thinning tamiya paints

Are you talking about enamels, or acrylics?

Anyone who isn't using Tamiya X-20A thinners seems to be using either isopropyl alcohol or screenwash. Isopropyl alcohol seems to dry pretty quick, so some add a small amount of retartder to it to slow the drying process. The screenwash used is the common or garden type stuff, but i would be cautious about using it as there are so many differing strengths & addatives in screenwash.

I had a hell of a job getting X-20A about the same time last year, everone & their uncle was out of stock, so I fished & fished until I managed to get my hands on a couple of 250ml tubs of X-20A. The 10ml version sells for about £1.25, whereas the 250ml version sells for about £5.00 - in theory you are getting over £30.00 worth of thinner for £5.00, its a cheap way to buy it & it lasts "forever".

www.creativemodels.net are the UK importer for Tamiya & also run a retail site, although they are showing no stock of 250ml at the moment, it might be worth giving them a  call on 01354 760 022. 

For Tamiya acrylics, in order of preference,

• Tamiya X-20A thinner
• Isopropyl alcohol
• Denatured (ethyl) alcohol

If using either alcohol, it may be advantageous to add a little acrylic retarder (available from artists supplies stores) to your alcohol of choice before thinning your paint.

 PS: Here in Australia, ethyl alcohol is available in the form of Methylated Spirits. I'm not sure if the Methylated Spirits available in the UK is the same as ours.

Yes, Meths is available in the UK, its pink, stinks & is good for plastic wash down & airbrush cleaning - although I have never considered using it as a thinner - interesting.

Hmm - it's a shame your Meths is tinted pinlk, ours is still colourless. It does work reasonably well as a thinner.

Over here, meth's is the favourite tipple of homeless alchoholics as it's cheap & powerful. Dont know what it's like now, but take a jaunt down Soho a few years ago, on any evening of the week & you would find them living in amongst the rubbish drinking the stuff!

If you do go the Isopropyl Alcohol route (AKA Rubbing Alcohol, AKA Surgical Spirits) go for the highest number of concentration (95% or 99%). The lesser concentrations can use a witches brew of additives which is both unknown and unpredictable.

What Bill said. Also, using a retarder is almost absolutely necessary when using isopropyl alcohol, and I would think when using denatured alcohol, as it has a higher evaporation rate.

"methylated spirits" should be denatured alcohol (US term). However, I have heard and seen it used for naptha, which is death to many acrylics.

Also, methyl alcohol is highly toxic. First it makes you blind, then it kills you.

Triarius

Also, methyl alcohol is highly toxic. First it makes you blind, then it kills you.

Hi Ross,

As far as I'm aware, our local Methylated Spirits no longer contains Methyl alcohol, though the name remains unchanged. It has other additives in it to render it undrinkable.

ALL alcohol is dangerous, even the stuff that comes in beer cans! Methyl Alcohol is the most toxic 10ml will cause permanent damage to optic nerves and as little as 30ml can kill you. Don't drink any alcohol other than the stuff from the local liquor store, and be very careful with that stuff!

There is some confusion on what each alcohol is even called. Methylated Alcohol is also known as Denatured Alcohol and is typically a mixture of Ethyl Alcohol (90-95%) and Methyl Alcohol AKA Methanol (5-10%). Methyl Alcohol is also called Wood Alcohol or Naptha, so called as it was derived from the distillation of boxwood.

Bill, naptha is not a single hydrocarbon, but a range of distillates from crude oil (the original Persian/Greek/Latin word meant crude oil, as do the modern Russian and colloquial Italian equivalents, similar to Germans using "benzin" for gasoline (IIRC). As you can see, it is entirely possible that someone, somewhere, decided to call some form of alcohol naptha, or blended naptha with a little alcohol and called it naptha—or simply misused the term, and it caught on. Happened a lot with early organic chemistry, and now it happens a lot when the ad-wonks get a hold of the terminology.

Paraffnic napthas (those you will most likely encounter) are also use as "white gas"—Coleman camp stove and lantern fuel. It is also used as lighter fluid, and some forms of charcoal lighter fluid are a blend of naptha and alcohol.

I think naptha will remove "White-out"…

Ross,

What I poorly attempted to say was it is called Wood Alcohol or Wood Naptha. My apologies for furthering the confusion that already exists!

You are, of course, absolutely correct that Naptha is Greek/Latin for crude oil. The Romans borrowed it from the Greeks, who in turn borrowed it from the Arabs (as they did most things) who called it  "nafţ". The Arabs used "nafţ" for any form of petroleum (Greek for Rock Oil, yes I know you know that!) or pitch.

cheers guys, managed to get holdof two 10 ml tubs of tamiya stuff. i'll pop to the chemist and get some alcohol, then get some retarder. got enough to finish the lancaster. havea play with other thinners on a naff kit soon. i'll let you know what happens.

I have a jug of distilled water by work bench that works just great for thinning Tamiya paints. A couple drops in to my mixing pallette seems to work the trick just right for me...

If I can't get Tamiya thinner (and I can't order it online), I'll also use distilled water.

Another option: 

I have used Expo White Board cleaner from the local office supply store (or the office's supply cabinet) with success.  Costs less than the Tamiya & a bit more than a bottle of rubbing alcohol from the local drug store. 

The label says it contains 2-Butoxy Ethanol/Acetate and Isopropyl Alcohol.   One of the resident chemists can tell you what that is.   It smells like the Tamiya stuff.