Airbrushing with Polly Scale acrylics

They are similar to Model Master acryls in behavior since Polly Scale is made by Testors. They are fairly thin out of the bottle but will need further thinning. I recommend 70% alcohol for thinning. Remember the skim milk rule: paint should be the consistency of skim milk for proper spraying. This will be roughly 60% paint/40% thinner ratio and may need to lean towards a 50/50 ratio.

Andy

I generally thin initially to their suggested ratio, then add more if it appears needed. I have generally found that it is not, but I use a gravity fed airbrush, and that makes a difference.

Also, I disagree with Andy: I recommend using only distilled or deionized water to thin Polly Scale. I did some compatibility testing on various paints several years ago, and repeated the process with Polly Scale last  year. Polly Scale paints are not compatible with most common alcohols such as isopropyl, ethyl, and methyl (denatured). 70% isopropyl may have enough water in it to act as a "buffering" cosolvent, but I've always had great results with just distilled water. YMMV.

I agree with Tisarius...

Admittedly, I'm new to airbrushing but I spent most of last summer experimenting with paint and airbrushing it... and finishing some airplane models too, and I found that alcohol and/or amonia (windex) made my acrylic paint lose it's adhesive quality.

I'm dialed in with great results using regular water and a "retarding agent". I'm not sure what it is but it makes the paint (especially flat & matte) dry slower so you can avoid "pebbling" or orange-peel flaws.

Tarius is 100% spot on! Use only distilled water for thinning Polly Scale paint for airbrishing, Should you need a retardant to slow the drying time I recommend a few drops of non acetone nail polish remover. It contains glycol which is a natural paint retardant.

Hey All, I had pretty good luck thinning Polly Scale Flat Clear with Tamiya X20A Thinner. Now this is the only Polly Scale paint I've tried, so I don't have a lot of practice in this area. Triarius is probably right, but it's important to note the success as well, correct? What do you guys think? Was I lucky or is the Flat Clear different than a color?

I usually thin Polly with soapy distilled water (made soapy with a drop or two of dish washing detergent). Only use a few drops of this stuff, or the paint will dry slow. The primary purpose of this soapy solution is to make the paint flow better. If more thinning is required use a little alcohol (rubbing or 91%). I would also advise straining the paint through a little piece of old nylon stockings.

As I said, YMMV. Hard to argue with success. That being said, it is entirely possible that the clear flat is differently formulated than their other paints. For that matter, it is not uncommon for different colors of the same brand to be differently formulated, depending on the requirements of the pigments.

I'd advise checking for compatibility before assuming that it will work with all other colors. Cleaning a clogged airbrush really cuts into building time. 

Triarius wrote:

As I said, YMMV. Hard to argue with success. That being said, it is entirely possible that the clear flat is differently formulated than their other paints. For that matter, it is not uncommon for different colors of the same brand to be differently formulated, depending on the requirements of the pigments. I'd advise checking for compatibility before assuming that it will work with all other colors. Cleaning a clogged airbrush really cuts into building time.

Good call Ross. Have you ever tried Polly S airbrush thinner? You would think that would be the perfect mix if PS makes it for their own paints right? Anyways, Testors recommends it on their site, but what they say doesn't always cut through trials. What are your thoughts?

Centurion wrote:

Triarius wrote: As I said, YMMV. Hard to argue with success. That being said, it is entirely possible that the clear flat is differently formulated than their other paints. For that matter, it is not uncommon for different colors of the same brand to be differently formulated, depending on the requirements of the pigments. I'd advise checking for compatibility before assuming that it will work with all other colors. Cleaning a clogged airbrush really cuts into building time.  Good call Ross. Have you ever tried Polly S airbrush thinner? You would think that would be the perfect mix if PS makes it for their own paints right? Anyways, Testors recommends it on their site, but what they say doesn't always cut through trials. What are your thoughts?

Water is much less expensive, and I have a lifetime supply of acrylic retarder.