Mixing Rubbing Alcohol and Tamiya Liquid surface primer

Denatured alcohol, sometimes referred to as methylated spirits, includes specific additives that make it non-drinkable. ATF needs it's tax revenue! This form of ethanol has a bad taste, smells foul, and is poisonous if ingested. The additives exist to deter individuals from attempting to recreationally consume it. Denatured alcohol is typically applied as a solvent.

Rubbing alcohol is considered to be a surgical spirit rather than a methylated spirit since it is used in medical environments as a topical application. It is a type of denatured alcohol prepared from a special solution consisting of roughly seventy percent pure ethanol or isopropyl alcohol in its concentrated form. Rubbing alcohol is a generic term used to describe either isopropyl or ethyl based products with similar qualities and is essentially a special type of denatured solution. The two forms are designed to serve different purposes and antiseptic versions can be used as a gentle solvent substitute.

To cut to the chase... you should be fine using one or the other with Tamiya acrylics. I've seen reports of people using either alcohol.

I doubt very much that you can combine these two products.  Tamiya has two types of thinners, one is for acrylics (it actually does smell like rubbing alcohol).  I've tried it on some of their liquid surface primer, and they do not mix at all, and you end up with a gooey mess.

You will need either Tamiya's lacquer thinner which has a yellow cap, or some other store bought lacquer thinner.  I got mine at Walmart, and is lot cheaper and does the job quite fine.

regards,

Jack

You can't go wrong always using the Paint Manufacturers' thinner.  Experimenting with other stuff is not economical.  After all, this stuff is cheap.

jgeratic

I doubt very much that you can combine these two products.  Tamiya has two types of thinners, one is for acrylics (it actually does smell like rubbing alcohol).  I've tried it on some of their liquid surface primer, and they do not mix at all, and you end up with a gooey mess.

You will need either Tamiya's lacquer thinner which has a yellow cap, or some other store bought lacquer thinner.  I got mine at Walmart, and is lot cheaper and does the job quite fine.

regards,

Jack

 

This here is correct .. No other words said better

Rick

Thanks guys I appreciate your advice

"Rubbing Alcohol" such as that sold under the commercial name "Isocol" is typically Isopropyl alcohol. I can confirm that Isopropyl alcohol (I have tried 99%) is not at all compatible with Tamiya LSP.

On the other hand, denatured alcohol aka methylated spirits (as mentioned is ethyl alcohol with added components to render it undrinkable), can be used to thin/clean Tamiya LSP.

This is reversed for Mr Surfacer, which can be cleaned up using Isopropyl, but not denatured alcohol.

Both Mr Surfacer and Tamiya LSP may be thinned using either (GSI Creos) Mr Color Thinner or Tamiya Lacquer thinner (both of which are relatively styrene friendly), or a generic hardware store lacquer thinner, which may be harmful to styrene. 

Phil_H

"Rubbing Alcohol" such as that sold under the commercial name "Isocol" is typically Isopropyl alcohol. I can confirm that Isopropyl alcohol (I have tried 99%) is not at all compatible with Tamiya LSP.

On the other hand, denatured alcohol aka methylated spirits (as mentioned is ethyl alcohol with added components to render it undrinkable), can be used to thin/clean Tamiya LSP.

This is reversed for Mr Surfacer, which can be cleaned up using Isopropyl, but not denatured alcohol.

Both Mr Surfacer and Tamiya LSP may be thinned using either (GSI Creos) Mr Color Thinner or Tamiya Lacquer thinner (both of which are relatively styrene friendly), or a generic hardware store lacquer thinner, which may be harmful to styrene. 

 

I tried mixing Isopropyl Alcohol with Tamiya Liquid Surface Primer and got the gooey mess in return. Perhaps there is a different formulation between US and Australian Isopropyl Alcohols? All I have successfully thinned the Tamiya primer with is Laquer Thinner.

that ..peter

That is interesting about the denatured alcohol, I've never tried it for either cleaning or thinning.  So basically, the added ingredients are what cut Tamiya's surface primer?

From what I've read, denatured alcohol is still supposed to be composed of 90% alcohol, while the remaining 10% is the more 'industrial' strength component.

regards,

Jack

jgeratic

From what I've read, denatured alcohol is still supposed to be composed of 90% alcohol, while the remaining 10% is the more 'industrial' strength component.

regards,

Jack

You've got to read the label on the denatured alcohol. Different brands have very different ingredients. I've seen some that are 100% methanol (which is undrinkable). While others have small amounts of other solvents such as MEK added to ethanol.

As said before, the poisons are there to prevent recreational consumtion. So to make the stuff "safer," they add poison. Always found that ironic.