Never again will I use IPA

X-20A does work well and so does the leveling thinnner by Guynze.

India Pale Ale? I didn't know it could be used as a thinner?

My sentiment is the opposite, when I started using Tamiya for the 1st time, I got their X-20. Then I started to use IPA with the same results, no better no worse. Then I felt like a sucker for paying that much for less with no benefit at all. This might be debatable, but dozens of builds later, I don't miss X-20 a bit. I just use my X-20 bottle for decanting the IPA.

I have always had good results using ethyl alcohol with Tamiya paints.

some people don't thin straight with IPA. they also add a retarder of some sort. i use IPA with a drop or two of liquitex flow aid.

International Phonetic Alphabet?

(yeah, well, IsoPropyl Alcohol)

GreenThumb

I have always had good results using ethyl alcohol with Tamiya paints.

So have I, mostly, but it's not so good with Tamiya gloss acrylics. I have found that ethyl alcohol tends to make the paint dry with a flatter finish. When thinned with X-20A, it dries with a much better gloss though it's better again with Tamiya lacquer thinner.

Another advantage I have found when thinning Tamiya flat acrylics with ethyl alcohol is that you can run the paint super thin (much thinner than IPA or X-20A) and get smoother finishes and the paint will still "bite".

Here in Australia, ethyl alcohol (methylated spirits) runs to about $5.00 per litre, compared to $12.00 for 250ml of X-20A, and IPA is not much cheaper (than X-20A).

GreenThumb

India Pale Ale? I didn't know it could be used as a thinner?

What's IPA?

Phil_H

GreenThumb:

I have always had good results using ethyl alcohol with Tamiya paints.

 

So have I, mostly, but it's not so good with Tamiya gloss acrylics. I have found that ethyl alcohol tends to make the paint dry with a flatter finish. When thinned with X-20A, it dries with a much better gloss though it's better again with Tamiya lacquer thinner.

Another advantage I have found when thinning Tamiya flat acrylics with ethyl alcohol is that you can run the paint super thin (much thinner than IPA or X-20A) and get smoother finishes and the paint will still "bite".

Here in Australia, ethyl alcohol (methylated spirits) runs to about $5.00 per litre, compared to $12.00 for 250ml of X-20A, and IPA is not much cheaper (than X-20A).

I have never used their gloss paints Phil. Thanks for that info.

El Taino

My sentiment is the opposite, when I started using Tamiya for the 1st time, I got their X-20. Then I started to use IPA with the same results, no better no worse. Then I felt like a sucker for paying that much for less with no benefit at all. This might be debatable, but dozens of builds later, I don't miss X-20 a bit. I just use my X-20 bottle for decanting the IPA.

I second that.

Wow!!  The only IPA I am familiar with is India Pale Ale and I think it's wonderful. 

I have often heard people say the X-20A is pretty much IPA with retarder. NOT so. On the bottle it clearly says it contains "n-propanol and butyl alcohol". IPA is isopropyl alcohol. I have never gotten better results than with X-20A. IPA simply dried way too fast.

I totally agree. definitely not for long term storage. IPA looks like actually disintegrate the paint instead of thinning it. I tried to use it couple times, the paint spray out is not smooth. one 250ml last me couple years already, no reason to go cheap.

Yeah, I've always just used plain old rubbing alcohol with Tamiya paints.  Never had any problems.

RESlusher

Yeah, I've always just used plain old rubbing alcohol with Tamiya paints.  Never had any problems.

 

Another thing to consider is brands of iso alcohol. I am sure some brands are better than others depending on how it was manufactured. That could equate to people having different results. I have noticed a difference with enamel spirits as well but I haven't used enamels in many years.

Wonder if gin would work?  Or vodka?........