a try and see what happens on a brand other than testors. Don, do you shoot mostly with enamels or do you use acrylics and lacquers also? by the way do you offer a package deal on your dvd's? i would like to order all of them - i've watched the previews and they look great!

john

Edited November 5, 2011 by foxbat426

[Scale-Master]

While I use lacquer thinner in most of my enamels, (and even some acrylics), I found out the Tamiya enamels do not work well at all with it. Mineral spirits is a must for them.

[GeeBee]

I don't use too many enamel paint these days, however I do use it under my Alclad, and for this I have been using Revell thinned with cellulose (Lacquer) thinners, comes out really glossy and dries a lot quicker, I've also used the same thinner in Tamiya acrylic paints and that works very well as well, I've also used the same thinners with Humbrol enamel, so far no problems,

[Art Anderson]

Simple answer is: Lacquer thinner works very well with oil based enamels, always has and I assume always will. Now, with Tamiya, their enamels are waterborne, so that advice may well be off.

Art

[Lownslow]

Simple answer is: Lacquer thinner works very well with oil based enamels, always has and I assume always will. Now, with Tamiya, their enamels are waterborne, so that advice may well be off.

Art

i tried using laquer with enamel and fried one paint job on the second coat : (, ive been using enamels with urethane reducer and i havent had a problem yet

[Junkman]

I still use oil-based enamels for everything I don't paint with automotive paint.

Like GeeBee, I use cellulose thinners with them. I tried white spirit and turpentine, but nothing works as good as cellulose.

I always carefully nick the little glass jam jars from the breakfast buffet in hotels. I fill three of them with cellulose.

The first is the 'dirty' one. This is where I stump in the brushes straight after I used them. After I wiped them on a cloth, I then stump them into glass no.2 and after another wiping they go into glass no.3 for a final rinse. Once glass no.3 is slightly contaminated, I dump what is in glass no.1, fill it with what's in glass no.2, fill glass no.2 with the slightly contaminated content of glass no.3 and fill glass no.3 with fresh cellulose.

[Psychographic]

i tried using laquer with enamel and fried one paint job on the second coat : (, ive been using enamels with urethane reducer and i havent had a problem yet

When did you apply your second coat?

[Lownslow]

When did you apply your second coat?

a day after

[Psychographic]

a day after

There is your problem. As enamel dries and starts to cure the addition of the solvent with the second coat attacks the curing paint. This can happen even with reducers and mineral spirits, although as they aren't as hot as LT.

You need to recoat once it tacks, or wait until the paint cures (not dries).

[LoneWolf15]

Let me clarify .... When I suggest cutting enamels with laquer , use the cheap stuff ! As in bargain basement , hardware store variety laquer thinner . No automotive related brands whatsoever !

Lownslow ,

I believe you simply used a thinner that was hot and not a cheap brand that is simply " warm " I use Sunnyside laquer thinner which is available from the Do It Best hardware chain .

[Lownslow]

Let me clarify .... When I suggest cutting enamels with laquer , use the cheap stuff ! As in bargain basement , hardware store variety laquer thinner . No automotive related brands whatsoever !

Lownslow ,

I believe you simply used a thinner that was hot and not a cheap brand that is simply " warm " I use Sunnyside laquer thinner which is available from the Do It Best hardware chain .

couldve been im not gonna switch to anything else tho this stuff im using is working great,

psycho it was still pretty tacky when i sprayed it.