Non toxic oil paint solvent

Just a note about using linseed oil, be very careful with any rags or towels that have the linseed oil on it.  Linseed oil is known to spontaneously combust and cause fires.

As for me, I use turpenoid when thinning Windsor oils for pinwashes.  I'm not sure; however, if it would cause you to feel ill.

First, you don't want use linseed oil and other oil products for oil washes because it will take weeks and months for them to dry.  They are for oil paintings.

Second, use Mona Lisa Odorless Paint Thinner.  It works like a charm and is very low in odor and toxicity.  I'm very sensitive to chemicals but have never had an issue with Mona Lisa.

do you use natural turpenoid? the website says its not toxic at all

well noted i will try it, i also have the same problem when i want to clean my AB. i have  bought an ultrasonic cleaner just for that. pour some hotwater and dishwashing liquid in it and press the button, works fair enough for me

Wear a 3M respirator (around $30) and you won't be able to smell even a highly toxic thinner.  

Roger that!  If it is making you sick, please use a 3M vapor respirator!

Matt12

do you use natural turpenoid? the website says its not toxic at all

I seem to recall reading horror stories of people here on the forum using Turpenoid Natural as a thinner for washes and having it not dry (and perhaps attacking certain acrylic base coats). Seems there was one which was tacky nearly a year after application.

Be warned...

You can dry a Turpenoid wash in a couple minutes with a hair dryer. It's all I ever use for washes.

Jay

thanks everybody, i have a 3M respirator. will definitely try natural turpenoid + hair drie, if it works that would be the best way out.

I only use Turpenoid, great stuff.

I think we're talking about two different animals here. Regular Turpenoid (blue can) is fine. Turpenoid Natural (green can) isn't.

I'd strongly advise against using Turpenoid Natural and only use regular Turpenoid.

The following extract is related to its use as an oil painting medium, but take heed of the warnings

http://www.rexart.com/media/turpenoid_natural.pdf

Limitations of Turpenoid Natural® as a medium

Since the proportion of Turpenoid Natural® in paint mixtures should not exceed 25%, do not use Turpenoid Natural® to create washes, glazes or to "wet" canvas before painting. If you employ over painting (painting in layers) as a technique and use Turpenoid Natural® as a medium, each layer or area of paint must be wholly dry to the touch before applying the next layer. Thicker areas must be firm to the touch throughout the entire area to be over painted. Surface drying or superficial skinning of thicker paint areas is not sufficient drying for overpainting. Applying paint mixed with Turpenoid Natural® over paint film(s) that is not firm and dry to the touch may create a mottling or rippling effect and may even lift the underlying layer. It may also prolong the drying time of the underlying paint indefinitely. Turpenoid Natural® is therefore not recommended for use as a medium with heavy impasto techniques in which over painting is used.

A side note. I used to get headaches and feel woozy after modelling, for quite some time.Now, I wear my respirator for everything. Gluing, sawing resin,everything except decaling. I also use Sansodor and like its qualities. Never had an issue with it, but sure it never hurts to try something different. Good luck.

You also need to be aware that "odourless" doesn't mean it isn't giving off vapours which may still be harmful. Ventilation/respirator rules still apply.

Potentially, this is even more hazardous, as our sense of smell is part of our early warning system. Just because you can't smell it, it doesn't mean it's not there.

thanks for the very valuable note, however i was hoping i could use turpenoid natural :( you made it clear, it is out of the game. i am very sensitive to chemicals, last night i tried using the sansodor wash once more, this time weared a 3M mask and also openned the window and used a fan to dissipate the vapors and blow them towards the window. it was much better i should say but still had some difficulties sleeping at night ( dunno if its related or not ) but chemical stuff generally make me nervous :D

has someone here tried all these solvents? i mean turpenoid, sansodor and gamsol? which is the safest? what about citrus solvent? i have only tried sansodor and pebeo OMS. although it seems 100% safe or non chemical solvent does not exist :(

I spend the vast majority of my free time oil painting, with fine scale modeling being a much smaller portion of my free time. Turpenoid and gamsol are pretty comparable, though people will argue back and forth about which is better based on MSDS exposure specifications. Both of these are great choices, but someone that is especially sensitive to petroleum distilates may still have problems with these.

As for citrus based solvents, these leverage d-limonene as their primary ingredient, which is extracted from citrus peels via a steaming process, or a centrifugal process. d-limonene is still not something you want to pour over your cheerios, but it can be considered food safe, and is used in alternative medicine. 

So, 100% d-limonene is pretty intense stuff, it will smell more orange than a bag of oranges, and it is supposed to be a bit stronger than turpentine. d-limonene does have a rapid evaporation rate, so it isn't really safer than spirits or turpentine in an enclosed studio. There is a company called Eco-House that makes a full strength d-limonene terpene, as well as a mild citrus thinner. The mild thinner is basically a smaller percentage of d-limonene, mixed with some other stuff, and is specifically marketed as a product for people sensitive to solvents. These aren't cheap, but they also aren't exactly expensive, especially when your health is a concern.

www.dickblick.com/.../eco-house-115-extra-mild-citrus-cleaner

*A note about using drying oils (linseed oil)*

So, some people recommended against using linseed oil as a medium for thinning paints, but drying oils in general are fine to use. Linseed oil, walnut oil, and if you are desperate safflower oil are great choices, and arguably better choices for thinning oil paint. The issue with using solvents to thin paints is that it reduces the oil/pigment ratio in your paint in such a way that you can have weaker paint films. This isn't going to be a problem most of the time, but it is something oil painters consider. Using a drying oil such as linseed oil is simply dilluting the paint by adding a higher percentage of binder/pigment. It will take longer to dry, but it results in a stronger paint film that doesn't risk interacting poorly with other layers of paint.

The least harmful route you could go would be to use a drying oil to thin your paints. Plan to experiment with it to get the effects you want though, as it will cause your paints to handle distinctly different than they do when thinned with a solvent.

The only time I thin my oil paints with purely solvent is when painting the initial layer of paint onto a canvas, when I am building up layers of paint afterwards I use a medium of either 50/50 stand oil/oms, or 30/70 stand oil/oms. Unnecessary info yes, but it provides context