ACRYLIC THINNER VS DISTILLED WATER.

What?  I can't hear you!

Distilled water doesn't have any flow aids in it to aid your paint in airbrushing or help the paint have more leveling properties. Distilled water doesn't have any slow dry in it to help keep the paint from drying too fast. I can't think of all the other advantages of a good thinner right now for some reason. But the thinner I use is only about 50% water, the rest is other fluids that help the paint more than water does.

Rex

Water not only thins the acrylic paint it also thins any 'binding' polymers in the paint so less adhesion.Since I switched to Craft Acrylics I haven't used water only for some time. Try some craft acrylic thinned with water and then AB'd on a spare piece of styrene then try to mask. Masking tape will lift the paint. Do the same with acrylic thinner, airbrush medium or plain ol' Future as a thinner and see the difference. I'm with Rex, I do use water (distilled or not) but very sparingly and I keep a bottle of X-20A handy. And, yes, I know others have been successful with water, windex, wiper fluid etc for a long time but for me only when used sparingly. YMMV.

Bick, I think your posts are the reason that I add Pledge Future to my thinner mix now.  I figured that if you could use it as a thinner/adhesion improver in Craft paints that it couldn't hurt in my Model Acrylics.

That, combined with Golden's medium,  and the finding of Brett Green's article using Polly Scale clears to thin his Polly Scale paints for airbrushing worked together to increase my paint film strength on my own work.

I spray Tamiya acrylics and the Tamiya thinner works wonderfully.  In terms of cost, I bought a bottle of Tamiya X-20A thinner 2 years ago, and since then, I have painted 13 1/35 tanks.  The bottle isn't empty yet.

Just use the thinner that that paint manufacturer makes for their paints, and you'll be fine.  Messing around with other thinners usually doesn't work out well.

Cadet Chuck

Just use the thinner that that paint manufacturer makes for their paints, and you'll be fine.  Messing around with other thinners usually doesn't work out well.

I couldn't agree more. Not worth the hassle.

Good info on this thread. I always used the paint manufacture's thinner because of the flow aids. I didn't know all this other stuff. Thanks.

One of the advantages of using enamel, get yourself some ModelMaster Airbrush thinner and you're good to go with any brand of paint.  Not hard for me to remember and I don't have to worry about manufacturers' recommendations.  I haven't found any enamel that didn't spray well thinned with MM AB thinner.  And, in a pinch, one can go the paint/hardware stare and buy mineral spirits by the gallon (for those extra-long painting sessions!)

Gary

Texgunner

One of the advantages of using enamel

  I sucked it up and learned to paint with acrylics. There are DEFINIETLY times where I'd like to use enamel though!

mustang1989

Texgunner

One of the advantages of using enamel

Oop! I can't use that stuff! I work inside the house in the A/C and the Mrs. and the lil' one get bothered by the odor of that stuff!! lol

  I sucked it up and learned to paint with acrylics. There are DEFINIETLY times where I'd like to use enamel though!

I totally understand Joe.  In my case though, I worked for many years as a house painter, and that included painting here at home too.  I use oil-base enamel for all the woodwork in our house, and my wife and kids just thought that was how paint should smell, lol.  When I worked as a painter, my wife used to laugh that the paint (and putty, drywall mud, stain, lacquer, etc) smelled like "money" to her. 

I do all my spraying indoors, with that A/C goin' and nobody here has ever noticed, let alone complained.  I have a little fan that runs behind me, blowing the "fumes" away from my table. 

Man you've got it good! I'd be asked to go  to "hell" .....I mean the 100 degree garage!!!! lol

I have heard that some people use 99% alcohol or soap dish as a thinner. Would you recommend this?

Just to clarify my previous post I'm referring to acylics for paint brush like folkart, Americana, etc.

Careful, Teejay,,,,,someone misquoted themselves or made a big mistake in repeating some tip.

Dish soap is NOT to be used as a thinner. A very small quantity of dish soap can be added to Acrylic paints as a flow improver, by helping your thinner and paint mixture to break their surface tension. Very small as in 1 or 2 drops per airbrush load.

And depending on the paint brand, and which Alcohol you are talking about, Alcohol can be used to thin some paints,,,,,,,and is guaranteed to make a gummy mess of other paints.

Rex

I also just had a thought about asking for paint thinning advice online.

People should go ahead and ask if they don't know. But, then, the very best money saving tip that anyone can give is to test out that advice for yourself. Go to a Michael's (or Moore's, etc) and get one of those round paint palettes (less than $2 US).

Then mix up that "great woop-dee-do" idea with a few drops of your paint and the thinner, retarder, thickener, etc in one of the dimples. Look at it now and then, poke it with a toothpick,,,,see if it separates, or never hardens, etc.

If you see it separate or turn to goop, or never dry,,,,or anything that you don't like about it, then you might have just saved an $8 brush or your airbrush.

AFTER you know that the stuff mixes together,,,,,,,,THEN you can put it through your airbrush and practice with thinning ratios, and spraying on spare model parts or plastic sheets.

that dish soap tip being mixed up is the exact example of why we shouldn't just "jump right in" and use some online tip without testing first, no matter who has what "online rep",,,,,,,,that guy won't be the one buying a brand new Thayer Chandler XYZ-1234 for you if you mess it up.

Rex

teejay

I have heard that some people use 99% alcohol or soap dish as a thinner. Would you recommend this?

teejay

Just to clarify my previous post I'm referring to acylics for paint brush like folkart, Americana, etc.

Hi teejay,

I've never heard of 'dish soap' being used as a thinner and, for me, I wouldn't do it. Though dish 'detergent' does contain a detergent or ' wetting agent' it also contains soap.. I have used a drop or two in a cup of water when soaking decals - it does make water wetter. And, I have used a product called "Jet-Dri" which is just a detergent (goes in the dish washer) but never as a thinner. I use all the brands you mention and more and have added a drop to JetDri to my AB cup when I've run out of Flow-Aid but never as a thinner. Even among the brands you mention, take Tarnships advice - some will mix with alcohol fine, others not. When using acrylics, it's always safe to use the mfrs thinner but I don't know of a thinner made just for CRAFT acrylics like those you mention so it's always best to "TEST FIRST" as Rex says. Case in point - I wanted to AB some antique qold on a model I was working on so picked some up at WalMart. Put a little in a medicine cup and added a little X-20A and after a few seconds had this ugly green stuff on top and complete jellied gunk on the bottom. Glad I didn't try to push it through my airbrush. I really like to use Craft Acrylics but, personally, I would see no reason to try dish soap or dish detergent as a thinner -"Dawn" dish detergent may soften your hands but gunk up your AB. Just my thoughts.

Off Topic, but, Bick you might get some use out of this.

www.vikingwoodcrafts.com/.../merchant.mvc

It is not the thinner I was thinking of,,but, it is close.  The one I was thinking of comes in a larger 8 oz bottle and is for "Americana"? or Folk Art. I thought knowing that there was one product might help you find the large bottles of the more exact brands you need.  (heck, it could even have been Apple Barrel)

hope this helps

Rex

Thanks Rex - learn something new everyday!! Had never seen that before.